It might sound like a joke but the modern game of tiddlywinks was started on January 16th, 1955, with the foundation of Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club.
The rules for the game are not as simple as just getting your wink into the pot. No, it's far more serious and tactical than that especially at this level being the pinnacle of the sport. The basic skills of the game can be learned in days, yet the tactical knowledge of players at this level takes years to acquire. The aim of the game is to secure the highest number of table points (tiddlies).
There is six plastic disc, called Winks, these are various colours, two being 22mm in diameter, and four being 16 mm in diameter. A disc called a “squidger” is used to play the winks. The game is played on a rectangular mat measuring 6 feet by 3 feet.
Players take it, in turn, to take shots at the pot using their “squidger”. In a pairs match, each player can be seen discussing strategy with their partner before each shot, similar to pairs in snooker. If any wink is covered by another, the lower wink is said to be “squopped” and cannot be played, hence players can capture and guard their opponents’ winks whilst preserving their own.
Is tiddlywinks a serious game?
The short answer is yes, but it's great fun as well. The first thing to state is that it's not just about flicking counters into a cup. It is in fact a complex game of strategy and tactics, which involves a fascinating mixture of manual dexterity and intellectual activity as well. It's a bit like chess in a way, but on an infinitely squared board, and you have the added difficulty of actually playing a piece to where you want it to go. Oh, it's also got an added dimension- height. In tiddlywinks, you can capture enemy counters (winks) by covering them up with one of your own. Thus winks often get stacked on top of one another to form 'piles' during a game. There's no sport quite like it in this respect (you try stacking snooker/pool balls on top of each other!).
Anyway, tiddlywinks is taken seriously by all those who play the adult game. There are regular tournaments in Britain and the USA and even a world title. Enthusiasts have been known to practise endlessly before an important event. Others just play in the tournaments and thoroughly enjoy themselves no matter whether they win or lose.