Fun and games

It was what the makers of board games had been waiting for. Mensa, that élite club for the super-intelligent (and some would say super-smug), has decided to associate itself with a particular game. Surely everyone will want to test out their mental dexterity on the favoured pursuit of the hyper-brainy.

It was what the makers of board games had been waiting for. Mensa, that élite club for the super-intelligent (and some would say super-smug), has decided to associate itself with a particular game. Surely everyone will want to test out their mental dexterity on the favoured pursuit of the hyper-brainy.

One might have assumed they would have chosen chess, the ancient pastime that has been played by some of the most powerful minds in history; or maybe Scrabble, which has taxed verbal dexterity (not to mention spelling) for decades. But no. The game Mensa has chosen is called Connections and bears an uncanny resemblance to that old children's favourite Connect Four.

Some might see this as an appropriate choice for a club that exhibits the arrogant behaviour most often encountered in school playgrounds.

But maybe it symbolises something more profound. Could it be that even the greatest minds have to keep in touch with their inner child? Anyone for a game of Snakes and Ladders?