...the Sudoku master

2 Pinoy teens win Sudoku tournament in China

abs-cbnNEWS.com

05/23/2011

 

MANILA, Philippines - Two Filipino students won top prizes in an international Sudoku tournament held in Beijing, China last week.

Sarah Jane Cua, 16, won the first prize in the "under 18" category of the Kejia Pengcheng Cup Beijing International Sudoku Tournament 2011 held from May 19 to 22. The incoming Management Engineering freshman at the Ateneo de Manila University received a cash prize of $500 and a trophy.


Cua was declared grand champion in the Brand's Asia Pacific Sudoku Challenge 2010 held in Singapore last year. She won the same title in 2008.

The 16-year-old was also the grand champion in the 2009 and 2010 Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge, an annual contest conducted by the Mathematics Trainers Guild-Philippines (MTG) and SM Supermalls.

Placing second in last week's tournament was Timothy James Tan, a 14-year-old incoming third year student at Trinity Christian School in Bacolod City. He received $400 and a certificate.

Tan was the grand champion in the Sudoku Grandmaster category of the 5th Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge held in January this year. He also won first place in the Sudoku Wizard Division of the same competition in 2010.

Aside from Sudoku, Cua and Tan have also represented the country in various math contests abroad.