Sudoku showdown

Press Release/ Source: The Star

Written by LIM WEY WEN

Sudoku enthusiasts can put their passion to good use in the next Sudoku challenge.

IF LAST year’s MSIG Samurai Sudoku Showdown left you asking for more, get your pencils ready because the ultimate Sudoku challenge will be back next month with more prizes up for grabs.

Organised by general insurance company MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd, this year’s competition offers cash prizes of up to RM138,000 for participants and RM57,000 for the winning students’ schools.

By now, Sudoku should not be foreign to many of us. But if you still haven’t got a clue, think of Sudoku as a “crossword puzzle” of numbers. It involves filling in a 9x9 grid with numbers from one to nine so that every row and column and 3x3 grid contains all the numbers without any repetition. The Samurai Sudoku puzzle, the challenge for the final rounds, has five 9x9 grids with four 3x3 grids overlapping each other.

"We selected Sudoku because it is a very easy and simple game for everyone to take part in.” says MSIG chief executive officer Song Yam Lim.

The objective of this competition is to position MSIG as a socially responsible company through the promotion of Sudoku as a mentally rewarding and enriching game.

Last year’s MSIG Samurai Sudoku Showdown attracted about 1,700 entries. This year, more entries are expected, as the competition has four categories .

“This is a good opportunity to achieve part of our social responsibility objectives, as we are also going to make a donation to the school of the students who win in the competition,” he adds.

Unlike the previous year where participants compete in three categories: Ichi Sudoku (age 25 and above), Ni Sudoku (18 to 24), and San Sudoku (12 to 17), this year, the competition is divided into four categories: Student (7 to 17), Individual (18 and above), Senior (55 and above) and Family (three members from at least two generations, for example, children and parents/grandparents).

Getting families to compete as a team will allow them to spend quality time together, Song says. “That is why we are holding competitions over the weekends.”

The regional qualifying rounds and finals will be held at Pelangi Mall, Johor, on Nov 2; Dataran Pahlawan, Malacca, on Nov 9; Queensbay Mall, Penang, on Nov 16; and Ikano Power Centre, Mutiara Damansara, Selangor on Nov 22 and 23. The top three in each category from the four venues will represent their region in the grand finals, which will be held in the Klang Valley in January.

The Grand Champions of the Student, Senior, Individual and Family categories will receive RM3,000, RM 5,000, RM 8,000 and RM9,000 in cash prizes respectively. Those above 55 have the option of registering under the Individual category or Senior category.

The top three winners of the grand finals will each receive MSIG personal accident insurance. For the top three winners of the Student category, each of their schools will receive a RM3,000 reward.

“Last year, we had about 1,700 entries and the response for this year’s competition is very good. I am confident that by the closing date of Oct 17, we will get more interested participants,” Song says. “If this is successful we will do it again every year, with more prizes and on a larger scale.”