View source for Novuss

{{Short description|Cue sport of Latvia and Estonia}}
[[Image:Novuss Wettbewerb.jpg|thumb|right|Novuss players at the Baltic Children's Olympics, 2006]]
'''{{lang|lv|Novuss}}''' (also known as '''{{lang|et|koroona}}''' or '''{{lang|fi|korona}}''') is a two-player (or four-player, doubles) [[game of physical skill]] which is closely related to [[carrom]] and [[pocket billiards]]. Novuss originates from [[Estonia]] and [[Latvia]], where it is a [[national sport]]. The board is approximately {{convert|100|cm|in}} square, typically made of wood, has {{cuegloss|pockets}} in each corner, and lines marked on the surface. The board is usually placed on a stand, but may be placed on a barrel or other surface that allows the pockets to hang down properly. It uses small discs instead of balls, and each player has a small [[Puck (sports)|puck]] instead of the {{cuegloss|cue ball}} used in other [[cue sport]]s. Players use a small [[cue stick]] to propel their pucks into their colored object discs (the novuss equivalent of {{cuegloss|object ball}}s), knocking them into the pockets. The winner is the first one to sink all eight of their object discs (of which there are sixteen in total in two different-coloured sets, plus the two pucks).

The game is sometimes informally referred to as "Baltic billiards" or "Scandinavian billiards", but the latter is a misnomer, since neither [[Latvia]] nor [[Estonia]] are part of Scandinavia. On the other hand, in Sweden and Denmark, a similar game is played under the names 'Couronne' and 'Bob' respectively. However, unlike in novuss, the object discs in Couronne/Bob are arranged into a circle formation on the centre of the board like in [[carrom]], and each player is given fifteen discs instead of eight.
[[File:Novuss Game Competition and Playing Pieces Called Coins.jpg|thumb|Novuss Games and Coins]]
A game similar to novuss is also played in the Philippines. The table in this game, however, is rotatable.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/7879307/pool-dennis-orcollo-best-money-game-player-world-espn-magazine|title=Running the tables|date=May 8, 2012|access-date=2018-05-27|author=Brett Forrest|publisher=ESPN The Magazine}}</ref>

==History==
[[Image:old novuss table.jpg|thumb|right|80-year-old novuss board from the Latvian Novuss Federation]] According to Jānis-Ēriks Piebalgs, President of Latvian Novuss Federation, the game was first played in Northern Europe, particularly [[Latvia]] and [[Estonia]] around 1925–1927.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.novuss-lnf.lv/?lp=2|title=Blog|date=20 December 2023 }}</ref> According to "Korona õpetus" (1930) novuss was brought to the Baltic countries from Northern Europe by the seamen. Among the countries Germany and Sweden are mentioned.

The game appears to have developed from billiards as a shipboard game. The compact size of the board and comparatively stationary nature of the discs in response to the rocking of the vessel on the water made it practical as an onboard game. It has been called the equivalent of "sea billiards" in some languages such as Russian.<ref name="novus-sport">{{cite web |url=http://www.novus-sport.ru |title=Новус Москва &#91;Novuss Moscow&#93; |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |work=novus-sport.ru |location=Moscow, Russia |publisher=Moscow Novuss Federation |year=2012 |language=ru |access-date=2012-03-16 |archive-date=2012-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414223736/http://www.novus-sport.ru/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Latvian seamen, while visiting ports of England, played a similar game in the local pubs. The first tables were made from blueprints brought back from England. In the beginning, novuss was played in the port cities [[Ventspils]], [[Liepāja]], and [[Tallinn]]. In some countries, novuss is also known by Estonian name ''{{lang|et|koroona}}'' (archaic for 'crown', modern ''{{lang|et|kroon}}'') or a local variant. The oldest known record of the rules of the game printed in a book dates to 1930 (book in Estonian, called "Korona õpetus"). Before that the rules were printed in Estonian magazines and newspapers. In Estonia the first known novuss clubs were formed in 1927. The first competitions were held before the year 1930 (mentioned in "Korona õpetus") and official rules were needed. In Latvia, the game spread even more quickly than in Estonia, and soon emerged as a national sport. The first professional competition took place in [[1932 in sports|1932]], in which [[Albert Raminsch]] won 1st place. In Finland, the furniture factory Oy Huonekalutehdas ja Sorvimo introduced the game, known as ''korona'', in the port city of [[Turku]] in 1926.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Corona : Huvittava kotibiljardi-peli | journal = Suomen Kuvalehti | volume = 19 | pages = 39 | location = Helsinki | date = May 7, 1927 | language = fi | url = https://digi.kansalliskirjasto.fi/aikakausi/binding/877995?page=39 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last = Linnainen | first = Pekka | title = Siihen aikaan kun korona(peli) Viroon ilmaantui | publisher = Estofennia | date = November 6, 2020 | language = fi | url = https://estofennia.eu/kun-koronapeli-viroon-ilmaantui/ | access-date = November 16, 2020 }}</ref>

[[File:4 player.jpg|thumb|Setup for a four-player game of Novuss]]
The Latvian Novuss Federation was founded on 6 December 1963. National Championships have been held since 1964 in singles and since 1966 in team competitions. Men's, women's and junior's (up to 15 years old) divisions have been established.

In 1980, the Novuss community contained around 55,000 members. In the meantime, district, city, national and world championships are regularly organized. Novuss became one of the three most popular sports in Latvia.

==Events==
The game is further establishing itself in the United States, Canada, Israel, Georgia, Ukraine, Australia, England, Russia, Finland and Germany.
The [[International Novuss Championship]] has been held annually, beginning in [[1993 in sports|1993]], with teams from countries where Novuss has a large following, especially Latvia and Estonia.
[[File:NOVUSS CUE SPORT GAME BOARDS.jpg|thumb]]
Novuss was integrated into the roster of the first  [[Baltic Children's Olympics]] on 30 September 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kggf.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=102&Itemid=111&lang=en |title=Baltic children's olympiade - Projekt |website=www.kggf.de |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927031503/http://www.kggf.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=102&Itemid=111&lang=en |archive-date=2007-09-27}} </ref>

===World Cup===

The [[Federation International of Novuss-Sport Organizations]] (FINSO) hosts international competitions.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.novuss-sport.org/international-competitions/ | title=International Competitions }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Carrom]]
*[[Crokinole]]
*[[Pichenotte]]
*[[Pitchnut]]
*[[Chapayev (game)]]
*[[Golf (billiards)|Golf Billiards]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[http://www.novuss-lnf.lv/?lp=2 History of the Novuss-Sport (latvian)]

==External links==
*[http://www.koroona.ee Estonian Koroona Game Union] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029231215/https://koroona.ee/ |date=2020-10-29 }}
*[http://www.novuss-lnf.lv Latvian Novuss Federation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222183859/http://www.novuss-lnf.lv/ |date=2008-02-22 }}
*[http://www.ukrfishka.com.ua Ukrainian Novuss Federation]
*Germany:
**[http://www.novuss-verband.de German Novuss Sport Association] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025185554/http://novuss-verband.de/ |date=2020-10-25 }}
**[http://www.novuss-sport.de/ Novuss sport without barriers e.V.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132836/http://www.novuss-sport.de/ |date=2015-01-28 }}
*Israel:
**[http://www.nois.co.il Israel board games website]
*Russia:
**[http://www.novus-sport.ru Moscow Novuss Federation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021041621/http://www.novus-sport.ru/ |date=2020-10-21 }}
**[http://www.novus.spb.ru Novuss Federation of St Petersburg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803092905/http://www.novus.spb.ru/ |date=2020-08-03 }}
*[http://www.novussusa.com Novuss World USA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027101847/http://novussusa.com/ |date=2020-10-27 }}
*International:
**[https://www.novuss-sport.org Novuss - Sport for everyone!]
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[[Category:Tabletop cue games]]
[[Category:Board games of physical skill]]
[[Category:Carom billiards]]