A 22-year-old undergraduate at Christ's College, Cambridge, has taken a unique route to global recognition in the competitive world of Pokémon. Marcus Koh, who hails from Singapore, has secured a spot in the prestigious 2026 Pokémon World Championships, set to take place in San Francisco – an achievement that highlights the transferable skills between mathematics and the popular video game.
Koh's qualification comes after he took second place at the Birmingham Regional Pokémon Championships in January. His strategic approach to the game is credited to his mathematical studies, which he believes has given him a distinct edge. This unconventional application of academic prowess has earned him a reputation among fellow players, who are impressed by his use of bespoke computer code.
The innovative code devised by Koh predicts how his trained Pokémon will perform against opponents, allowing him to adjust their training and significantly boost his chances of victory. He likened the process to doing 'homework', saving him a considerable amount of time in preparation. A key feature of his code is its incorporation of recursion – solving complex problems by breaking them down into smaller, identical issues in continuous loops.
Koh's use of recursive loops has proven particularly useful in stalemate scenarios during battles, where Pokémon struggle to inflict damage on each other. He drew parallels with how this technique could be applied in mathematics to estimate future animal populations, adapting the concept to optimise his Pokémon for prolonged engagements.
As a member of Cambridge's Pokémon Society and a seasoned competitor, Koh is confident about his chances at the World Championships. This will be his second appearance at the tournament, and he expressed optimism about delivering his best performance yet, citing improved skills and increased experience since his last participation.
Source: Cambridge University