Mind sports

Over the years I’ve been interested in various competitive games which in my mind I group under the term “mind sports” that might not match common definitions. The games are, in order of importance to me, Go (game)Go (game), MahjongMahjong, StarCraft IIStarCraft II, ShogiShogi, and ChessChess.

I think habitual computer users and/or technical people should all try experience at least one such game in all that in entails, but I probably would not recommend video game esports primarily because those tend to come and go.

The “experience” I mean is that of doing your best to improve. It’s a combination of intense studying, nerve-wrecking play, but also enjoyable activities around the core game, such as chatting with other players or viewing high stakes matches. You also get to truly appreciate the people at the top skill levels and probably be surprised, horrified, or perhaps inspired by just how large that gap to your skill level will be.

Just like not everyone is going to be an athlete, very few people will become professional level players in these games. But just like a past hobby of sports won’t be considered wasted time, neither will be seriously playing these games. For me at least I think it’s all in the past now, but my experience was great.

I’m kind of tired of this sports anime trope where the protagonist is a newb who has some unique amazing talent. I don’t really hate it for being so common, but for the suspicion that it’s almost necessary for the narrative to work. Without newbiness it’s harder to do exposition and move from simple to complex. Without talent the pacing might be too slow, assuming you want the protagonist to eventually be among the best. The manga Real is perhaps the best exception I can think of now — in it the characters have quite different things on their mind rather than just excelling at the sport. Sangatsu is also similar, and it manages realism by having the MC have become a professional before the story starts, and by making over half of the series about stuff not really related to shogi. It’s the side characters that deliver the little shogi exposition.