Tiddlywinks
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Tiddlywinks is a game played with sets of small, thin discs (called winks) lying on a hard surface. Players use a larger disc (called a squidger) to pop the smaller disc into flight by pressing down on one side of the smaller disc. The basic goal of an informal game (easily playable by young children) is to cause the smaller discs to land inside a pot or cup. The formal game has a more robust set of rules, goals, and strategies suitable to serious competition for adults and older children.
The modern game of tiddlywinks was introduced in 1955 by Bill Steen and Rick Martin. These two Cambridge students wanted to play a game at which they could represent the university in a Varsity Match against Oxford. The game is still played in Cambridge, but also around the UK and in North America, especially at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Contrary to popular belief, the modern game is a serious one, comparable to snooker or croquet or even chess in complexity. The rules of the game are determined by the English Tiddlywinks Association.
External link
- English Tiddlywinks Association (http://www.etwa.org/)
- North American Tiddlywinks Association (http://www.tiddlywinks.org/)