Mind Sports Olympiad

The Mind Sports Organisation is the largest organisation in the world for promoting mind sports. They hold large tournaments in over 50 mind sports around the world in territories such as the Czech Republic, England, Italy, Japan, Korea, and Singapore.

The largest event is held in London annually during ten or so days around the August bank holiday period. The first few UK MSOs were held in London annually from 1997. The event spread to Loughborough in 2002, and to Manchester in 2003-4. The main 2004 event featured a separate event for schools, featuring competitions and activities in chess, go, quizzes and intelligence puzzles. Smaller satellite events are held through the year, including a popular meeting at Cambridge.

Key figures in the founding of the MSO include computer chess expert David Levy, brain and psychology enthusiast Tony Buzan and chess writer Raymond Keene. The latter left the MSO under a cloud after he allegedly used misappropriated funds from the MSO to set up a rival games organiser, Brain Games.