KenKen to host Dubai and Abu Dhabi competitions on Sept 17

Kenken International Championship's "Emirates Level" competition will run on September 17 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

More than 6,000 students registered for the schools round, and 4,000 have been shortlisted for the emirates level challenges to be held at Amity University, in Dubai International Academic City, and Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi.

Kenken is a grid-based numerical puzzle that uses basic maths operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division - while also challenging a student's logic and problem-solving skills.

Commenting on the response from schools, Ushan Dhar, CEO Rootstalk Learning Solutions, the organisers of KenKen UAE, said: "Unfortunately, competitive puzzling is not the craze with students in the UAE, especially in Mathematics. We are striving to change that, and I am happy to say that we have been able to do that with KIC 2016. It is by far the largest, international math puzzle championship in the UAE, and probably the entire MENA region."

Winners of the emirate level will go on to compete in the national level in October in a bid to represent the UAE in the international championships in New York in December 2016.

Cash prizes worth AED 100,000 will be awarded to winners at different stages of the championship. The final 10 national winners will win an all-expense paid trip to the international championships in New York.