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What? Where? When?

arts Maturity 11-13 Next article →

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.

Russian ChGK Championship (27 February, 2005)
Russian ChGK Championship (27 February, 2005)

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.

Russian ChGK Championship (27 February, 2005)
Russian ChGK Championship (27 February, 2005)
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