SMART GAMES FOR SMART PEOPLE

History was made at 8:32 p.m. on Friday when China State Councillor Madame Liu Yandong declared the 1st World Mind Sports Games open for competition in five sports.

Participants in Bridge, Go, Chess, Xiangqi and Draughts, representing 143 countries and regions, were on hand for the opening ceremonies at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium.

With the flags of the nations on display behind him, World Bridge Federation President Jose Damiani told players, “You are the ones who will show the world that you can combine harmony and honor even in tough competition.” Damiani is also president of the International Mind Sports Association.

Earlier in the day, Damiani and Dr. Paul G. Hoglund, representing the General Association of International Sports Federations, encouraged bridge players in the Open, Women’s and Senior competitions to play well and with fairness.
At the Olympics venue, Youth bridge players and the representatives of the other sports were welcomed by Guo Jinlong, mayor of Beijing, and Liu Peng, president of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

Liu said the mind sports games were “a dream come true” for the city. Guo told the gathering, “We hope you will take with you a fond memory of Beijing.”
The official opening of the WMSG was followed by an elaborate stage production representing the disciplines of the competition.

Press room at the MSG - Picture from Daily Bulletin 06.

Antoine Bernheim, president of the Generali Group, has been selected as the International Bridge Press Association’s Personality of the Year. Generali is a longtime supporter of the WBF and the IBPA. Bernheim is shown playing at the World Championships in Estoril, Portugal. Photo from Daily Bulletin 09

Bridge in the World Mind Sports Games

IMSA, the International Mind Sports Association, is organizing the 1st World Mind Sports Games in Beijing, China, in October 2008, following the Olympic Games in August and the Paralympic Games in September 2008.

Bridge is one of the four mind sports comprising IMSA; the other three are Chess, Draughts and Go. In the inaugural Mind Sports Games in Beijing, Chinese Chess (Xiangqi) has also been invited to participate.

There is a special official IMSA website for the 1st World Mind Sports Games in Beijing (www.2008wmsg.org). The present website refers to the bridge part of the Games. For the Draughts section of the World Mind Sports Games, click here.

Text from official website