From: Sam Sloan ISHIPRESS COM> Date: 23 oct 1999 Subject: Hu Long Hua, the "Bobby Fischer" of Chinese Chess Hu Long Hua is the "Bobby Fischer" of Chinese Chess. Hu won the All China Championship (equivalent of the world championship) for the first time when he was 15 years old. This was considered to be a fluke, but Hu proved it was not a fluke by then winning the All China Championship the next ten times in a row. During the Cultural Revolution, Chinese chess was not allowed. Hu Long Hua survived by becoming the manager of a swimming pool in Shanghai. Since Chinese chess competitions started being allowed again, Hu has not won any more championships, but he usually finishes near the top. Because the game of go is played in Japan and is a big money game there, the Chinese government decided to cash in on this by training Hu Long Hua to become a professional player in go. Hu became a professional strength player at go and a master strength player at Western chess, but is far below the World Championship level in both of those games. At the 1995 World Championship of Chinese chess in Singapore, Hu tried to demonstrate his abilities by simultaneously playing the best player in Singapore at Chinese chess, the best player in Singapore at go, and the best player in Singapore at Western chess. Hu won the Chinese chess game easily, but was demolished in the Western chess game, which was against International Master Terry Toh. The go game was close. Hu finished with more points on the board, but lost due to the 5 1/2 points of komi. Hu Long Hua is still by far the biggest name and most respected person in the field of Chinese chess. Here is the game of Western chess (which I wrote down myself, as the game was being played). [Event "Hu Simultaneous Exhibition, Singapore"] [Site "Singapore"] [Date "1995.??.??"] [White "Toh, Terry (SIN)"] [Black "Hu Long Hua (CHN)"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E56"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 d5 5. Bd3 O-O 6. Nf3 c5 7. O-O Nc6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. a3 Bg4 11. Be2 Qd7 12. b4 Bb6 13. Bb2 Rad8 14. b5 Ne7 15. Ne5 Bxe2 16. Nxd7 Bxd1 17. Nxf6+ gxf6 18. Rfxd1 d4 19. Na4 dxe3 20. Nxb6 exf2+ 21. Kxf2 axb6 22. Bxf6 Rxd1 23. Rxd1 Ng6 24. Rd7 h5 25. Rxb7 Ra8 26. Rxb6 Rxa3 27. Ra6 Rb3 28. b6 Nf4 29. Ra8+ Kh7 30. Bd8 Kg6 31. Rb8 Kf5 32. g3 Nd5 33. Bc7 Rb2+ 34. Kf3 Rb3+ 35. Ke2 Ke6 36. Rd8 Rb2+ 37. Kd3 Nxb6 38. Rd6+ Ke7 39. Rxb6 Rxh2 40. Be5 Rf2 41. Ke3 Rf1 42. Rh6 f6 43. Bf4 Rh1 44. Kf3 Ke6 45. Kg2 Ra1 46. Rxh5 Ra3 47. Kh3 Ra1 48. Kg4 Ra8 49. Rb5 Rg8+ 50. Kf3 Ra8 51. Rb6+ Kf5 52. g4+ 1-0 Here are links: Photo of Hu Long Hua with a Real Tiger http://www.ishipress.com/hutiger.htm Photo of Hu Long Hua with Sam Sloan http://www.ishipress.com/hu.htm World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer Interviewed over the Radio http://www.ishipress.com/bobby.htm Order "Chinese chess for Beginners" from Kiseido http://www.yk.rim.or.jp/~kiseido/m.htm Order "Chinese chess for Beginners" by Sam Sloan from Amazon Books http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0923891110/slavesofthomasje Chinese Chess Software http://www.yutopian.com/chinesechess The Basics of Chinese Chess by Sam Sloan http://www.yutopian.com/go/ccLes/ccLes.html Sam Sloan being awarded the title of "First Foreigner of Chinese Chess", in Beijing, China in 1988 http://www.ishipress.com/firstfor.htm Xie Si Ming, Chinese chess grandmaster, in Singapore http://www.ishipress.com/xie-si.htm Review of the book "Chinese Chess for Beginners" http://www.chessvariants.com/books.dir/chinreview.html Chinese Chess Home Page http://txa.ipoline.com/ Chinese Girls ready to play Chinese Chess in Beijing, China in 1988 http://www.ishipress.com/hotgirls.htm Chinese chess competition in Beijing in 1988 http://www.ishipress.com/cc-girls.htm Henry Fok awards prize to Xie Si Ming http://www.ishipress.com/henryfok.htm Xie Si Ming http://www.ishipress.com/si-ming.htm Xie Si Ming in Singapore http://www.ishipress.com/xie-si.htm Sam Sloan, Xie Si Ming, Shamema Sloan and Helen Marjorie Sloan on the Great Wall of China in 1988 http://www.ishipress.com/wall-4.htm Chinese chess quiz http://www.ishipress.com/sham-cch.htm Sam Sloan