China tops table in battle of thinkers

By Wang Ru (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-18 09:12

The 1st World Mind Sports Games ends on Saturday at the Beijing International Convention Center after 15 days of competition between some of the world's best brains.

More than 3,000 people from 143 countries and regions took part in the inaugural battle of the minds, which included the games of chess, Go, draughts, xiangqi (Chinese chess) and bridge.

On Oct 4, Russian chess champion Alexandra Kosteniuk took the first gold medal of the Games with victory in the Individual Blitz chess event for women.

Wong Hok-him (left) from Hong Kong and Nguyen Thanh Bao from Vietnam compete in a game of Chinese chess at the World Mind Sports Games. [China Daily]

Two days later, chess player Wang Yang took the first gold medal for China in the Rapid Men event.

China topped the final medals table with 12 golds from 35, while Russia came in second with four.

Chinese players won all five golds up for grabs in Chinese chess, while China and the Republic of Korea dominated in Go.

Russia, China and the Ukraine shared the honors in standard chess, while the Europeans dominated in draughts.

China's women bridge team defeated the Untied States in the semi-final, but lost to England in Friday's final.

But it was not all about winning at the inaugural event.

The Games' theme of "Civilization varied, wisdom unbounded" was very much evident in the game of Go featuring the event's youngest participant - an 8-year-old girl called Cen Leshi from Hong Kong - and a middle-aged man from Portugal.

Similarly, Andreas Klein, a Chinese chess player from Germany said he was delighted to take part in the event because he had a huge passion for China.

He said he was taught to play the game three years ago by a Chinese exchange student, but never thought he would one day represent his country in a global event in China.

"I know ma hou pao (cannon shot behind horse, an aggressive move in Chinese chess) also means 'hindsight' in Chinese," Klein said with a proud smile.

He said he runs a Chinese chess website through which lovers of xiangqi from around the world can meet and share their ideas.

"Although people in Europe are not familiar with Chinese chess, for mind game lovers interested in Chinese culture it is the perfect choice."

Jose Damiani, president of International Mind Sports Association said: "When the first Olympic Games was held in Athens in 1896, nobody could have imagined it would develop into what it is today, so the mind Games has a great future."