Mandy Kunze, 50, from Thiendorf in Saxony, has won the World Championship in “Mensch ärgere Dich nicht.” She prevailed against 177 competitors, said organizer Udo Schmitz. Kunze is already the reigning world champion: she took first place at the last World Championship two years ago. The World Championship took place at a hotel in Berlin. Schmitz reported that she won this year’s final by a clear margin. By the time Kunze had finished her fourth and final piece, her three opponents had each only finished one or two pieces. “After about 30 minutes, she had secured the victory.” Second place went to 84-year-old Dagmar Marten from Berlin. Third place went to Greta Komnig, 23, from Neubrandenburg. The winner received a travel voucher worth 250 euros and a trophy. Second through fourth place received game vouchers from Schmidt Spiele. According to Schmitz, 178 players took part in the World Championship. Most were reportedly from Germany, but some were also from the Netherlands, Austria, and Switzerland. The youngest participant was 7 years old, and the oldest was nearly 90. All participants first competed against each other in four consecutive rounds, with four people per board. In each round, the players earned points. The four players with the most points advanced to the finals. “The atmosphere in the preliminary round was lively,” said Schmitz. In the final, however, things became increasingly quiet and focused. The game “Mensch ärgere Dich nicht” was invented more than 100 years ago by Josef Friedrich Schmidt and has been in production since 1914. The World Championship in Berlin took place for the third time. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reservedThe oldest participant was nearly 90 years old.
A game with a long tradition
