Intellectual Games (IGs): the History of Evolution

O V E R V I E W

There have been many IGs on planet, obviously we will cover the small fraction of the most popular (not computer-based games) – the ones, AoIG actually is administering in a tournament format:
CHESS, BRIDGE, BACKGAMMON, POKER, and the latest replacement for tennis – PICKLEBALL.
We are so happy we go not need to rate them – the players do it by voting with their time and money: one can get a right idea by tracking a tournament participation and equipment sale.
So, in our humble opinion, the CHESS is on rise – almost ready to bypass BRIDGE, with POKER and BACKGAMMON distant runners-up, and of course ahead of them all is a PICKLEBALL (hybrid of Tennis and Ping-Pong).

Historically speaking: progress by western INNOVATIONs

BACKGAMMON, the oldest game on a list, had started more than 5,000 years ago in a middle East (modern Iraq) and for the luck of real competition the game had arrived in it is “long” form to the 19th century with almost no changes (it got the board and checkers to replace the lines on a sand and stones). The serious BACKGAMMON competition was ready to be eliminated, facing strong rivalry from BRIDGE and CHESS, but then around 1850 the “European remodeling “: “short” backgammon format was introduced and shortly after that, the Doubling Cube (an American invention) which brought the game to the new level and give it the second life.
CHESS had started, as a war-maneuvering exercise, in India, around 2,000 years ago and got “European remodeling“ around 400 years ago: it kept the 8×8 board and 16×2 pieces, but game got more dynamic due to increased power of Queen and Rooks, as well as some powerful short-cuts: Castling and En Passant. But that would not be enough – the chess notation was born, as well. In the 2nd half of 20th century chess got another boost – this time from American genius, Bobby FISCHER. He, almost single handily, brought the most important element of success in modern time – MONEY into the Chess (mostly to the players). Also, around this time the chess board got Files named after the first 8 letters of English alphabet. So, the most popular chess opening would be notated now as 1.e4-e5 (not as 1. Kp4 – Kp4: Abbreviation for the old notation – White move King’s pawn to the 4th rank – Black move the King’s pawn to their 4th rank). Bobby Fischer had also invented Chess960 or Fischer Random. Today, the current world #1 chess player, Magnus CARLSEN, enjoying a success in promotion of Fischer Random, as a Free Style chess, as well as Rapid and Blitz formats in online and OTB(over-the-bard) professional tournament competition.
POKER was always a game for the masses since it’s invention in America in 18th century using some Asian’s games influence combined with the deck of card in French revolutionary older (aces HIGH). However, the game could not take off due to so many competing variations and, frankly, it was boring to watch for a kibitzer. But then American professional Poker player, Henry ORENSTEIN, invented a poker “hole-cam” for TV use (1995 patent) in was first introduced in 2002 WSOP “Texas hold ‘em” tournament – millions saw it on TV – and that event “over-the-night” had transformed poker to the game which is cool to play and fun to watch.
And now is … (drums roll, please!) the latest American invention: the game of PICKLEBALL. The hybrid of Tennis and Ping-Pong, played with tennis-ball size plastic ball with holes in it. With the latest revolution in the paddle technology (more control and power in the same paddle) we will argue that PICKLEBALL now enjoys the elements of CHESS, where players discuss the best strategy for the 3rd, 4th , and the 5th shot. (A few decades ago, world #1, Martina HINGIS, was trying to bring this level of sophistication to the woman’s Tennis, but then she was felt out from the house (in 1997) – literally!). PICKLEBALL was invented by Washington state congressman, and his 2 friends, as a game for their family in 1965. And for over the half of century, the PICKLEBALL was waiting until Tennis (the game with NO innovations in last 50+ years, since the buttle of the sexes in 1973) will allow pickleball to replace it, as #1 in a racquet sport niche.
Yes, as a latest development, game of Pickleball has objectively better properties: needed less space, much easier on the athlete’s body (that in turn allow players to compete in ALL 3 categories Singles, Mixed, and Doubles in the same tournament), but Pickleball organizers do not take it for granted. They are in a process of constant innovation: the scoring experiments with MLP and PPA; MLP (owned by the same company as PPA) format is modeled after successful format of NBA and MLB teams; weekly professional tournaments played among side of the amateur tourneys in the same facility; innovative line calls (with video challenge) and much more. And with 30% annual growth , lately, pickleball attracted a lot of investors – so the sky is a limit!
By now, the readers of this short compilation can see that AoIG is a strong advocate for innovations in Intellectual Games competition. So, what is our contribution?
Of course, we developed best formats for

Amateur PICKLEBALL Tourneys with limited space (more players, than court’s spots). But on a more serious note, we had developed SoloBRIDGE -methodology to teach students the Bridge game in competitive environment, but before moving them to the tournament with real partner. We are trying to bring BRIDGE innovations of the last century into the modern BACKGAMMON tournament formats. Check AoIG’s

Duplicate Backgammon tournament formats. And last, but not least, the Chess76 (invented by Serge BONDAR in 2005) is still waiting for it’s spot in a professional CHESS competition, and, meanwhile, successfully used to train chess players in positional development and square-control tactics of Chess.