The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) is an association of the world governing bodies for contract bridge, chess, draughts (checkers), go, and xianqi (Chinese chess), namely the World Bridge Federation (WBF), World Chess Federation (FIDE), World Draughts Federation (FMJD), International Go Federation (IGF), and World Xiangqi Federation (WXF). 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.
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World Mind Sports Games
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)".
SportAccord World Mind Games
IMSA inaugurated the SportAccord World Mind Games December 2011 in Beijing. For all sports, the meet was invitational and the events were not world championships. Beside satisfaction of the participating players and federations, the main objectives were to achieve "a worldwide TV coverage, and a large participation to the online tournament linked to the event."
The first four meets, 2011 to 2014, were all held in Beijing during December.
Bridge
There were six medal events at bridge, three each for men and women. IMSA invited 24 players, six each from four countries, to compete in three small tournaments as four national teams, twelve pairs, and 24 individuals. The women were from England (competing as "Great Britain"), France, China, and the United States ("USA"); the men from Netherlands, Norway, China, and the U.S.
China and the United States (USA) have participated in every one of the 4-country men's and women's fields. The other participants have been members of the European Olympic Committee, including England in every women's field (under the name "Great Britain" in 2011 and 2012).
Five players participated in all the first four meets: Shi Haojun of China men; Fiona Brown, Heather Dhondy, and Nevena Senior of England women; and Lynn Deas of USA women.
Several reigning open and women teams world champion countries have participated, not always with the champion teams intact. (As usual, all players on the relevant open world champion teams were men.)
B - world champions, Bermuda Bowl 2011 (Italy won in 2013) V - world champions, Venice Cup 2011, 2013 W - world champions, World Mind Sports Games 2008, 2012 (Italy won the open in 2008)