‘Dig deep and think as hard as possible’ – the secrets of success in Scrabble, Sudoku, Jenga and more

Samarth Manchali, nine, began playing Scrabble aged seven. He was the under-10 champion at the year’s World Youth Scrabble Championships. Photograph: Anushree Bhatter/The Guardian

Rubik’s Cube

The first time I speak to George Scholey this October, he is on the train to the UK Rubik’s Cube championships in Coventry. The 20-year-old English student at Queen Mary University in London won the title in 2019, and, as subsequent competitions were postponed due to the pandemic, has been reigning champion for three years. “It’s really nice, but undeserved,” he laughs.