The Beijing Chess Challenge

The final results

• Download all games (last round missing)
• Official web site (in Chinese)

Previous reports:

• Kings vs Queens Match in China
• Tandem Chess in China
• Kings and Queens

Profile of the Chinese players

Ye Jiangchuan: b 1960, GM, he learned chess when he was already 17 years old of age, three years later he became Champion of China, he won 7 times the Championship 1981 - 1996; four times member of the Asia Team Champions; 10 times Olympics participant; 1995, 1999 Champions of Dato Tan Chin Nam Cup; 2001 Co-Champion of same cup. He was the first Chinese player to reach 2600 Elo, Currently he is 23rd in the Fide ranking. The 2001 Fide World Championship he was 9-16th; the 2000 and 2002 Fide World Cup he reached the 1/8 finals. He has been the chief coach of Chinese National Team since year 2000.

GM Zhang Pengxiang, one of China's top players

Zhang Zhong: b 1978, GM, the 1996 World Junior Championship Runner-up, 1997 a Hungarian GM Invitation Tourament Champion; member of Chinese Olympics Team 1998 and 2002; 2001 Champion of China; 2002 Chinese Sports Assembly Champion; member of Chinese Team won the Asia Team Championship; winner of Wij aan Zee Tourament Group B year 2003, therefore he will play the Wij aan Zee SuperGM Tourament in the coming year.

Xu Jun: b 1962, GM, 1983, 1985 Champion of China; member of Chinese Team, five times winner of the Asia Team Championship 1983-2003; 1987 3.3 zone winner; 1998 Champion of China Open; 2000-2001 Champion of Asia; 2002 Olympics member of Chinese Team which was the 5th in the final standings.

Bu Xiangzhi: b 1985, GM, 1998 World Youth Champion under 14, 1999 he became the youngest GM in the world; German Open Champion; 2001 3rd of Championship of China; member of Chinese Olympics Team in 2002; Year 2003 3.3 zone Co-Champion; 2003 China Television Rapid Chess Champion.

17-year-old GM Bu Xiangzhi vs Evgeny Bareev. The game was a draw.

Zhang Pengxiang: b 1980, GM, 1997-1999 Champions of China; Year 1998 2nd; in 2001 Fide World Championship, he beat Kapov in the first round; 2002 Champion of Linares Open; 2002 Champion of China; 2002 China Television Rapid Chess Champion; The 2002 Olympics member of Chinese Team; Member of winner of 2003 Aisa Team Championship.

Chinese GM Zhang Pengxiang and FM Ni Hua

Ni Hua: b 1983, F, 1996-1999 three time of Lee Chenzhi Cup the National Youth Champion; 1996 winner of French Desny youth Rapid Chess Champion; 2001 world junior champion 4th place; 2002 Qingdao Open Champion; Member of Chinese Team to the 2002 Olympics; 2003 3.3 zone Co-Champion.

Picture gallery

Nigel Short vs Ni Hua. The 20-year-old Chinese FM won the game.

Yasser Seirawan vs Bu Xiangzhi. The game was drawn.

Yasser Seirawan and Evgeny Bareev at the end of the tournament

Chess lessons in a Chinese school

The budding IMs and GMs from the East

Pictures: Sport Sohu, Beijing aigo Chess Club

China Highlights

The Great Wall, symbolizing China's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most renowned projects. It is a distance of 75 kilometres northwest of Beijing. Its highest point at Badaling is some 800 metres above sea level.

Construction of the Wall first began during the period of the Warring States (476-221 BC). Formerly, walls were built at strategic points by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended.

Historical records show that about 1 million people, one-fifth of China's population at the time, were involved in the project which took more than ten years. When it was finished we call it "Wan Li Chang Cheng" which means "Ten Thousand-Li-Long Wall". Now, nature has taken over most of the Great Wall.

The Great Wall which we are going to visit was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. It extends from Shanhaiguan Pass, a seaport along the coast of Bohai Bay, to Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province. Its total length is more than 6,700 kilometres.

The Great Wall runs 629 kilometres in the Beijing area. More than 100 kilometres are well preserved and two other sections at Badaling and Mutianyu have already been renovated for tourists both at home and abroad. The Great Wall is the great creation of ancient Chinese people. It was listed by the UNESCO as one of the World heritages in 1987.

• Pictures by courtesy of China Highlights Travel. Most of the information contained in the above report above was provided by Fang Zhang, a chess fan, freelance writer, dramatist, poet and historian, who lives in Belgium.