The 2^nd Portuguese Tournament of Mathematical Games

During March, 10, 2006, almost 650 students (aging 7 to 17) from all Portugal join at Aveiro to play six different abstract games.

The Second Portuguese Tournament of Mathematical Games (2ºCNJM in Portuguese) started months before in more than 200 schools, scattered thru all Portugal, with local tournaments to find what students were the best players (you can check some info from the first CNJM).

The games were:

• Dots'n'Boxes - the CGT game studied by Berlekamp
• Traffic Lights - the 3x4 variant from Alan Parr's original game
• Wari - a Mancala variant
• Amazons - two armies of eight queens trying to stalemate each other.
• Hex - the famous connection game.
• Go - we used a 7x7 variant for faster plays during the tournament (and to facilitate its introduction for a wider public in Portugal)

The games were divided by students' age:

• First cycle (7-10 years) students played Dots'n'boxes, Traffic Lights or Wari
• Second Cycle (10-12 years) students played Traffic Lights, Wari or Hex
• Third Cycle (12-15 years) students played Wari, Amazons or Hex
• Secondary (15-17 years) students played Amazons, Hex or Go

This meant 12 independent tournaments (a tournament per age per game). The finals happened at the "Aveiro Science Factory" situated at an old industry building. More information can be found at ludicum.org (in Portuguese). Here are some pictures just before the event starts (click them to get a larger picture).

Each group had 16 students in a Swiss tournament with 5 rounds

The Hex players had the largest room, 56 boards played simultaneously

The Go room. The blue boxes are part of the "6 games" kit

The Dots'n'Boxes room for the young children

Traffic lights boards

Preparing the Amazons

The Mancala war-room

Then, at 9:00, students started to appear:

at 9:30

at 10:00 (!!)

Dots'n'boxes 

Dots'n'boxes had 23 students.

making boxes...

Traffic Lights

Traffic Lights had 74 students (20 from the first cycle + 54 from the second cycle)

starting a traffic light contest

Wari

Wari (also known as Ouri in Portuguese) had a total of 184 students (18+67+99).

sowing the boards

Amazons

Amazons had a total of 126 students (81+45).

blocking the adversary

Hex

Hex had a total of 196 students (59+89+48). This was the game with the highest growth of participation since last year.

the finals were very competitive and had some great matches

Go

Go around 31 students (it was only for older students). (still looking for some pictures).

The finalists

In the morning there were the first phase. Then, around 16 players were selected to participate, after lunch, at the finals, Each finalist received a book. Each school received a special playing Kit containing all 6 games. The second places received a digital photo camera. The first prizes were personal computers. In this era of videogames, brainless TV and light reading, it's refreshing to know that some kids returned home with a computer just because they were good abstract game players. Their names are: 

Game	Cycle	Best Players	School
Dots'n'Boxes	1st cycle	Winner: Maria Marta  2nd: Pedro Silva	Agrup. nº2 de Beja-a   Col. Guadalupe
Traffic Lights	1st cycle 2nd cycle	Winner: Joana Melo  2nd: Carlos  Winner: Miguel Morais  2nd: Miguel Tavares	E.B.1 Fujacal      Didáxis - Riba de Ave E.B.23 Martim de Freitas  Grémio In. Lib. C.Ourique
Wari	1st cycle 2nd cycle 3rd cycle	Winner: Beatriz Silva 2nd: David Marques Winner: Hélder Soares    2nd: Marta Leite      Winner: Daniela Sousa   2nd: Carlos Ferreira	Col. Cesário Verde  E.B.1/J.I. Santa Catarina E.B.2.3 Pinheiro   Ext. Escravas S.C. Jesus Ext. Coop. da Benedita    E.B.2.3 Pinheiro
Hex	2nd cycle 3rd cycle Secondary	Winner: António Vicente 2nd: Diogo Brás       Winner: Gonçalo Moura  2nd: Diogo Cotrim  Winner Pedro Jorge   2nd: Carlos Louro	E.B.23 Martim de Freitas E.B.2.3 Eugénio Castro Col. N. Sra. Fátima Col. Cesário Verde Col. Dr.Luís Pereira Costa Ext. Coop. da Benedita
Amazon	3rd cycle Secondary	Winner:  Tiago Pereira   2nd: Fernando Neto Winner: Cristóvão Soares  2nd: João Rico	Col. Cor. Maria-Fátima  Col. N. Sra.Apresentação   Col. Dr.Luís Pereira Costa E.S. Camões
Go	Secondary	Winner: Sara Ramos  2nd: Pedro Duarte	E.S. c/3ºC Oliveira Douro  E.S. Leal da Câmara

The people behind this event

This would not be possible without the help of hundreds of persons, from all math teachers across Portugal to all of those who helped at the finals. Here are main people that worked in this great event: Alda Santos, Ana Fraga, Carlos Santos, Joana Oliveira, João Almiro, João Pedro Neto, Jorge Nuno Silva, Luís Reis, Maria Teresa Santos, Paulo Trincão, Teresa Caissotti.