The most popular championship board games: choose yours and become the best!

Author of the article: Pēteris Tārs

Although board games have not gained as much popularity as traditional sports such as hockey, basketball or e-sports, local and global tournaments are also organized among board players. If you also want to write your name among the world's best board game players, then all you have to do is choose the game that suits you best and go for the victory! In this article, we will look at the most popular championship table games.

Board game tournaments are mostly local, but some games have championships at the global level and annually crown a world champion in a particular game. Participation in tournaments is strictly regulated and in order to fight for the title of the best player, you have to take into account the costs of the tournament, which depend on the popularity of the tournament.

Chess

It would be rude to start this article without mentioning the granddaddy of all board games, chess . This phenomenal strategy game was invented in the 6th century. in India and quickly gained popularity, which still hasn't died down. Chess has become a very serious passion these days and world leaders are often called chess geniuses.

The basic idea of ​​the game is very simple, but the possible combinations are seemingly endless. The game of chess has evolved a lot these days and long and boring matches are rarely played. The most popular way in which players compete is " blitz chess" - each player is given three minutes of time and an additional two seconds for each completed move.

Catan

Undoubtedly one of the most popular board games, which has gained a wide response not only in Latvia, but also all over the world. The title of the best player in this game is contested both in local tournaments and also on the way to Europe to fight for the title of the world champion.

For many years, the "Catan" championship was held in the epicenter of European board games - Essen. The world's best players gathered at this place for several years and the Latvian Arnis Buka became the 2007 World Champion! On the other hand, in 2010 and 2014, Māris Logins and Kristofers Ritovs took the honorable 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

In the championship , the basic version of the game "Catan" is played , which has had several expansions and different designs over the years. In Latvia, "Catan" is known by a large group of hobbyists and it is often referred to as a "gateway" game that draws players deeper into the vast world of board games.

Brain Games organizes regular "Catan" championships, and if you also want to participate in them, then follow our activities and be sure to apply! In last year's championship, the winner of the 1st place qualified for the European Championship and additionally got a 3D version of the game "Catan" . More than 100 participants come to the "Catan" championship in Latvia every year.

Carcassonne

The game, named after the French city of Carcassonne, is no less popular than Catan. It is simple, exciting and mathematically it is almost impossible to play two identical games, because the 72 squares of the base game will always provide a unique playing field.

Carcassonne is a fun and fast tile placement game that can be easily learned by any player. Despite the simple game mechanics and to some extent the luck factor, the game requires strategic thinking and encourages players to make tactical moves.

The Carcassonne game has many different expansions, but the championship uses the base game without expansions. 15 " Carcassonne " championships have been held in Latvia so far , and Latvian players have reached the elite level in them as well. The highest achievement belongs to Alexey Pegushev, who won the honorable 2nd place in a fierce battle with the world's best players!

The winged ones

" Winged " or " Wingspan " shocked the whole world very recently. The game was released relatively recently - in 2019, and it very quickly won the hearts of many players with its elegant game mechanics, beautiful design and, in a way, educational content.

"Winged" is a strategy and "engine building" game, which in terms of complexity could be put in the same weight category as "Catan". The biggest difference is that in Winged there is very limited direct combat between players. Conflict situations are practically non-existent in this game, and each player focuses on his own scoring mechanism.

Although the game "Winged" has not yet grown to championships on the scale of the games mentioned above, it has a large following and will only grow in popularity over the years.

Saboteur

One of the most popular card games "Saboteur" can be found in almost every home. The game is simple, exciting, intriguing and can be played again and again. Unlike other board games, Saboteur cannot be played with two players, but in larger companies it is not only an excellent party game, but also a serious tournament game.

At the beginning of January, the World Championship of this game was held in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, where Marta Rubule won the silver medal!

Classic

It is probably the simplest board game that has a huge following and massive tournaments around the world. Klask has combined several concepts into one, creating a truly unique board game that is more like foosball than a traditional board game.

"Klask" is something between table football and table hockey in a compact size. It will require some manual dexterity and eye coordination. "Klask" is a duel and the first to collect six points wins.

In this game too, the Latvians have reached the stage of the World Championship and Mārtiņš Prūsis went to Helsinki, the capital of Finland, to prove his prowess. Unfortunately, Mārtiņas' opponent was the then World Champion Tomasz from Poland, who recognized the superiority of the Italian Luigi in the final.

Klask's success lies not only in the unique game concept, but also in the fact that it can be played very quickly. Six points can be collected in a few minutes, thus it opens up opportunities to organize tournaments for a large number of participants.

Splendor

The final game of the article is the much-loved Splendor , where players have to compete for prestige points, get gems and indulge the wishes of nobles. The game is simple, elegant and highly multiplayer. This is the formula for success that has taken both Splendor and the other games mentioned in this article to cult status, resulting in tournaments and championships. By the way, the Latvian "Splendor" championship will take place on February 17, so don't delay registering for it and compete with the best Latvian gem dealers!

Where to look for information about table game tournaments in Latvia?

Brain Games organizes various board game tournaments in Latvia and it is best to look for information about them on our websitewww.brain-games.lv and in the "Events" or "Events" section of Facebook . All important information about registration, entry fees and rules will be found in these resources.

In conclusion, it's safe to say that almost every highly rated game will have a local home or local city and state tournament. Tournaments are also held for such cult games as "Warhammer 40k" or "Twilight Imperium" . Although they are less frequented, they are no less exciting, especially when it comes to huge tables on which two fully painted armies are stacked.

" The game. Think. Enjoy" and participate in Latvian tournaments! If your relatives, friends and acquaintances often criticize you for playing too well, then maybe the time has come to choose the appropriate tournament and prove to the whole of Latvia that you are superior not only to your relatives, friends and acquaintances, but also to all other Latvian residents! See you at the tournaments and let's continue to carry Latvia's name in the world table game championships!