In an exclusive interview with sudokuvillage.com, Jana Tylova of the Czech Republic talked at length about her successful foray at the recent world championships and how she won.

 A complete transcript on the interview follows:

Sudoku Village (SV): Congrats on your winning the Sudoku World Championship from the entire Sudoku Village community. How do you feel about being the World Sudoku Champion?

Jana Tylova: I was very happy, when I won the World Sudoku Championship. It was a great feeling. But I am very busy now, also thanks to Sudoku.

SV: When did you get interested in Sudoku? And how?

Jana: I have been solving logical puzzles for years. I have participated in five World Puzzle Championships. Sudoku is one of the great family of logical puzzles and I have taken part in many Sudoku competitions too.

SV: How did you learn to solve Sudoku at the professional level?

Jana: I have been solving Sudoku since many years. My wealth of experience in Puzzles Championships also helped me a lot.

SV: Did the internet help you in learning to solve Sudoku or becoming the World Champ? If so, how?

Jana: Yes, definitely. The Internet is my main source of puzzles, including Sudoku. On the Internet, I studied Sudoku solving techniques.

SV: How did you know about the World Sudoku Championship? How did you get the opportunity to represent your country in Sudoku?

Jana: In February I participated in the Czech Sudoku Championship, which I won. The first six competitors from this contest were chosen to represent the Czech Republic at the World Sudoku Championship in Italy.

SV: Did you have any Sponsors to pay for your travel, stay, etc.?

Jana: We had to pay part of our travel and accommodation expenses. Sponsors paid partly too, including some Czech crossword editors - our friends from Czech crosswords and puzzle competitions.

On the first day of the championship I finished in eighth place. On the second day I was in very good form. I was lucky too and I won.

SV: Who all helped you along the way?

Jana: I must first name my boyfriend who I live with. His hobbies are puzzles and Sudoku too.  He is my mentor, teammate and rival in solving puzzles together.

SV: What kinds of puzzles are given in the World Championship?

Jana: There were a lot of different variations of Sudoku - classic, irregular, diagonal, odd/even, sum (killer), product, digital and others.

SV: Do you think women or men enjoy any specific advantages in solving Sudoku?

Jana: No, I don't think so.

SV: Can you tell us something about yourself and your family/ professional background?

Jana: I am 31 years old. I am single and live with my friend in a town called Most, which is in the north-west of the Czech Republic. I am an economist. Apart from Sudoku and other puzzles, horses are my hobby.

SV: Do you use any specific methods to solve Sudoku? If so, which ones?

Jana: No, I don't have any specific methods. I use only classic methods to solve Sudoku.

SV: How do you solve Sudokus fast? Can you give us some vital tips?

Jana: I think that the secret lies in training. Speed is possible to learn. When you solve a lot of Sudokus, you get faster.

SV: What is your advice to all of us at Sudoku Village on how to improve our Sudoku problem solving skills?

Jana: You need to have a lot of patience. Also, you must train a lot. I wish everyone at Sudoku Village a lot of pleasure with Sudoku.

SV: Can you send us some photographs of yourself and the World Sudoku Championship, to share with Sudoku Village members?

Jana: I am sending some photographs.

SV: Thank you Jana. We are sure members of Sudoku village will gain a lot from your useful tips.

[?]