What is the fast growing e-sport of competitive Microsoft Excel?

“Who doesn’t want to be the spreadsheet champion?”

That is what the co-founders of the UK Microsoft Excel chapter said when explaining how the everyday computer programme Microsoft Excel became a competitive e-sport.

For a few years now, spreadsheet masters have been working hard to get their hands on the wrestling style UK and world champion belts that are awarded to the winners of Microsoft Excel Championships – and in the west of England the race is on to find new talent to galvanise on the sport’s growing popularity.

So what is competitive spreadsheeting?

And how did Excel become a high-flying, high-stakes e-sport inviting players worldwide to win thousands of pounds?

Competitive excel has been around for about 20 years and is essentially…