What? Where? When?

People play a smart game show.

Six experts sit at a round table. They try to solve hard questions. They have one minute to talk.

Questions come from people watching at home. Some questions are inside a black box. The experts must guess what is inside.

A spinning top picks the next question. This makes the game very exciting.

Sometimes the experts win extra time. They use this time to think more.

Teams play to win points. It is a fun way to use your brain.

What? Where? When? is a smart game show. It began in the mid-1970s.

It is very popular in Russia and other nearby states. Today, many people play it as a sport in clubs. Over 50,000 teams play this version around the world.

A team of six experts sits at a round table. They try to answer questions sent in by viewers. The experts have only one minute to talk and find the answer. They must use logic and quick thinking to win. A spinning top picks which question to play next. Some questions are in envelopes. Other questions come from the Internet.

Sometimes, a question uses a "black box." This is a box on the table. The experts must guess what is inside it. They cannot open the box until they give an answer. If the experts are wrong, the viewer who sent the question wins money. If the experts are right, they earn a point. The game ends when a team reaches six points.

Players often show great friendship. Even when teams compete, they may help each other. This spirit of working together is a big part of the game.

What? Where? When? is a famous intellectual game show. It is very popular in Russia and other nearby states. People have enjoyed it since the mid-1970s.

Today, it is much more than just a television program. It has become a competitive sport played in clubs. The World Association of Intellectual Games organizes these clubs. Over 50,000 teams around the world play this sport version. It brings people together through the love of thinking.

The game follows a very specific way of working. A team of six experts sits around a round table. This table has 13 different sectors. Most sectors hold envelopes with questions from viewers. One special sector picks a random question from the Internet. A spinning top selects which sector to play next. If the arrow hits a used sector, it moves clockwise. The experts have only one minute to discuss each question. They must use logic, intuition, and insight to win.

There are many ways to play a question. Sometimes, a question uses a "black box" on the table. The experts must guess the object inside without opening it. They might also see a video or hear music. Some questions are part of a "Blitz" round. In a Blitz, players get three easy questions. They only have 20 seconds to discuss each one. There is also a "Superblitz" where only one expert plays. These fast rounds test how quickly the experts can think.

The history of the game began with Vladimir Voroshilov. He was an artist, host, and director. He developed the game between 1975 and 1977. The very first show aired on September 4, 1975. At first, the game focused more on facts. Families competed from their own homes. By December 24, 1977, the format was closer to what we see today. In those early days, Voroshilov was not allowed on screen. He was only a voice that people heard.

This game connects many different types of skills. It is not just about knowing many facts. It is about how people work together as a team. Even when teams compete, they often show a spirit of friendship. They might help other experts in the room find the best answer. The game also uses prizes to reward people. Viewers can win large sums of money, like 100,000₡. The best player of the year even wins a prize called the Diamond Owl.

What? Where? When? (known as ChGK) is a famous intellectual game show. It is a major part of Russian-language media and other CIS states. The game has been popular since the mid-1970s. Today, it is much more than a simple television program. It has grown into a competitive sport organized by the World Association of Intellectual Games. More than 50,000 teams play this sport version of the game around the world.

The game pits a team of six experts against a "team of TV viewers." The viewers send in questions for the experts to solve. For every question, the experts have a strict time limit of one minute. They must use logic, intuition, and insight to find the correct answers. If the experts succeed, they earn a point. If they fail, the viewers' team earns a point. The viewer who sent the question also receives a monetary prize if the experts are wrong. Experts do not receive monetary prizes for their skill.

The game's setup is very specific and relies on a round table. This table is divided into 13 distinct sectors. Twelve of these sectors contain envelopes with pre-checked questions from viewers. The 13th sector is different because it uses a computer to select a random question from the Internet. These Internet questions are not pre-checked, so their quality is not guaranteed. A spinning top with an arrow determines which sector is played next. If the arrow lands on a sector that was already used, the game moves to the next sector in a clockwise direction.

There are several special ways that questions are presented to the experts. Some questions involve media like video clips or audio recordings. Other questions use a "black box" placed on the table. The experts must figure out what is inside the box without opening it. They might hear music or see a picture to help them think. There are also fast rounds called "Blitz" and "Superblitz." In a Blitz, the team must answer three easier questions with only 20 seconds of discussion each. In a Superblitz, the discussion is even faster, and only one expert remains at the table.

The history of the game began with Vladimir Voroshilov. He was an artist, a director, and a television host. He developed the game between 1975 and 1977. The very first version aired on September 4, 1975. That early version focused more on general knowledge than on logical reasoning. In those first games, two families competed from their own homes. By December 24, 1977, the format changed to the modern style. In those early years, Voroshilov was not allowed to appear on screen. He was only a voice that the viewers could hear.

Winning the game involves reaching specific scores and managing risks. Usually, the game continues until one side reaches 6 points. If an expert team reaches 5 points, they can declare "the final round." In this round, only one expert plays to try and win the game with a 6:0 score. They must give the exact answer, as no variations are accepted. There are also large prizes involved for the viewers. In the 2022 season, winning questions were awarded 100,000₽. The best player of the year is even awarded a special prize called the Diamond Owl.

What? Where? When? is a unique example of how competition and friendship can exist together. Even though teams are competing, they often show a spirit of collaborative work. Other expert teams in the room often suggest the best answers to the playing team. This happens because of a tradition of friendship within the intellectual game clubs. The game also uses technical tools like "music pauses" for timeouts. These pauses can be used for advertisements or as a way to manage the flow of the show. It remains a complex test of human intelligence and teamwork.