This is an excerpt from an article first published in the July/August 2025 issue of IQ, the exclusive magazine for Mensa members. Find out more about becoming a Mensa member here.
Words: Katie Cutforth
For almost three decades, gaming enthusiasts have battled it out in one of the world’s most cerebral sporting events.
Imagine an international sporting competition with no tracks, fields or stadia. Where physical ability counts for nothing. Where you could win a gold medal for your country without moving from your seat. This is the reality at the Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO), an annual event bringing together the world’s most logical and strategic thinkers. Forget speed, stamina and physical strength – this competition is all about fortitude of the mind.
While Olympic athletes gather every four years, the MSO takes place every summer, most often in London. It hosts tournaments of more than 100 different board games from ancient classics, such as chess and backgammon, to modern favourites like Scrabble, Monopoly and Carcassonne. Card games also feature, including poker, bridge and even Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, a trading card game.
At its inception in 1997, the MSO was the biggest competition of board games ever held in the UK – possibly worldwide. It was devised by International Master of chess David Levy, who created the event alongside author Tony Buzan and chess grandmaster Raymond Keene. The inaugural Olympiad was held at London’s Royal Festival Hall with a staggering £100,000 prize fund.
Cash prizes are less common nowadays and usually provided by sponsors for a specific game. Prestigious medals and trophies are instead awarded for gold, silver and bronze positions in each competition in both the adult and junior categories.
The MSO was forced to move online when the pandemic hit in 2020. This initial blow actually allowed the event to expand to a worldwide audience and made competition even fiercer, with more than 6,000 participants from over 100 countries joining in – the event’s largest ever pool of players. While the in-person London event returned in 2022, MSO took note of the online game’s popularity and created the Grand Prix – a virtual tournament of over 60 games taking place every winter, in tandem with the summer event.
At MSO, you can expect one of the widest selections of games imaginable. Ever heard of Twilight Struggle? It’s a board game where you play as either the US or the Soviet Union, spreading influence around the globe during the Cold War years. Then there’s Entropy, an abstract strategy game based on the eternal conflict in the Universe between order and chaos. As well as physical games, there are also tournaments in computer programming and quizzing, and even speaking competitions, such as debating and auctioneering. Things go from the rare to the truly bizarre with diving chess, with the world championship taking place at the MSO. Played in a swimming pool with a magnetic chess board, competitors dive underwater and must make their move before resurfacing to take a breath. It’s an intense battle between managing oxygen levels and making intelligent moves.
The MSO includes a tournament created just for the event, which is the most prestigious accolade to win. The Pentamind World Championship uses a special formula to find the best all-round player at that year’s Olympiad, with players amassing points from at least five different games across the event.
The Mind Sports Olympiad is back for 2026, and takes place at Earls Court London from 22-30 August.
Image credit: Shutterstock
