Rohan Rao
Rohan Rao | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mumbai, India |
| Nationality |  India |
| Years active | 2007-present |
Rohan Rao, who goes by the name vopani,[1] is an Indian sudoku and puzzle solver, widely considered as the best sudoku solver of India.[2] He is the reigning Indian Sudoku Champion and Times of India Sudoku Champion. Rao has won 18 national championships, an all-time record, and has been one of the best Indians at the World Sudoku Championship (WSC), World Puzzle Championship (WPC) and Asian Sudoku Championship (ASC). He won the Indian Sudoku Championship nine times, in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] the Indian Puzzle Championship five times, in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017,[13][14][15][16][17] and the Times National Sudoku Championship four times, in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25]
Rao was ranked 3rd in ASC 2021, 23rd in WSC 2019 and 39th in WPC 2019. He stood 8th in the World Sudoku Championship 2012 to become the first Indian to be ranked in the top-10 in the World in Sudoku. He stood 3rd at the Asian Sudoku Championship 2018[26] to become the first Indian to finish on the podium of an international WPF Sudoku Championship. He finished 3rd again at ASC 2019[27] and improved his performance with a 2nd-place finish at ASC 2020.[28]
He was the director of the World Sudoku Championship 2017 and core organizer of World Sudoku and Puzzle Championship 2017 held in October, 2017 in Bengaluru, India.[29] As part of his puzzling career, Rao has authored and organized various puzzle and sudoku championships, events and workshops across India and the world.[30]
Championships
[edit] |
Indian Sudoku Championship
[edit]Rao won his first Indian Sudoku Championship title in 2010, beating veteran solvers Ritesh Gupta (three-time and defending champion), Rishi Puri and Gaurav Korde in the finals to become the youngest ever national champion at the age of 19 years, 9 days. Since then he has won eight more times, making him the most successful player in the tournament.
He finished on the podium for 12 consecutive years (2010-2021). No other player has finished on the podium for more than 4 consecutive years.
Indian Puzzle Championship
[edit]Rao won his first Indian Puzzle Championship title in 2010, pipping veteran solver Rajesh Kumar to become the youngest ever national champion at the age of 19 years, 240 days. Since then he has won four more times, matching Kumar's tally of 5 titles.
Asian Sudoku Championship
[edit]The Asian Sudoku Championship was first held in 2018 where Rao stood third. He finished on the podium for four consecutive years with his 3rd-place in 2019, 2nd-place in 2020 and 3rd-place in 2021.
Career statistics
[edit] |
National Championships
[edit]18 Gold, 7 Silver, 7 Bronze
Ranks in the Indian Sudoku Championship, Indian Puzzle Championship, and Times Sudoku Championship.
| Year | National Championships | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ISC | IPC | TSC | |
| 2021 | 1st | 2nd | |
| 2020 | 1st | 3rd | |
| 2019 | 1st | 3rd | 1st |
| 2018 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2017 | 1st | 1st | |
| 2016 | 1st | 2nd | 1st |
| 2015 | 3rd | 1st | 1st |
| 2014 | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2013 | 2nd | 4th | 3rd |
| 2012 | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| 2011 | 1st | 1st | |
| 2010 | 1st | 1st | |
| 2009 | 4th | 2nd | |
| 2008 | 11th | 3rd | |
Asian Championships
[edit]4 ASC Appearances
Ranks in the Asian Sudoku Championship (ASC)
| Year | Asian Championships |
|---|---|
| ASC | |
| 2021 | 3rd |
| 2020 | 2nd |
| 2019 | 3rd |
| 2018 | 3rd |
World Championships
[edit]11 WSC Appearances, 11 WPC Appearances
Ranks in the World Sudoku Championship (WSC), World Puzzle Championship (WPC)
| Year | World Championships | |
|---|---|---|
| WSC | WPC | |
| 2019 | 23rd | 39th |
| 2018 | 17th | 44th |
| 2017 | Director | Organizer |
| 2016 | 18th | 28th |
| 2015 | 14th | 42nd |
| 2014 | 14th | 36th |
| 2013 | 16th | 45th |
| 2012 | 8th | 38th |
| 2011 | 12th | 34th |
| 2010 | 15th | 41st |
| 2009 | 25th | |
| 2008 | 68th | |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Rohan Rao's profile at Logic Masters India". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
- ^ "Hindustantimes Brunch 05 August 2012". Issuu. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Indian Sudoku Championship 2010
- ^ Indian Sudoku Championship 2011
- ^ Indian Sudoku Championship 2012
- ^ Indian Sudoku Championship 2016
- ^ "Indian Sudoku Championship - 2017". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ^ "Thread - Sudoku Mahabharat - 2018". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ "Thread - Sudoku Mahabharat - 2019". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "Thread - Sudoku Mahabharat - 2020". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- ^ "Results of Indian Sudoku Championship 2020" (PDF).
- ^ "Thread - Indian Sudoku Championship 2021 - 12th December". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
- ^ Indian Puzzle Championship 2010
- ^ Indian Puzzle Championship 2011
- ^ Indian Puzzle Championship 2012
- ^ Indian Puzzle Championship 2015
- ^ "Indian Puzzle Championship - 2017". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
- ^ Times Sudoku Championship 2012
- ^ "Su-doku Championship: India's Fantastic 4 now set sights on Croatia". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ^ Times Sudoku Championship 2015
- ^ "The Times Sudoku national winners will represent India at the World Sudoku Championships in Bulgaria in October". The Times of India. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
- ^ Times Sudoku Championship 2016
- ^ "Times Sudoku national winners to battle it out in Slovakia". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "Times Sudoku Championship - 2019". logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
- ^ Mathur, Abhimanyu (13 August 2019). "Times Sudoku winners to represent India at World Championship in Germany". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "World Puzzle Federation". www.worldpuzzle.org. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- ^ "PH bags 45 medals at 2019 Asia Sudoku Championship". pia.gov.ph. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
- ^ "Asian Sudoku Championship 2020".
- ^ "WSPC 2017 - Logic Masters India". wspc2017.logicmastersindia.com. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
- ^ "Delhi Brain Games - April 2013". delhibraingames.in. Retrieved 13 August 2019.