Beauty and the Beast

by ChessBase
8/13/2010 – After the first series of games of the Chinese Chess League, the players enjoyed a relaxing stay at the (deep breath!) Ningbo Youngor Dapengshan Traveling Vacation Area. A competition between two impromptu teams, Team Beauty and Team Monster was made, with the losers having to go on the scariest rides there. WGM Gu Xiaobing brings pictures and a report on this light-hearted affair.

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Beauty and the Beast

by Gu Xiaobing

During the first stop of the "Youngor Cup" China Chess League, a special competition was held in the Ningbo Youngor Dapengshan Traveling Vacation Area, a catchy brand name if there ever was one. That said, this area is a popular vacation spot and has a number of attractions including the Around the World in 80 days theme park.

Around the World in 80 days theme park

This theme park/amusement park has a number of rides and lovely recreated pieces centered around world renowned cultural references.


A recreated Arc de Triomphe celebrating Napoleon's commissioned monument.


Several Moai of various styles in reference to the Easter Island originals.


Great fun is mixed with great culture here at this giant swimming pool with the
Acropolis as a backdrop.


It wouldn't be much of an amusement park without stomach wrenching rides.

The Competition

There were two teams in the competition, called Team Monster and Team Beauty. Team Monster was composed of GM Bu Xiangzhi, GM Zhou Jianchao, GM Ding Liren, WGM Ju Wenjun and WIM Ding Yixin. While Team Beauty consisted of GM Zhao Jun, GM Zhou Weiqi, GM Hou Yifan, WGM Huang Qian and WGM Zhang Xiaowen. The Monsters were led by GM Bu Xiangzhi and WGM Huang Qian was the captain of Beauty.

In each game, a team chose a player and sent him/her to play for them. However, they didn't know their opponent until WGM Gu Xiaobing, the hostess of the match, announced the start of the game. After each game, all the members in the losing team had to go on one of the most exciting rides in the park!

In the first game, "Beautiful" GM Hou Yifan defeated "Monstrous" GM Ding Liren, sending all the fiends to the sky...


From left to right: WGM Huang Qian,WIM Ding Yixin,GM Bu Xiangzhi, GM Zhou
Jianchao, GM Ding Liren, WGM Ju Wenjun, and Huang Qian who was a member of
the winning team but wanted to partake in the 'punishment'.


GM Zhou Weiqi, GM Zhao Jun and WGM Zhang Xiaowen cheering on the losers.

In the second round, both teams sent their captains for a faceoff between GM Bu Xiangzhi and WGM Huang Qian.


The two captains: WGM Huang Qian versus GM Bu Xiangzhi.

Finally, GM Bu Xiangzhi took the game for the Monsters.


From left to right: GM Bu Xiangzhi, WGM Huang Qian, GM Zhou Weiqi, WGM Zhang
Xiaowen and GM Zhao Jun. Due to health reasons, GM Hou Yifan was replaced by
GM Bu Xiangzhi, to take the punishment.


WGM Gu Xiaobing, hostess of the event.

Photos by WGM Gu Xiaobing, Chinese chess federation

Copyright ChessBase


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