Mind Sports involve mentally challenging board and card games of skill and intellectual ability in strategy, tactics, calculation, game theory, psychology, probability, and memory. There are national and world championships in each category.
Mind Sports are becoming more popular among parents and educators for child development. A study by MIT has shown that mind sports, like chess, improve brain functioning, memory, complex reasoning, problem solving, concentration, and neural plasticity.
In the U.S., popular competitive championship mind sports are played by millions and involve chess, contract bridge, checkers, backgammon, poker, and dominoes. A few additional popular mind and strategic games include: Sequence, Scrabble, Monopoly, Risk, Hire, Asul, skat, tafl, soduko, cribbage, and others. Popular Asian mind sports include: Mo, mahjong, Xiangqi, Makruck, Shogi, and others.
Chess
Chess is one of the world’s most popular abstract strategy games. The game requires strategy and tactics. It is a board game played between two players on a checkered board with light and dark pieces. Players alternate turns to take opponent pieces off the board. The objective is to checkmate (block) the king with no way to move.
The World Chess Federation holds World Chess Championships. The Men’s World Champion is Ding Liren from China. The Women’s World Champion is Ju Wenjun from China.
Contract Bridge
Contract bridge is a trick-taking card game involves four players in two competing partnerships. The game requires skills in tactics, memory, and probability. The objective is to score the highest number of tricks taken. Players must play a card of the same suit of the led card. The highest card takes the trick.
The World Bridge federation holds World Bridge Championships. The Bermuda Bowl for men’s national teams 2023 winners were: Switzerland-gold (1), Norway-silver (2), and Italy-bronze (3). The Venice Bowl for women’s national teams 2023 winners were Israel-Gold (1), Turkey-silver (2), and China-bronze (3).
Go
Go is an abstract strategy board game similar to chess and very popular in Asia. The game is played by two players who move stones (pieces) to surround more territory than the opponent. The board is a 19×19 line grid with 361 points to place stone.
The International Go Federation holds World championship tournaments. Ichiriki Ryo of Japan is the 2024 world champion.
Checkers
Checkers, also known as draughts, ia a strategy board game for two players which involves diagonal moves on an 8×8 checkered board. Players alternate moves and capture opponent pieces. The objective is to capture all the opponent’s pieces or prevent them from being able to move.
The World Checkers/Draughts Federation holds World Checkers Championships. Tournaments are held in two versions: 3-Move Checkers where payers begin three moves into the game; and GAYP (Go As You Please) where play begins on the first move.
Men’s 2022 winners were: GAYP – Matteo Bernini of Italy; 3-Move – Sergio Scarpetta of Italy. Women’s 2022 winners were: GAYP – Nadiya Chyzhevska of Ukraine; 3 -Move – Tetiana Zaitseva of Ukraine.
Backgammon
Backammon is board game involving strategy and luck It is played by two people. The players move pieces to the roll of the dice. The objective is to remove pieces by moving around the board.
World Champions in 2024 were: men’s Jonathan Tamago of the U.S. and women’s Shiina Okamoto of Japan.
Mahjong
Mahjong is an abstract strategy tile-based game similar to rummy card games. It requires strategy, tactics, and luck. It is popular in Pacific Rim Asian countries and around the world.
Mahjong is played by four players who collect and discard tiles. To win a round, a player must have three faan (sets) points to lay down the hand. Other players must pay the winner for the round.
The World Mahjong Organization holds world championships. Current individual champions are: Gold- Mai Hatsune of Japan, Silver- John J. O’Connor of the U.S., Bronze- Yuichi Ikeya of Japan. Team champions are: Gold- Japan, Silver- China, Bronze- Japan.
Poker
Poker is card game that requires strategy, psychology, probability, memory, and game theory. Players wager over the best hand, bluffing is part of the game. Poker variations include 5-card draw, 5-card stud, 7-card stud, and other variations. Players follow pre-determined amounts to ante up chips in the pot and bet on each hand. The best hand wins the pot.
The World Series of Poker determines the World Champion. The 2022 men’s winner was
Espen Jorstad of Norway and the women’s winner was Jessica Teusl of Austria.
Xianggi
Xianggi is an abstract strategy board game very popular in Pacific Rim Asia. The game is played by two players on a 9×10 grid board. The objective is to checkmate the opponent’s king.
The World Xiaggi Federation holds world competitions. The current men’s champion is Wang Tianyi of China and the women’s champion is Zuo Wenjiang of China.
Dominoes
Dominoes is a tile-based game using rectangular tiles with marked dots. The objective is to block opponents and to empty one’s hand.
Winners of the 2024 World Dominoes Championship were Jerome Wooton in Singles; and in Doubles, Phil Baker and Michael Hair.
