International Mind Sports Association
Encyclopedia
The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) is an institution of the world governing bodies
for contract bridge
, chess
, draughts
(checkers), and go, namely the World Bridge Federation
(WBF), World Chess Federation (FIDE), World Draughts Federation
(FMJD), and International Go Federation
(IGF). IMSA is a member of Sportaccord (formally the General Association of International Sports Federations) and was founded 19 April 2005 during the GAISF General Assembly. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Poker
and xiangqi
(Chinese chess) are affiliated sports; as of summer 2011, the International Federation of Poker
(IFP) and World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) have observer status in the association. Xiangqi competition was included in the first Games and duplicate poker
under the auspices of the IFP will be included in the second.
The IMSA generally pursues common aims and interests of its constituent sports. Foremost it organizes the World Mind Sport Games whose first rendition was held in Beijing, China 3–18 October 2008, about two months after the Beijing Olympic Games
. The second Games in 2012 would have been formally announced 17 November during the 2011 Mind Sports Festival in London
, except that they failed to secure a venue by that time.
Long term, it hopes to establish "World Mind Sports Games by analogy with Olympics, held in Olympic host cities shortly after Winter or Summer Games, using Olympic Games facilities and volunteers. The constituent World Bridge Federation incorporated several quadrennial world bridge championships in the World Mind Sport Games because it considers the WMSG a "stepping stone on the path of introducing a third kind of Olympic Games (after the Summer and the Winter Olympics)".
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
for contract bridge
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
, chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, draughts
Draughts
Draughts is a group of abstract strategy board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemy's pieces. Draughts developed from alquerque...
(checkers), and go, namely the World Bridge Federation
World Bridge Federation
The World Bridge Federation is the world governing body of contract bridge. The WBF is responsible for world championship competition, most of which is conducted at a few multi-event meets on a four-year cycle...
(WBF), World Chess Federation (FIDE), World Draughts Federation
World Draughts Federation
The FMJD is the international body uniting national draughts federations. It was founded in 1947 by four Federations: France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland....
(FMJD), and International Go Federation
International Go Federation
The International Go Federation is an international organization that connects the various national Go federations around the world. It is usually referred to as IGF.-Role of the IGF:...
(IGF). IMSA is a member of Sportaccord (formally the General Association of International Sports Federations) and was founded 19 April 2005 during the GAISF General Assembly. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
and xiangqi
Xiangqi
Xiangqi is a two-player Chinese board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, shogi, Indian chess and janggi. The present-day form of Xiangqi originated in China and is therefore commonly called Chinese chess in English. Xiangqi is one of the most popular board games in China...
(Chinese chess) are affiliated sports; as of summer 2011, the International Federation of Poker
International Federation of Poker
The International Federation of Poker is a non-profit organization incorporated as a legal entity pursuant to articles 60 to 79 of the Swiss Civil Code and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. IFP's stated purpose is to "serve as the global governing body for poker".-History:IFP was founded...
(IFP) and World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) have observer status in the association. Xiangqi competition was included in the first Games and duplicate poker
Duplicate poker
Duplicate poker is a variant of the card game poker. Duplicate poker is based on the principles of duplicate bridge, but it also incorporates some of the rules of pot limit and no limit Texas hold'em.As a skill-based game, it is legal in the U.S....
under the auspices of the IFP will be included in the second.
The IMSA generally pursues common aims and interests of its constituent sports. Foremost it organizes the World Mind Sport Games whose first rendition was held in Beijing, China 3–18 October 2008, about two months after the Beijing Olympic Games
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. The second Games in 2012 would have been formally announced 17 November during the 2011 Mind Sports Festival in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, except that they failed to secure a venue by that time.
Long term, it hopes to establish "World Mind Sports Games by analogy with Olympics, held in Olympic host cities shortly after Winter or Summer Games, using Olympic Games facilities and volunteers. The constituent World Bridge Federation incorporated several quadrennial world bridge championships in the World Mind Sport Games because it considers the WMSG a "stepping stone on the path of introducing a third kind of Olympic Games (after the Summer and the Winter Olympics)".
External links
- International Mind Sports Association official website. Confirmed 2011-05-25.
- World Mind Sports Games, International Mind Sports Association, no date. — Early document posted at American Go Association; second copy at World Bridge Federation
- 2008wmsg.org — evidently unofficial
- International Federation of Poker