Tournament fever is on the rise again, but for this particular sport, game play takes place not on the court but rather within the digits of computer code. Competition is driven by the mental agility of the players who, despite their big-league abilities, promise to stick around for their senior year. At TopCoder.com, a Glastonbury, Conn.-based coding competition company, programmers participate in semiweekly online programming competitions for cash and, if lucky, qualify for the big dance at either of the two major annual tournaments. The TopCoder Collegiate Challenge premiered in June and lent center stage to the younger hotshots. The TopCoder Invitational Tournament, which is open to all members of the growing TopCoder community, will bring together 16 semifinalists (out of 256 qualifiers) on Nov. 2 and 3 at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Conn., to compete for a $250,000 purse.At Foxwoods, semifinal competitions will pit four programmers against one another. They must create a code to satisfy an assigned scenario within a 75-minute time limit. Contestants then spend 15 minutes in the challenge phase scanning opponents’ codes, highlighting any flaws in an attempt to oust their rivals. Winners of each round advance to the finals in the tournament championship. Jason Woolever, former MIT grad student and reigning Collegiate Challenge champ, banked $100,000 for his clutch performance last June in San Francisco. He’s now a senior research and development engineer for Synopsys in Sunnyvale, Calif.Been fantasizing about drafting a superstar such as Woolever onto your IT squad? Companies can either post jobs at www.topcoder.com or take advantage of a matchmaker-style hiring program in which TopCoder fetches a qualified programmer from the member community based on a company’s demands. Also useful is a complex rating system that distinguishes one coder from another, allowing employers to evaluate and compare potential employees. “TopCoder was put together to differentiate between [programmers],” says Jack Hughes, founder and chairman. “The programming community is not homogeneous.” Related content feature 8 tips for unleashing the power of unstructured data For most organizations, data in the form of text, video, audio, and other formats is plentiful but remains untapped. Here’s how to unlock business value from this overlooked data trove. By Bob Violino Nov 28, 2023 10 mins Data Mining Data Mining Data Mining opinion What you don’t know about data management could kill your business Organizations without a solid data management strategy are on a collision course with catastrophe. Unfortunately, that’s most businesses, judging by the fundamental disconnect on the importance of strong data foundations. By Thornton May Nov 28, 2023 6 mins Data Architecture Data Governance Master Data Management brandpost Sponsored by Dell Technologies and Intel® Gen AI without the risks Demystifying generative AI: Practical tips for cost-effective deployment in your organization. By Andy Morris, Enterprise AI Strategy Lead at Intel Nov 27, 2023 6 mins Artificial Intelligence brandpost Sponsored by SAP Old age isn’t what is used to be: a versatile solution for a more independent breed of seniors An award-winning company from Down Under gives today’s seniors the power to access the services they need while keeping control of their own destinies and preserving their independence. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Nov 27, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe