Family Card Games. Introduccion

(Уважаемая администрация сайта! Надеюсь, публикация картин известных художников (или фотографий) в качестве иллюстраций, оживляющих подачу материала, не будет считаться нарушением - ведь я УКАЗЫВАЮ ФАМИЛИИ ХУДОЖНИКОВ (обычно - в конце текста)! Это - общепринятая практика на всем просторе интернета... В крайнем случае - если вы сочтете это недопустимым - прошу вас просто УДАЛИТЬ КАРТИНКИ - либо известить меня, и я сделаю это сам!.. С уважением, Игорь Катанугин)



Предисловие на русском языке. Уважаемый читатель, здравствуйте! Как Вы можете видеть, в этом сборнике по СКИ - Семейным карточным играм - представлены описания и правила всех этих игр (их 18 на данный момент - 14 июля 2020 года), которые я имел честь и радость создать, разработать (придумать - как говорят дети), а также очерки - письма сопроводительного характера - педагогического, касающиеся психологии игры...

И вот - хотел бы теперь привести, опубликовать здесь также мой очерк - письмо, где я рассматриваю этот предмет, эту тему для англоязычного читателя... Действительно - почему бы и нет? Ведь игры эти предназначены для семьи и детей, следовательно, никак не ограничены по природе своей пределами той или иной страны...

Правда, должен сказать, что сами правила СКИ изложены мною лишь на русском языке; перевод на английский потребовал бы довольно большого труда, времени, и к тому же было бы предпочтительнее для меня делать эту работу СОВМЕСТНО с человеком, владеющим английским языком очень хорошо, чтобы он или она корректировал мой текст на английском...

Осталось сказать, что текст этот написан изначально как письмо в знаменитую австрийскую фирму "Пятник", занимающуюся производством настольных игр, вместе с тем, обращение это имеет также характер универсальный, причем имею ввиду не только ту или иную компанию, но и вообще, всякого человека, интересующегося доброй безобидной игрой...

На русском языке, повторюсь, этот материал изложен в самом первом вступительном очерке сборника "Семейные Карточные Игры Простые", а также в описаниях самих Семейных карточных игр.

Заранее - спасибо за ваше доброжелательное внимание!




It Would Be A Great Honor To Work With You!


(A private Letter to the Piatnik company, Austria,
From Igor Katanugin, games-composer, Russia)


Estimable Chief(s) and Staff of the Glorious Piatnik Company!

Happy New Year!


First of all forgive me please some possible errors, inconsistencies and inconveniences of mine because of my home language is Russian, more of this I am practically illiterate in questions of business Letters and communication! The thing is that truly as I have stated above I live in Russia, my job – very dear for me – is TTT – Teacher, Tutor (home teacher), Translator (Spanish, English); so it is the first time I write to a foreign Company!


Maybe – and I allow myself to hope upon it – you as a truly Great World Company are interested to know just how your production expands all over the world, may be some stories about it! So before I dare to formulate my humble sincere proposal of some useful constructive cooperation, please allow me to tell you in brief my story of how I got acquainted with your wonderful family enterprise!

Well, I am 55 years old, I am a teacher by my profession (I studied at the Peoples’ Friendship University Patrice Lumumba in Moscow – just look – what a wonderful beautiful name and idea! Friendship between all the nations all over the World! Especially now when wars and hostilities go on and on, how great and urgent is this precious concept of Friendship! So you as producers of the most peaceful things are surely very interested in long endurable peace!!!).


And by my heart’s attraction and love I would say I am a teacher and tutor also. So as a part of my job  I was and am interested in different children’s and family’s games including both board games (games on some board or playing field such as chess) and playing cards games.


So my approach to games is that of a teacher and tutor (I use this word in the sense of a home tutor, a person who gives lessons at the very home of a child and simply talks, plays with children, goes for a walk with them), and also as a psychologist I would say.


Well, some time ago – the summer 2014 to be more precise – I saw in a little shop at our town playing cards “The Golden Russia” of your firm (36 cards), surely I bought them and was delighted of their wonderful beauty and quality! By the way, I THANK YOU very much, dear chiefs and staff of the Piatnik company! Because you hold, you keep carefully, LOVINGLY  our national traditions in this sphere of playing cards which is still PART OF OUR RUSSIAN CULTURE!!!


From my very childhood I was playing different interesting games which were sold in the former Soviet Union. And now I can tell firmly that those games for children were truly very good, innocent and interesting! The games were a part of the true joy and happiness of my childhood! Surely the main part of this joy is due to my parents; yes, precisely my parents provided me with that happy sunny childhood including with those games.


Furthermore, in those far-gone years I used to pass my summer and even winter vacations at home of my grandmother, in a wonderful beautiful village, in the lap of wonderful nature - a little lake, forest, beautiful hills and valleys with crops. I think I could write an entire essay, a beautiful poem about that wonderful time of my life! It was time enlightened by the sun on the sky and also the sun of love of my parents, grandparents and other relatives and simply good kind-hearted people!


And one of the symbols of that happy joyful epoch also were games, including an interesting card game for children. My grandmother Nastia and her sister Shura taught me how to play that game (its name is Piatki, from the Russian word “five”).


So now, when I give my lessons at homes of my  pupils  - I sometimes invite them to play with me that same card-game of my grandmother (May her soul ascend to the Heavenly Gardens!) The thing is that the game helps us to shake off the psychological tension, the nervousness which is pitifully so common in the life of our children of school age! Playing cards - twenty minutes is enough - truly brings joy, smiles, precious friendly laugh so rare in our life! It helps to erase a completely unnecessary psychological barrier between me as an adult person, a teacher, and my pupils, children by age!


More of this – in 2014 I myself started  to compose, to create children’s and family’s card games since I haven’t found in the Internet games which would satisfy my demands! First I could not believe that I am able of this but I tried and I did it! It is a very interesting creative process – to compose Family’ Card Games!  So I played my own, my self-created games in families of my disciples and they proved very interesting! 


So I started to compose, to design what I call now FCG - Family’ Card Games – especially to play at one’s home, in a precious loving atmosphere of the Family Love, where the adults – parents, grandparents play together with their children and guests of the house! 


So I would like to formulate now my humble PROPOSAL OF  COOPERATION!
 Surely you are a big famous World Company whereas I am a simple  person as they say. Nevertheless,  precisely because you are true noble honest specialists, professionals of the most high level – I am sure you can appreciate every true sincere effort of every person regardless of how simple and unknown he/she might seems!


So I have written now my own book titled  “The Game and the Children”! The book has three parts (or chapters): The Psychology of the Game, The Family’ Card Games and The Games on Boards.


The Psychology of the Game is a part where I expose my personal  half-century –long experience regarding both playing cards games and games on boards; I look at it just as a teacher, tutor and psychologist of the games. I try there to expose all benefits and advantages the games can bring especially in families serving as a medium of joyful communication between children and their parents and grandparents!


 I expose also some different pitiful superstitions and misunderstandings surrounding playing cards; I use for this purpose both my own pedagogical experiences and our Russian literature which is very rich in this respect also!


The Family’ Card Games is the chapter where I give the rules of the Family’ cards games that I myself have composed (created) for the purpose of playing precisely in families – children together with their parents and guests of their homes! These games must be (and are) easy to understand so that even children of seven years can play from the first time! At the time these games must be sufficiently interesting even for adults giving them some food, some field to think, to ponder so to speak! Practically all my games are designed for two teams of two-three persons  each team. It seems to me team-games are more interesting both for the adults and children!


At this moment there are 17 FCG (Family’ Card Games) in my book. First 11 games are “simples” so to speak, and other 6 games – “more difficult”, providing broad possibilities to think, to apply intellect… Surely even first 11 games give such possibilities too.


Needless to say that it may enlarge very much the sale of the playing cards since many families would like to buy it…


The Games on Boards is the part where I expose my rich personal experiences and ideas about different board-games which are very – VERY interesting and promising but still very little used among the people of practically all countries! I mean for example the truly WONDERFUL AMAZING FANTASTIC game of  HEX created during 1940-s years both in Denmark and USA. I used to play hex with very strong powerful partners for many years; so I know this game well  - this is A MIRACLE, a true PRODIGY among logical games! I have invented a very good useful logical design of how to make the board for hex, how to paint it, details of the rules of hex which should be excepted in order to reveal in full all the fantastic possibilities of this game!


So it is with the other wonderful board game – precisely the checkers (draughts) of Spantsiretti (geometry of the board of this game is 10 multiplied by 8 resulting 80). I was privileged to communicate with the very Nikolay Spantsiretty, the famous checkers-game master, creator of this variant of checkers (1970-s years, Ukraine, the former Soviet Union at those times!). And I tell you – this is a wonderful game! There are fantastic possibilities of both advertisement and production of boards for this game – as well as in case of the HEX also!


I write in my book about other interesting games also many of which are still practically unknown! So by this Letter I propose you – meaning the famous glorious company of the Piatnik – I propose you this my book “The Game and Children” or its part dedicated to Family Card Games. Are you interested in the printing of this book or promoting it in the Internet?


So I wait for your answer. I may send my book – or the chapter about the Family Card Games – to you by email. If you please, I might even go to your headquarters in Austria personally in order to explain, to demonstrate these games to you – why not?! I am open to any form of cooperation! It would be a joy and great honor for me!


So please give me some answer to this my Letter in order that I could know whether I can hope to be in cooperation with such a splendid wonderful company as yours!


With great sincere respect, with my best wishes of every further success to your truly Great Company,

Igor Katanugin, Russia.


 PS The composition and the very name of the book are not graven in stone and are subject to possible changes… For example I myself see now that it is designed not only for children and more of this – not only for families… Truly – a joyful innocent game is for anyone – for any person who would like to play…

My email: igorkatanugin, on yandex.ru

The 6 of January of  2020.





The 14-th of January, 2020

An email to me from a representative of the Piatnik:


Hello Igor, thank you for your message. Unfortunately we do not believe we are the right publisher for you.
Sorry you have not been successful on this occasion.

If we can give you some advice for the future, you may find useful information on our website that might be helpful in this regard https://www.piatnik.com/en/authors

We wish your project much success and are very sorry not to be able to help. With thanks for your understanding. Best wishes,
Birgit Leuthner



Igor Katanugin:


FAMILY’ CARD GAMES. A PEACEFUL CREATIVE REVOLUTION


Good day, Birgit Leuthner and all personal of the company “Piatnik”!

Thank you for your answer though to be quite frank I would not say that such an answer might bring any joy and sense of satisfaction to me…


Maybe some pitiful misunderstanding takes place… The thing is that it is rather difficult for me to express myself this way… Yes I have read those few lines you recommended and I can say with full my faith and knowledge that what I dare to offer satisfies all these desires of your firm, your famous company “Piatnik” in full measure – and MORE!.. Yes - and much more – I would say firmly and with inner smile in my heart…


Again - please be aware that it is not so easy to communicate such way through an email… It is not easy to achieve mutual understanding this way (and sometimes I ask myself – Is it possible at all? I dare to keep such a hope…)…  In order to approach, to touch the very theme of my know-how  I would say that the very word “card game” may be misunderstood in such a communication…


When I say end write “Family’ Card Games” I mean the ordinary common PLAYING CARDS – 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, suits – Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades… The thing is that what I bring forth – what I propose, offer – and not only to you as a company but also to all families all the world around – what I dare to propose, to bring forth is revolution indeed in the world of card games – a revolution in TRUE peaceful creative sense of this word!..


I dare to say that what I had the joy and honour to create is completely NEW class, new category of games using ordinary playing cards in a completely new way – for entire family, for all generations of a family – from little children (of 6-7 ages old and less maybe) to their parents and grandparents and guests of their home!...


What are some common characteristics of these games?


First. Their rules are very easy to understand even for little children – from 6 -7 ages and less in many occasions.

Second. They provide a broad field, rich material, enough opportunities to think, to apply intellect, creativity even for the adults, even for those who likes mathematics – especially games “more difficult” – numbers  from 12 to 17 (now I have created 17 Family’ Card Games, this process can go on…).

Third. These games are almost all in teams, or between two teams – two or three person each – which is very interesting for children and adults…

Fourth. The very spirit, hidden idea of these games are the following – joyful communication of the people of different age, different social background, maybe of different nation, religion, politics and so on. Everyone feels himself/ herself equal, worthy of full sincere respect… The play is NOT for money – the very process of playing – THIS is what brings joy to the partners…

Fifth. There is also the idea that a family, children is the thing of great value! These games are designed precisely for families – though may be used at schools, summer camps too (forgive me please if my English maybe sometimes not so adequate…)… Now, in our days – when the very concept of Family is under attacks in many cases, when we see a crisis of family in our societies, in many nations – it seems to me that the very idea of card games precisely for families is precious and worthy to be considered seriously…

Sixth. The Family Card Games have as their background the old ideals of Knighthood – Knighthood as a synonym of something noble, honest, brave, courageous known for us from many ancient beautiful wonderful stories and myths of the world… So these games cast a challenge to a very common, very limited viewpoint that playing cards are a priory a “dirty” thing proper for criminals, mafia, for those who are addict to risk their money, et cetera… To the contrary, we bring forth a very pure noble beautiful fresh look at the playing cards – as a symbol of ideals of Knighthood, as a symbol of Family, children…


Truly I could go on my thoughts on this regard but I hope the idea is more or less expressed already… So I propose it for your company as well as for ALL AND EVERYONE PERSON who would like to ponder on it – to think, to ponder and to use it, simply TO PLAY with one’s friends, family, children…


Yes, I by the juncture (by the moment) I only have the rules ot these games printed in Russian, and I must confess it would be not so easy for me to translate them to English – because it is rather specific theme, branch of knowing… It takes much time and it would be very good for me to do this translation in cooperation with a person who speaks English well… I would explain the rules, this person would express them in good presentable English – in such way I hope the work could be done with success.
Well – I don’t know whether you will answer to me or not, whether you will be interested in it on not. I don’t know whether this my idea, these games, this know-how will be accepted by anyone in the world…


I offer it as my gift to the people… I offer it without any condition, I do not ask money for it (for example I have published the rules of these games in the Internet free so everyone can read it without paying money)… Yes – if some company would offer me some money for this my work, I would accept it with deep sense of gratitude, nevertheless as I have stated I would be very glad if these games would be used in families – as a mean for joyful communication – whether I gain some money compensation for it or not.


The Letter becomes long so I do not touch the theme of some board games I like very much also and have many ideas about… I have written about it very briefly in my first Letter to you.


My best wishes for you and your famous company!

Igor Katanugin, region of Tver, Russia.



Картина: Чарльз Барбер. Спокойной ночи!