Mind games
Mind games demand great intellectual agility, fortitude and perseverance. Malaysians have a deep and enduring passion for a wide range of mind games, and take part in them both recreationally and competitively. Many traditional mind games, such as congkak (see ‘Congkak’), mahjong, xiangqi and weiqi (see ‘Traditional Chinese recreation’), cheek riknuij (see ‘Orang Asli recreation’), thayam and aadu-puli attam (see ‘Traditional Indian recreation’) and sukian (see ‘Traditional recreation of Sabah’), still continue to be played locally. Mind games appeal to Malaysians of all ethnicities, genders and ages, and serve as a source of both diversion and enrichment.
Chess has been organized on a competitive basis in the country for quite some time. The first local chess club was established in the 19th century and national chess championships have been held since 1949.
The Malaysian Chess Federation (MCF), initially founded in 1960, has been the driving force behind the local development of the game, and has played host to international chess events such as the Asian Team Championship and Selangor Open as well as numerous national competitions. Malaysian chess exponents have proven themselves to be worthy opponents on the international circuit and, as of 2008, the country boasts three FIDE international masters: Jimmy Liew, Mas Hafizulhelmi Agus Rahman and Wong Zi Jing.
Malaysians also play a range of other board and card games. Commonly considered to be merely leisure activities, these games are taken quite seriously by many in the country. Indeed, local players have formed their own associations, such as the Malaysian Scrabble Association (MSA) and Malaysian Contract Bridge Association (MCBA), and have risen to the top of international rankings in several games. The release of Malaysian editions of Monopoly and Scrabble was met with widespread enthusiasm.
In the mid-1990s, cyber cafés began to appear throughout the country and online games (video games played through the internet or a computer network) emerged as a new form of recreation for Malaysia’s youth. Playing online games has become a legitimate competitive endeavour, and local cyber-athletes participate in a variety of tournaments in Malaysia and abroad.
