To rebrand poker, Alson and his colleagues are emphasizing the similarities between poker and other so-called mindsports like chess and bridge, which teach and reward strategic thinking.

FORBES: Focus

Other BSIMM co-creators include Brian Chess at Fortify, and Sammy Migues at Cigital.

FORBES: A Secure Software Model Matures

For the first time on Facebook, Idle Worship provides players with synchronous play: the ability to interact with other players in real time, as opposed to the old chess-by-email systems employed by the majority of social games.

FORBES: Can Idle Worship Change the Way We Think About Facebook Games?

But football is chess, played with real pieces that try to knock each other's brains out.

WSJ: Gerard Baker: Football Is Better Than Soccer

Chess may not be more savage, or more inducive to international ill-will, than other games, but it is certainly slower.

ECONOMIST: From the archive