Source: China Chess Association
On May 23, the opening ceremony of the "Shanghai Gulf Cup" 2024 National Chess Rookie Championship was held in Haiwan Town, Fengxian District, Shanghai. This important game, which is the highest level in China and is aimed at young chess players, kicked off in Haiwan Town. Sixteen young chess players fought against each other to compete for this rookie championship.
Zhou Ying, Deputy Secretary General of China Chess Association, Liu Shizhen, Director of Shanghai Chess and Card Sports Management Center, Wang Pin, Chief of Competition and Training Section of Shanghai Chess and Card Sports Management Center, Chen Wenhao, Director General of Fengxian District Sports Bureau, Feng Weibiaohe, a three-level researcher of Fengxian District Sports Bureau Gao Xiaofeng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Mayor of Haiwan Town, Fengxian District, Shanghai, Gao Jie, member of the Party Committee and vice mayor of Haiwan Town, Fengxian District, Shanghai, attended the opening ceremony. The chess players, the referee team, representatives of Haiwan Town's government agencies and public institutions, and the news media participated together.
In his speech, Gao Xiaofeng expressed his heartfelt thanks to all units at all levels for their support and trust, and extended a warm welcome to everyone. He introduced that the Gulf New Champions League had gone through eight years this year. In the past eight years, in addition to elaborately creating the new talent competition IP, Haiwan Town has also focused on the cultivation of young chess teams, the construction of chess training bases, the creation of chess cultural landmarks and the popularization of chess "into schools, troops, enterprises and communities".
The successful holding and popularity accumulation of boutique events have also made the Gulf's national image increasingly rich. In 2018, it was awarded the "Chinese chess town pilot unit", and in 2021, it was awarded the title of "National Elephant Town". The Gulf has achieved a game and a city between square chessboards.
Zhou Ying, on behalf of the Chess and Card Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and the China Chess Association, thanked the units at all levels for their support. He pointed out that China's chess has achieved excellent results in recent years, and has achieved good results in international competitions, which is inseparable from the cultivation of new talents. The Rookie Championship is a brand event designed to tap and cultivate China's excellent reserve force of chess under the age of 20, This event has constantly excavated and cultivated more excellent chess reserve talents for the country, and has become the growth cradle of new chess players.
Chess player representative Xiao Tong swears
Judge representative Xu Huahua swears
Chen Wenhao and Liu Shizhen play chess for the match
Feng Weibiao and Gao Xiaofeng play chess for the match
Since Haiwan Town was rated as "National Sports and Leisure Characteristic Town", sports and leisure have become the "golden signboard" and "beautiful card" of Haiwan. Since 2017, as the "hometown of Chinese chess", Haiwan Town has created a "new king" competition for outstanding chess players under the age of 20. With the accumulation of events year by year, it has delivered many new forces for Chinese chess selection.
This year, sixteen chess players participated in the cruel and fierce elimination competition, namely Xiao Tong, Huang Renjie, Kong Xiangrui, Song Yuxin, Zhang Di, Gu Xianghan, Jin Yueheng, Chen Kailin, Zhu Hengyi, Wu Yixing, Zuo Yifan, Chen Yuan, Jiang Haochen, Wang Chuqiao, Meng Yihan, Gong Sunle.
The biggest highlight of this year's event is that the original round robin competition has been changed to the knockout competition. The preliminaries of 16 to 8 and 8 to 4 will be held in Shanghai Wooden House Garden Resort. 16 giant posters of the players will be hung on the scene, and each player's poster will be illuminated by a lamp. When the victory or defeat comes, the winner will personally extinguish the light of the opponent, and the winners will continue to move forward with glory. Such a novel form will undoubtedly add more excitement and suspense to the competition! In the first two rounds of the competition from May 23 to 24, 12 players will be eliminated. The final four players will move to the Grand Lawn of Gulf National Forest Park with their shining posters, and continue to hold the semi-finals and finals at the National Elephant themed Carnival we specially launched this year.
From May 25 to 26, the National Elephant Theme Carnival will also have colorful artistic performances, various interactive games, National Elephant Classroom and other interesting activities. On Saturday, the super master of chess, Ni Hua, will have a wheel fight with the chess boys, a five on five football match and a chess themed interactive game. On Sunday, Xu Yi, the first Shanghai Gulf Cup rookie king and man's chess grandmaster, will also have a wheel fight with the chess boys.
