Russia, China and Israel - the winners of World Mind Games

Highlights of the games included a close battle in the women's individual bridge title, as England's own grandmaster Nicola Smith fought tough Dutch opposition to win on the final deal. China also managed to make an impressive clean sweep across all categories of go – an ancient board game that involves placing black and white stones on a grid with the aim of surrounding a larger portion of the board than your opponent.

Ilan Herbst from Israel was the most successful male in the competition, winning 2 gold medals in the bridge pairs and team events, and silver in the men's individual bridge event.

Grandmaster Hou Yifan from China topped the female leader board. She won two gold medals and one silver in three disciplines of chess, including gold in the "Basque system" event, where competitors have to play on two boards simultaneously with a time limit of 20 minutes. The 20-year-old says she has been playing chess since the age of five and a half, and is currently number two in the World Chess Federation rankings of female players.

As with all professional sporting events, all athletes had to abide by the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules and prove they were not using any cognitive-enhancing drugs to improve their memory or concentration. Spot checks were conducted throughout the games.

If you fancy your chances at some mind games, beginners and advanced mental manipulators alike can enter next year's online World Mind Games tournament, which runs alongside the main event each year.

Helen Thomson