The Age of Chinese Chess is Coming
Those of you who are already well dialed into the current chess scene, may not need to read this short post.
But for those of you who don't manage to get all the major chess news, it should get our attention that recently the third ranking Chinese GM Wang Yue placed second in a three way tie for first place at the recent first round of the FIDE Grand Prix in Baku.
He did so by beating out the likes of world number seventh, eight, and nineth Mamedyarov, Radjabov, and Svidler, as well as Karjakin at thirteenth, Adams fourteenth, Kamsky fifteenth, Grischuk eighteenth, and Bacrot twenty-third.
He shared the podium with first tie-breaker Gashimov at forty-two and third tie-breaker Magnus Carlsen at fifth in the world. You can be sure that those dudes gave him no breaks.
Back in the qualifier in Elista, in November, at ICC someone fingered a comment, saying: "Who is Wang Yue?" Well, I think that they all know now.
Sorry folks: hard as I try, I cannot get the embed to go directly to the specific video from round four. Instead, go directly to the video either at The Week in Chess or Europe-Echeces.com. Then select the first of the forth round videos: 'ROUND FOUR MUSIC, GAMES AND INTERVIEW' (blue tone to background image). Therein is found the discussion about the Chinese press by the Spanish Grand Master hired by the Chinese who is fluent in Chinese.
Secondly, this week at Sofia, Chinese first Bu Xiangzhi is rubbing elbows with the pedigree of Topolov, Ivanchuk, and Aaronian. This part is not big news. But what is big is that the Chinese press are there, this time, in droves as only the Chinese can. There is an army of reports and photographers, and this is big news in China. China is big and with the Peking Olympics in August, peak oil, and now the sorrowfull earthquake in Sichuan province, it is time we all recognize the Chinese effort in chess. Whether it is too big now, is not for any of us to say.
Did any of you know that the average ranking of the Chinese top ten is now third in the world at FIDE, behind of course Russia and the Ukraine (Israel fourth, with USA sixth)?
posted by transformation at 1:08 AM
8 Comments:
I have seen the video and now I know what I do wrong. I must appear in a suit!
Qualification if I may: yes, but let it be either a suite with a snappy colored striped shirt and colored tie such as Ivanchuk has, or a white one like Topolov!
Did you see in the starting caption to this same video that I reference from round four:
"The Lion Enters to the Cage". hot damn!
This doesn't bode well for us. If these guys start gettting alot of good press the chinese populace will all start playing chess. The price of tournament supplies and books will skyrocket.
There goes my cheap hobby :)
wang: If chess became popular, then the price of tournament supplies, videos and books will fall like crazy because it won't take long for the Indians and the Chinese to start mass-producing them.
Chinese chess (more predominant chess) is cheap to play in China actually. When I was there for business, I've seen some sets of beautifully carved wooden Chinese chess pieces going for less than 10 yuan.
If the chinese deceide to put the effort into any sport, game or academic pursuit they will (eventually) become very successful. They are a hard working people and because of the vast pool of potential students in the country they will succeed at the highest level at some point.
I'm sure you've seen this. Words from Wang Yue himself...
thanks everyone. too spent to write. worked ten of last 11 days (required once each month, errrr). groan.
giving us the link is greatly appreciated. yes, i read this last night when it was published. i loved it! this guy Wang is a real hoot! a darling man.
he is the apotheosis of the creative if not idiosyncratic Asian male.
Dang. I knew there were a handful of Chinese GM's...but with slowly growing numbers, and I never knew there was such a strong one.
Maybe we need to start developing some Xiangqi GM's, and see how they feel about it. ;)
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