The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) is an association of the world governing bodies for contract bridge, chess, draughts (checkers), and go, namely the World Bridge Federation (WBF), World Chess Federation (FIDE), World Draughts Federation (FMJD), and International Go Federation (IGF). IMSA is a member of Sportaccord (formally the General Association of International Sports Federations) and was founded 19 April 2005 during the GAISF General Assembly. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Poker and xiangqi (Chinese chess) are affiliated sports; as of summer 2011, the International Federation of Poker (IFP) and World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) have observer status in the association. Xiangqi competition was included in the first Games and duplicate poker under the auspices of the IFP will be included in the second.
The IMSA generally pursues common aims and interests of its constituent sports. Foremost it organizes the World Mind Sport Games whose first rendition was held in Beijing, China 3–18 October 2008, about two months after the Beijing Olympic Games. The second Games in 2012 would have been formally announced 17 November during the 2011 Mind Sports Festival in London, except that they failed to secure a venue by that time. However a venue was found in Lille in France and the second World Mind Sports Games was held from 9–23 August 2012.
Long term, it hopes to establish "World Mind Sports Games by analogy with Olympics, held in Olympic host cities shortly after Winter or Summer Games, using Olympic Games facilities and volunteers. The constituent World Bridge Federation incorporated several quadrennial world bridge championships in the World Mind Sport Games because it considers the WMSG a "stepping stone on the path of introducing a third kind of Olympic Games (after the Summer and the Winter Olympics)".
Famous quotes containing the words mind, sports and/or association:
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—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
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—Lesley Visser, U.S. sports reporter and announcer. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 82 (June 17, 1991)
“In this great association we know no North, no South, no East, no West. This has been our pride for all these years. We have no political party. We never have inquired what anybody’s religion is. All we ever have asked is simply, “Do you believe in perfect equality for women?” This is the one article in our creed.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)