Hobbies And Interests
Chess -- The Art of Strategic Warfare
Chess is played on a 64-square board identical to the one used for checkers. Two players with identical armies of 16 pieces engage in a strategic battle to capture the king of the enemy army. Chess is enjoyed in almost every country of the world by people young and old from every walk of life. Studies have shown that children who play chess have increased success in academics. Many school programs incorporate chess as an after-school program and in the classroom. Many colleges throughout the world grant scholarships to students with excellent competition skills in chess. Chess enjoys a reputation as a spectator sport in many intellectual circles.
Backgammon -- One of Mankind's Basic Pastimes
Backgammon has been a popular game of strategy and competition for 2,000 years. Played with round chips and dice, backgammon is a game of both strategy and luck. Intimidation, nerve and intuition come into play during a game of backgammon. Backgammon is popular all over the world among experts and novices alike. Unlike other board games, backgammon competitors can compete with widely different skill levels since the element of chance is a factor for both players. Backgammon enjoys a reputation in many countries as a gambling game which rivals poker and casino games.
Go -- The Zen Art of Placement
Most popular in Asia and Japan, go is one of the most difficult strategy games to master. Played on a grid of 19 by 19 points, go surpasses almost all other games in the number of moves and possible outcomes. Due to the sheer number of plays and outcomes, and its organic nature, go cannot be mastered by computers. Unlike chess, which can be programmed to a deep play depth allowing computers to dominate human opponents, go has a natural quality that is almost human. While some modern computer programs have been developed to teach the art of go, they cannot routinely defeat masters of this ancient game.
Rubik's Cube -- Icon of the 1980s
Originally designed as a colorful art project by Professor Erno Rubik, it soon became clear that the now famous cube had infinite playability as a puzzle game. No matter how much the colors are scrambled it can always be returned to a solved position. People compete in speed solving tournaments all over the world to show their skills at solving the cube. The current speed solving record is under seven seconds. To this day, the Rubik's cube enjoys enormous popularity and is copied by many knock off puzzle cubes. People who can solve the cube quickly enjoy the awe and envy of all those who have ever been defeated by the diabolical puzzle cube.