Power, Intelligence, Spirit, Glamour

The New Great Wall of China

The Chinese women built a New Great Wall at the Women's Olympiad in Calvia. Chinese team dominated the women's event ahead of the United States and Russian. It was the fourth consecutive gold for the Chinese team since 1998.

The Chinese women's team during the 36th Chess Olympiad in Calvià

It was so easy in the first nine rounds the ladies from East, led by four times World Champion Xie Jun and two times World Cup Champion Xu Yuhua, the World Girls Champion Zhao Xue and new blood 18-year-old Huang Qian, that accumulating 23.5/27 points made a strong New Chinese Wall which no team could easily cross over. It was true that both the USA team, led by former Women's World Champion Zsuzsa Polgar, and then the Georgians grabbed the opportunity for a 2-1 late Chinese takeaway, but the ladies from the East were... well... very far east already, and won their last two matches decisively against other main rivals. It is truly the New Great Wall of China.

Two ex world champions face each other: Susan Polgar and Xie Jun

At the Bled Olympiad two years ago Zhao Xue took the board four gold medal with an awesome score of 11.5/12 (and very disappointed she was to concede that draw!). Now in Calvia she took the board three gold with 10/12 and a 2596 rating performance, bettered only by Zsuzsa Polgar (2622) and team-mate Xie Jun (2597). Wow...Zhao Xue! Susan Polgar has said: "I see a very bright future for Zhao Xue. She is very talented.
 

The four consecutive Olympiad gold medals team:
Board 1: Grandmaster Xie Jun 2569 (Beijing)
Board 2: Women Grandmaster Xu Yuhua 2487 (Hangzhou, Zhejiang)
Board 3: Women Grandmaster Zhao Xue 2487 (Jinan, Shangdong)
Reserve: Women International Master Huang Qian 2371 (Chongqing)
Chief Coach: Grandmaster Ye Jiangchuan 2649 (Taiyuan, Shangxi)

Triumphant return to China

Xie Jun, Xu Yuhua, Zhao Xue and Huang Qian, during the Olympiad in Calvià

The Olympic Gold Medal team arrives at Beijing Airport and is greeted by the heads of the Chinese Chess Association, the Chinese Chess Academy, Beijing Chess Academy, Children and Media.

The team (with trainer Ye Jiangchuan) pose for photographers at Beijing Airport

Boards one and two of the team: Xie Jun and Xu Yuhua

World Girls Champion Zhao Xue

Xie Jun, Xu Yuhua, Zhao Xue and Huang Qian in the celebration which took place in the Chinese Chess Academy

The Chinese Chess Academy prized 200,000 yuan (€17,984 or $24,200) to the team for its "achievement of dream and glory"

Chief coach Ye Jiangchuan said in the celebration that he will lead his ladies to take the quest for gold medal for the fifth time in Turin, Italy, the 2006 Olympiad

Pictures of the team for the new calendar and stamp to celebrate the fourth consecutive Olympiad gold medal. The two posters are entitled POWER and INTELLGENCE

And these two posters read SPIRIT and GLAMOUR

Previous stories by Fang Zhang

• The Beijing Chess Challenge
• Tai Yuan GM Tournament
• Chess in China
• Kings vs Queens Match in China
• Tandem Chess in China