Julia Mescheryakova: 8 years old “What? Where? When? ”With DataArt

We already wrote about the DataArt team on “What? Where? When? ”, Which is already eight years old. During this time, more than ten “synchronous” events were held on the basis of DataArt - and dedicated to IT and a wider format. And the players have achieved significant success: they won prizes in tournaments, turned out to be quite high in the world rankings, and this year they even represented Voronezh in the Russian championship.

We interviewed Yulia Meshcheryakova, the team captain.

- How did you get into the field of intellectual games?
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As many, regularly began to play as a student. Before that, in the 9th - 11th grades, she participated in the class team in the Voronezh school championship in “What? Where? When? ”(Aka CPG), which was held once a year, but studying took a lot of time, and we did not dare to go on a single day off to the other end of the city. But on the 1st course in the group there appeared several recent school players from different teams who were not averse to trying their strength. Since then, we play.

- What is the peculiarity of intellectual games, CPP in particular?

First of all, it is necessary to distinguish the television and "sports" version. Television - a show designed for a wide audience. The purpose of sports is to identify the strongest, she suggests a long question distance, well-thought out schemes of meetings (if we are talking about individual types). All synchronous and full-time tournaments in the world play a sports version. Intellectual games, perhaps, are distinguished from other sports by the fact that they use erudition and logic to a greater extent. This brings them to chess, for example. But, unlike the same chess, only the form is fixed by the rules, and the content (this or that fact and method of asking about it) is not limited by anything except the possibilities of the natural language in which the game is played. In one question, medieval literature with modern pop culture and microbiology news can get along with great athletes of the last century. In recent years, themed tournaments from the “Song of Ice and Flame” to the “IT Cup” are popular. The last four years already held in Voronezh in our office. Once our team even managed to divide the 1st place in the IT-standings.

- What have you learned in CPG?

It's a difficult question. It would seem to "think." But who admits that he did not know how to think before? Actually, the continuous chain turns out. You play more - you structure your thoughts better, you think more flexibly. You analyze better - you play better. As in Sparta: “Gymnastics - preparation for war. War is a preparation for gymnastics. ” The development of the ability to think faster, to anticipate in advance the possible consequences of decisions helps in any professional activity. Especially in our field.

- Does the Voronezh community of ChGK differ from communities in other cities? If so, what?

For a long time I knew only about our club. Therefore, it is, one way or another, the ideal, the starting point of comparison. Having traveled to other cities, talking to friends from other clubs, I noticed that our club is quite large, the movement has about fifty teams. There are teams here that are strong enough even by world standards. In this case, the struggle for leadership does not become our struggle against the other team. Outside the table, teams are friends, walk together, celebrate holidays. And when it happens to go to a tournament in another city, they form teams.

- Do you have any specific goal in CPG? Maybe awards, medals, etc.?

Everyone has their own goals in the game. For me, rewards are certainly a nice addition, but not an end in themselves. CPG allows you to learn something new, to spend time in a company with interesting people. Tournaments in other cities are also an opportunity to travel and meet like-minded people around the world, who also enjoy excursions.

- How many girls play in the ChGK? Is it possible to divide intellectual games by gender? In sports, for example, are there predominantly male or female games, but in intellectual ones?

I have no exact statistics. It seems more men, but not striking. There is no clear division of games either. Perhaps, women play more team sports (CPG, brain-ring), and in individual (for example, in “Own game”) their share is smaller.

- What do you think, why do we need such games?

To learn new amazing things. To meet and communicate with people who are hard to just identify on the street as soul mates.

- Do you think that CPG has changed somehow over the years? What exactly has changed?

I play the 8th year, once started from scratch. I was changing, so comparing my feelings from the game then and now is incorrect. If we take it objectively, new “moves” appeared in questions (replacements, wording “in two words with one letter”, etc.). Technology all these years also did not stand still. Now at all serious festivals bar-coded forms, and in our club - at every game. Strictly synchronous tournaments appeared, taking place in all cities at the same time on the sound recording of one presenter. Training became possible just in the evening on Skype, which is especially important when teams are scattered between cities.

- What would you like (or, on the contrary, would not) change in intellectual games?

Probably, as a "techie" would like more questions on the exact sciences. But this is from the category of fiction. There is much less material for them to write a question about. As for formats, there are different, balanced over the years. Perhaps I would like to participate in such unusual formats as the Friendship Cup, when teams are constantly shuffled during the game, or marathon, when teams play 24 or 36 hours continuously (allowable substitutions in the process).

- What is CPP for you?
Three letters that have become native. Favorite hobby. Friends.