Local player crowned at Shanghai Cup Chess Master Open
Local Chinese chess player Xie Jing beat Li Shaogeng in the final of the 3rd Shanghai Cup Chess Masters Open, which concluded in Pudong on Wednesday evening, after four days of competition.
Xie won the men's title in the professional group, while the women's title went to Sichuan Province player Liang Yanting, who overcame defending champion Chen Xinglin from Guangdong Province.
It was the first time a Shanghai player had been crowned at the tournament in the past three years.
The men's and women's finals of the professional group are underway.
"Local chess players showed comparatively ordinary form in the previous two editions," said champion Xie, who tied with his Henan opponent Li in regular session and secured his title in fast chess. "But we achieved a strong comeback this year to pay back the support of local fans.
Xie revealed that he, like most professional chess players, usually practices with the help of a computer and AI technology in his daily training.
"I noticed a group of promising young chess players in the tournament. They were accompanied by AI from a much younger age compared to our generation. Therefore, their playing style is also a bit different.
"AI plays an important role in the promotion of Chinese chess. For beginners, AI can help them pick up the sport very quickly," he said. "On the other side, the fun of playing chess still lies in the exchange of skills between two persons."
Professional group champions Xie and Liang pose with their trophies.
The final of this year's tournament was broadcast live on TV, while other games were broadcast live through online platforms.
"Chinese chess is an old sport, but modern transmission methods have been helping promote the sport to new generations, even foreigners," Xie said.
The tournament attracted 32 top Chinese chess players from around the country. There were also divisions for celebrities, youths, amateurs, as well as overseas players. The team sent by the Shanghai Board and Card Games Administrative Center won the youth team final.
