Mindsports Australia

T 1300 424 377
F 9576 8152
M 0411 877 833

Our Sponsors
Mind Sports would like to thank the following sponsors
Monash Universtiy, Chess World Pty Ltd.

Supporters
University Games, Computerplay, Funatical, Jedko, Pappocom, Mind Challenge, Dorcy Irwin, Moonah Links, Chess Base and many more to follow.

Divisible By Zero
Home of Game of the Year - Blokus
T 03 9388 9902
F 03 9388 9923
M 0418 149 622
E dbrennan@dbz.com.au
W www.dbz.com.au

About the Medal Sports
Chinese Chess, Backgammon, Kaleidoscope, Diplomacy, Scrabble, Draughts, Stratego, Memory, Gobblet, Sudoku, Othello, Tantrix, Chess, Poker & Go.

Chess
Chess is the king of games in terms of its image around the world. It can be played by anyone, anywhere and at any age. In Australia there are 22,254 rated tournament players (4233 from Victoria. While junior chess has been flourishing, and anywhere up to half the players in a tournament now being under 18, female participation is still low. At the lowest standard female participation is around 20% but declines sharply as seriousness of the event grows. Chess is being taught at about 1000 schools around Australia. A series of interschool championships is run in each state and an additional 15,000 kids play chess through schools around Australia. This is one of the few games with no element of luck!

Scrabble
Scrabble clubs and associations have about the same number of players as chess, but unlike chess where up to half the tournament players are juniors these days, scrabble is a more difficult game for young children to play. The National Scrabble Championships had 240 participants, and only 1 player under 16 years of age. Like bridge, scrabble is predominantly played by older, female participants. Skills required include memory, pattern recognition and of course a way with words!

Poker
With a high degree of luck in any individual hand some discount this gambling game as a game of luck. However in ‘no-limit’ poker the best players will take all the chips 80% of the time. Poker and backgammon, having a luck element, are usually played with a large number of rounds by comparison to skill only games such as chess. Most tournament players play online through a number of sites, gambling for real $’s. Crown Casino has been running poker tournaments a few times a week and runs a Melbourne Millions ($10,000 buy-in event) in January. The popularity of Poker has grown considerably with recent extensive TV Coverage.

Go
An Asian game with complexity far greater than that of chess, which sometimes scares people away. The beauty and enjoyment of this game come from seeing deeper than most people will ever consider. There are 2 or 3 big tournaments (60-100 players) in each year (sponsored events) usually sponsored by the same companies (NEC and Toyota) as part of an International Go circuit. This game is big in Japan, China, Korea and also known as Wei-Chi. It is seen as a far more intellectually high-brow game than chess.

Blokus - www.dbz.com.au/blokus.htm
Blokus is an exciting game which has simple rules but offers an infinite number of combinations.

Two, 3 or 4 players use different coloured and shaped pieces to try and fill as many places on the board as they can. Strategy is important and the only rule is that your piece must touch one of your other pieces at the corners - and only the corners!
A great game of strategy and patience. Awarded Australian Game of the Year in 2004 and Bronze as Toy of the Year in 2005!

Other awards include: Toy of the Year - Silver (runner-up) - Australia (ITSA) - 2004; Top 10 Children’s Choice Award Winners - Canada 2003; Good Toy award - Japan 2003; Game of the Year - Finland 2003; Dr Toy Best Children’s Products - USA 2003; Astra - USA 2003; Boardgame Prize - Japan 2003; Mensa Best Mind Game Award - USA 2003; Parent’s Choice Gold award winner - USA 2003; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum award - USA 2003; Honours Award for Children's Resources (NAPPA) - 2003; Finalist Best Strategy Games - Games Magazine 2003; Spieletta Award / Game Market - Japan 2003; Toy Guide Jouets (recommandé) - Canada 2002; Spiel des Jahres (nominiert) - Allemagne 2002 ; Super As d'Or au Festival des Jeux de Cannes - France 2001 ; Grand Prix du Jouet à Paris - France 2000

Also available as the 2-player BlokusDuo.

Backgammon
Another game with an element of luck (due to the roll of the dice), but in fact requiring many strategic ideas. Traditionally played as a gambling game and in a knock-out format when played competitively.

Chinese Chess
The Asian variant of Western Chess, 2000 years old, and not well known in western society. A dynamic, attacking game where all out war is not always the answer!

Diplomacy
A well organised hobby with many keen players. This involves a map of Europe at the turn of the 20th century and the political situation that followed (war!). Each turn involves a negotiation period and then all the players’ moves are revealed simultaneously.

Tantrix
A puzzle-type game which can be played solitaire or up to 4 players. There are online tournaments and an OTB (Over the board) tournament was held in the UK and as part of the MSO but never in Australia. It is an easy to learn, fun game which is sold to schools as a pattern recognition, skills development tool for kids to learn as they play.

Othello
Also known as Reversi (similar games), this strategy game takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Memory
The Memory Competition is run by Gloo – The Memory Company www.gloo.com.au. This is a novice competition and is open to anyone who wants to test their memory and see how they measure up. It is designed as a fun and challenging introduction to Memory Sports and there will be prizes awarded for each event.

FREE Memory Training Sessions

If you’d like to discover the secrets to doing well in the Memory Events – or if you simply want to know how to boost your memory skills then don’t miss the FREE ‘Introduction To Making Things Stick’ training sessions presented by Chris Lyons from Gloo – The Memory Company.

Trivia
A popular hobby and pastime as seen by many TV game-shows, the popularity of Quizzes, Trivia nights as fund-raisers and in pubs.

Draughts / Checkers
Ever popular simple strategy game. This can be played on an 8 x 8 or a 10 x 10 board, which makes some difference.

Stratego
A classic family board-game. Some element of memory involved, but most of the strategy comes in the first phase of the game where each player gets to distribute their army (invisible to the opponent) before the war commences. Easy to learn and fun to play.

wordXchange - www.dbz.com.au/wordxchange.htm
Stealing is legal in wordXchange, the all new anagram game that pits you against your rivals and against the clock in an all-out battle to make and keep words. The winner is the first to make and line up six words. The catch? No word is safe! You can steal words made by your opponents, add one or more letters and re-shuffle them into a word of your own. WordXchange is lightening fast. You can play an entire round in less than thirty minutes. It takes strategy and quick thinking and is simply a battle to the last word! Also available - wordXchange Junior

Awards: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award Gold Seal; A 2001 Parents’ Choice Award Winner; Dr. Toy 10 Best Games Winner; Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products Winner; Parents’ Guide To Children’s Media Award; Guide Jouet Option Consommateurs 6/6 Recommandé (Quebec Consumers Association Recommended); Coup De Coeur* Renaud-Bray (*Love At First Sight - Renaud-Bray Bookstores); Iparenting Media Awards Winner; Learning® Magazine 2004 Teachers’ Choice Award For The Family

Zeparate - www.dbz.com.au/recent_body.htm
Zeparate is a tactical and strategic board game for 2 or 4 players. The way the rows of stones are moved over the board is simple, just like the rules. But beating your opponent? That requires brainpower, insight and daring. When not being used, the playing pieces clip into the bottom of the board, where a duplciate set of instructions are printed, making it easy to carry around and play anwhere and anytime.