Mind Sports Olympiad, funded by LA-born Jewish philanthropist, goes online
The competition annually hosts thousands of the top game board competitors hailing from over one hundred countries, which makes it the largest game board tournament of the year.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFMen wear protective face masks and gloves, amid fear of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), play chess on the sidewalk of Mellat Park, in Tehran, Iran(photo credit: REUTERS)
The 24th Annual Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO) held its tournament digitally this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.The competition annually hosts thousands of the top game board competitors hailing from over one hundred countries, which makes it the largest game board tournament of the year.LA-born philanthropist Etan Ilfeld has been the main benefactor of the MSO for the past 11 years. Ilfeld founded Repeater Books and Tenderbooks and owns the Watkins Media and Watkins Bookshop, and runs the tournament in partnership with Mensa, Lichess, the World Puzzle Federation and Board Game Arena.Ilfeld has played chess since the age of four, and his passion for the strategy of board games brought him to funding the annual tournament just over a decade ago. To accompany his passion, Ilfeld also invented what is called Diving Chess, where players can think and use the board for only as long as they can hold their breath underwater for."This was definitely the most competitive Mind Sports Olympiad ever. I'm humbled by the record entries and to see that even during the difficulties of COVID, board games are as popular as ever and can both exercise the mind and bring people together," Ilfeld said.The competition went on for the past month, holding competitions ranging from Scrabble to speed reading to chess to Settlers of Catan.Ankush Khandelwal, considered "the greatest games player in the world," defended his 2019 chess championship this year, marking a three-peat performance for the former English trader turned professional poker player."The competition this year has been stronger than ever. It's been a massive challenge to try and compete against of top game specialists from around the world. Also, I'm grateful to the organizers for finding a way to run the Mind Sports Olympiad despite the hardships of the pandemic," said Khandelwal.Claire Wange, 15, from LA, won the speed-reading competition, reciting 100,000 words backwards in 93 minutes - afterwards being tested and receiving the highest score for comprehension.While the switch to an online competition did not come without challenge, as four competitors were exposed for cheating, the tournament still went on as a success, showing promise to a future of more competitions of the like.
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