Vishvaa Rajakumar, a 20-year-old student from the Manakula Vinayagar Institute of Technology, Puducherry, has won the Memory League World Championship 2025. He set a new benchmark by memorizing the order of 80 random numbers in 13.50 seconds—averaging almost six digits per second—and recalling 30 images in 8.40 seconds. His incredible feat underscores his exceptional cognitive abilities and mastery of advanced memory techniques.
Key Highlights:
- Competition Details:
- The Memory League World Championship is an intense, fast-paced online memory game tournament.
- Competitors are briefly shown 80 random numbers on a screen and then required to write them down on a recall sheet.
- Each match consists of five rounds, with the overall winner being the one who wins the most rounds.
- It follows a double-elimination format, meaning: Players start in the Main Bracket, Losing one match moves them to the Repechage Bracket, Losing a second match results in elimination.
- 16 top-ranked competitors from the Memory League world rankings competed in a double-elimination tournament.
- Rajakumar’s Performance:
- As per Memory League website he ranked No. 1 globally with a perfect score of 5,000, defeating 16 top competitors in the online tournament.
- His record-breaking performance helped him clinch the title as the world champion.
- Method of Loci – The Memory Palace Technique:
- Rajakumar’s success is attributed to his expertise in the “method of loci”, an ancient memory technique also known as the “memory palace”.
- This ancient memory method, originating from Roman times involves mentally associating pieces of information with specific locations (like rooms in a house) to form vivid stories, enabling quick and accurate recall of the information in the correct sequence.
Significance:
- Cognitive Excellence: First Indian to dominate global memory sports, setting new benchmarks in cognitive performance.
- Global Recognition: His win on the international stage puts a spotlight on India’s emerging talent in the field of memory sports.
- Inspiration for Young Minds: Highlights the potential of advanced memory training techniques in education and competitive fields.
- Impact on Competitive Memory Sports: His performance in a rigorous, multi-round international competition reinforces the growing popularity and competitiveness of memory sports globally.