 This paper discusses the importance of teaching algorithmic thinking and programming to IT specialists. It suggests that universities should focus on providing students with a deeper understanding of algorithms and how they work, rather than just focusing on the technical aspects of coding. To do this, the authors propose a gamified activity where students create a software platform that allows them to simulate a tournament between different algorithms that use winning strategies. This activity was tested at two different levels, one for IT specialists and another for school children attending summer IT camps. The results showed that the gamified approach helped students learn more quickly and effectively, and also increased their motivation to learn algorithmic thinking and programming. This article was authored by Lyudmila E. Greizen, Oleksandr V. Sherbakov, and Svitlana H. Litvinova.