Mega minds clash

摘要

Being good at mind games can be something to brag about. Russia has come up trumps in the 2014 World Mind Games, which saw 150 memory athletes competing in 14 variations of five intellectual games, including chess, go and bridge. The championships ended in Beijing on 17 December, with Russia topping the medal table with six golds, five silver and one bronze. The Chinese team came in a close second. China's Hou Yifan topped the female leader board, winning medals in three disciplines of chess, including gold in the "Basque system" event, in which competitors play on two boards simultaneously for only 20 minutes. England rose from tenth place in 2013 to seventh, while the US fell from sixth to thirteenth. All athletes had to prove they were not using cognitive-enhancing drugs, and spot checks were conducted throughout the event.