Milan, the World Capital of Maths Games: Bocconi Hosts the International Finals
Logic, intuition, and imagination. This has been the motto guiding the International Mathematical Games Championships for forty years—a competition that demonstrates how mathematics can be, first and foremost, an engaging intellectual challenge and a great game.
On July 25 and 26, Bocconi University in Milan will host, for the first time in history, the international finals of the Championships. This historic event will bring approximately 600 competitors from 22 countries across three continents to Italy, ready to tackle the same mathematical and logical problems in a competition that rewards reasoning, creativity, and the ability to find solutions.
No complicated formulas or knowledge of advanced theorems are needed to tackle the “games” presented to participants. Instead, what’s needed is logic, intuition, imagination, and, above all, the desire to put oneself to the test. Each question is designed to intrigue, stimulate thought, and show how a surprisingly simple solution can lie behind a seemingly difficult problem.
The 2026 edition marks the 40th international edition of the Championships and the 33rd organized in Italy by Bocconi University, which has coordinated the event in Italy since 1994. Worldwide, more than 200,000 participants compete simultaneously each year. In Italy, where just over 400 competitors registered for the first edition, the event’s success has grown steadily, surpassing 40,000 registrants in the 2025 edition.
Italy arrives at the Milan event on the strength of the excellent results achieved in the last international final, held in 2025 in Mahdia, Tunisia. On that occasion, Andrea Bernacchi and Diego Barcellone took first and second place in the L1 category, Federico Incitti won the bronze medal in the GP category, while Giorgio Dendi took first place in the parallel competition for the GP category.
Since 2008, the International Mathematical Games Championships have been accredited by the Ministry of Education as part of the Program for the Promotion of Excellence, a recognition that underscores their educational and formative value.
Competitors from Algeria, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Switzerland, China, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Italy, Morocco, Peru, Poland, Qatar, the United Kingdom, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Ukraine will participate in the international finals in Milan.
The competitions are divided into eight categories, based on age and skill level: from the CE category, for fourth-grade students, to the GP category, open to adults with no age limit.
More than just a competition, the Championships offer an original and exciting way to engage with mathematics. For those who already love math, they provide an opportunity to explore its most creative aspects; for those who view it with skepticism, it can lead to the discovery of a different kind of discipline—one capable of surprising, entertaining, and testing one’s intelligence while requiring nothing more than curiosity, a keen eye for detail, and a love of challenge.