The Five Traditional Games that Need Intelligence and Skill to Win

Here are the five traditional and most popular games that are still enjoyed by players of all ages across the world. It is not necessary that you find these games at casinos but can be found online too as various gaming sites offer these games to play and win. What you need is a bit of analytical approach, skill and wise strategy with keen observance to win these games.

1. Game of Go

Go is the oldest board game probably originated from China or Far East. It is one of most complex games which needs intelligence and skill to master it. It is based on abstract strategy where two players attempt to occupy the most of the board “territory”. You can learn to play the game here. You can play this game both online and offline. When playing online you will come across a completely empty board and both players have an unlimited supply of “stones”, one with the blacks and others playing as the whites. The game’s objective is to construct territories with your stones by surrounding vacant areas on the board and robbing your opponent by surrounding theirs too. Blacks start first, and gameplay is turn based where players place one stone on a free space which is technically at the intersections of the lines called the stars.

Stones cannot be moved once placed, unless captured, in which case they are taken from the board and held hostage by opponents. Any stones occupying adjacent points make up what is referred to as a string. When the winning player has maxed out his captured land and cannot make any further moves, he hands his rival a symbolic stone before both teams pass on their next move and the game is over. The players then count the free land within their own territory giving a point for each vacancy which they add to their sum total of captured stones, and total them the game’s winner being the player with the highest score.

2. Game of Chess

Chess is most popular traditional game played by players all over the world. This is also an old game generated from Asia. You can learn to play chess here. This game too  is a skill game played between two opponents sitting on opposite sides of the board containing 64 alternating black and white coloured spaces. Each player begins with 16 pieces which are made up of the following; 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns. Through careful forward planning, the game’s aim is to checkmate the opponent’s King piece, meaning that he is unable to move without capture.

White always makes the first move with their pawns, nothing more than foot soldiers, but can, for one time only, move forward two spaces instead of their usual one. Soldiers begin the game in the second row flanking the backline which lines up as follows; the rooks occupy the corners with the knights next to them. There are the bishops, before the queen, the most powerful, follows the King, which is most powerful.

Each of the pieces move differently, bishops for example move diagonally and only the knights can jump over a rival’s piece. The queen on the other hand can do what she wants. When you have your rival in check, collecting pieces of the other colour in the process, the game is won.You can enjoy this game both online and offline and have fun.

3. Game of Bridge

The game of bridge is a card game said to be born in Russia. The game itself is four player, technically in teams of two, who sit individually opposite from one another, over a standard 52 card deck. Every deal is made up of three stages; the auction, play and the scoring. In the auction stage, players bid in a clockwise rotation describing their hands. This is followed by the play in which the winning bidders from the previous stage attempt to claim the tricks needed to fill their contract as obligated at the auction before finally players reach the scoring stage.

A bid is made up of a number and a suit, the purpose of which is to communicate his hand strength to his partner. In order to fulfil their contract and win the game, a pair must win tricks which consist of four cards, one from each player’s hand, played in clockwise order. Should a pair fall short of their contract a penalty is awarded. You can learn to play the game of bridge here. Also this game can be enjoyed both online and offline.

4. Game of Diplomacy

Diplomacy board game was developed by Allan B. Calhamer in 1954.  Played on a map of 1914 war time Europe as well as parts of the Middle East and North Africa, the game differs from other war themed games as it’s dice less and one with far more negotiation skills than a simple game of conquest.

To win, players, in charge of the then super powers of Austro-Hungary, England, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Turkey, must form, and then betray, strategical alliances with other players, of which there are between two and seven. The purpose of the game is to win and occupy the majority of the big strategically important cities. All players apart from Great Britain and Russia begin the game with two armies and one naval fleet. As the exceptions, GB starts with two fleets and one army while Russia starts with two of each.

Play is based on two of the annual seasons, spring and autumn, in which players negotiate relaying tactics and strategy with their allies by sharing intelligence and spreading disinformation about enemies. To move, players make orders for each of their units, which can see units move to an adjacent space or support a nearby ally in the event of an attack. Finally, gamers reach the end of year report, where players keep hold of that year’s triumphs which makes up their tally, score and land mass inspired wealth for the year. You can learn to play this game here and enjoy online as well as offline

5. Game of Hex

Hex is also a game of intelligence, skill and strategy. This gamewas invented by the Danish mathematician Piet Hein in 1942, although it has been re-tweaked by others since then. Starting to play the  players are allocated a colour from Red, White, Blue and Black. Play is then turn based with players placing their coloured stones on a single cell on the playing board, with the aim of making a connected string of stones reaching from side of the board to the other.

The first player to achieve that goal wins the game. The first player to move has a distinct advantage, the pie rule is introduced meaning the second player reserves the right to choose to switch positions with his opponent. From there it’s a straight up tactical battle between the two, which can never end in a tie. Know how to play and more about the game here. Also you can play this game online as well as offline too.