University Pokémon coder aiming for world glory

A Cambridge University maths student has qualified for the 2026 Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco using skills he said he learned in his studies.

Christ's College undergraduate Marcus Koh, 22, is taking part in August after coming second in the Birmingham Regional Pokémon Championships in January.

During his maths course, he developed a computer code which he said assisted with his strategy, approaching "battles" in the games and saving him time.

Pokémon has become a globally recognised name and brand, from games to TV and trading cards, since it was created and launched in 1996.

"I'm someone who tries to win by doing my 'homework', and the code saves me a huge amount of time," said Koh, who is from Singapore.

He said he devised his computer code to predict how the Pokémon he had "trained" were likely to fare against opponents, and how he could adjust their training to dramatically improve his chances of winning.

"Maths and Pokémon have certain things in common – skills that are transferable. The analytical skills you need to assess your options in Pokémon are the same kind of problem-solving skills that are used all the time in maths," he said.

His code also uses the mathematical concept of recursion – solving a problem by breaking it into smaller versions of the same problem in an ongoing loop.

He said that can help him win in a stalemate scenario, where Pokémon are barely able to damage one another and become locked in a battle in which neither can progress.

He said: "In maths, you might use a recursive loop to estimate things like the future populations of animal species. I used it to get my Pokémon into the best possible shape going into these long, drawn-out battles.

"I've turned an abstract situation into one governed by a set of mathematical rules."

Koh is a member of the university's Pokémon Society and has only been playing the game competitively for three years.

"I'm thrilled to be competing in my second World Championships. I feel that I've learned and improved so much as a player since last year, so I'm really hoping to give it my best shot."

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