Zhang Pengxiang
Encyclopedia
Zhang Pengxiang is a Chinese
chess
Grandmaster, and was the 2007 Asian Chess Champion
. In 2001, he became China's 12th Grandmaster. He has stated his desire to teach and give training to youngsters in China via an online classroom network. He lives in Beijing
.
He became a FIDE Master in 1996, and an International Master in 1998. He was National Junior Champion in 1999.
In 2001, he finally became a Grandmaster, and in 2002, won the National Chess Championship
. Zhang's peak rating was 2657 in April 2007 when he was ranked 47th in the world.
He was the runner-up at the 1998 Chinese national men's chess championships
. He has been a Grandmaster (GM) since August 2001, when he achieved his last norm
at the Asian Continental Championships
- won by Xu Jun
- in Kolkata
where he came fourth with 7.5/11.
Earlier that month, he won the Zhong Hong Real Estate Cup in Beijing
with 8/11.
In November 2001, he upset former world champion Anatoly Karpov
(who had an ELO rating 162 points higher) in the first round at the FIDE World Chess Championship
s in Moscow
. Zhang, ranked 113th in the world at the time, held Karpov to two draws in regular matches and forced him into the two tie-breaks. In the first rapid play tie-breaker Zhang won the first game (Queen's Gambit Declined Slav) where he mounted a stiff opposition as black that eventually Karpov ran out of time in a roughly equal position. In the second tie-breaker (reverse colors), Karpov resigned as Black in 45 moves in a Giuoco Piano
. Zhang won 3-1 overall.
After that encounter with Karpov, Zhang said he had prepared for two months before the game in case he met him. "I wanted to draw the first two games and to play the tie-breaks. My idea was to avoid the exchange of pieces to preserve my chances and to maintain tension in the game," Zhang said. "I took the upper hand in the second tie-breaker. He used up his time and had to give up." These tactics proved to be a brilliant success against the 48-year-old Karpov, who had already conceded victory to Zhang four years before at an exhibition game in China. Zhang also said "He is my idol," and "I told myself during the game not to play softly just because of my admiration for him." Zhang has said he had been an admirer of the Russian grandmaster since he was five years old. "It is still fresh in my memory that I read a chess book of Karpov by chance in 1985 which I liked very much," the 21-year-old said. "It lifted me to a higher level." "I was happy that I took on him in the first round." Zhang moved on to the next round to play Evgeny Pigusov of Russia but got whitewashed 2-0.
In February 2002, Zhang came joint second with 6/8 (joint fourth on tie-break) at the 2nd Trignac
International Tournament in France. In March 2002 he won the 9th 'Anilbal' International Open in Linares with 8/10. Also later in March 2002, he came second at the 25th Ciudad de San Sebastian with 5.5/8 after the winner Yu Shaoteng
. In September 2002 he also became the Chinese national champion
for the first time in Qinghuangdao.
In May 2004, Zhang came second at the China Men's Team Championship with 8/10. In August–September 2004, he came second at the 6th Sants Hostafrancs A with 8.5/10 in Barcelona
. In September 2004 he won the 14th Gros Xake Taldea International Open in San Sebastian
, and in October 2004, won the Essent Open in Hoogeveen
with 7/9. In December 2004, he came fourth with 6.0/9 at the Singapore
Masters.
In February 2005, Zhang won the Festival International des Jeux in Cannes
with an almost perfect score of 8.5/9. In March 2005, he won the International Chess Festival in Bad Wörishofen
with a score of 7.5/9. In May 2005, he came fourth at the Dubai Open, which was won by Wang Hao
. In October 2005, he came joint second (third on tie-break) with 5/10 (2684 TPR +71) at the 2nd Samba Cup in Skanderborg
.
In November 2006 Zhang won the 1st President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup in Manila
by finishing in clear first with 7.5 points, and in December 2006, he won the Singapore Masters.
In September 2007 he won the Asian Individual Championship
ahead of second place fellow compatriot Wang Hao
in Manila. He scored 8/11 with an Elo rating performance of 2713.
In April 2008, he came a clear second at the 2nd Ruy López International Chess Festival in Mérida
with a score of 5/7 and performance rating of 2772.
s in 2002 and 2006 (overall: +5, =1, -4).
In 2003, he won the individual gold medal at the 13th Asian Team Chess Championship in Jodhpur
. He was also part of the 1999 team at the 12th Asian Team Chess Championship in Shenyang
.
He also competed at the 2005 World Team Chess Championship
in Beersheba
.
chess club
in the China Chess League
(CCL).
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
Grandmaster, and was the 2007 Asian Chess Champion
Asian Chess Championship
The 2007 championship was a FIDE Zone 3 qualification event for the 2007 Chess World Cup, the next stage in the 2009 World Chess Championship. Ten players were qualified for the 2007 World Cup: Zhang Pengxiang , Wang Hao , Abhijit Kunte , Zhao Jun , Susanto Megaranto , Wen Yang , Darwin Laylo ,...
. In 2001, he became China's 12th Grandmaster. He has stated his desire to teach and give training to youngsters in China via an online classroom network. He lives in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
.
Career
Zhang learned to play chess when he was 5 years old, and at the age of six he started to play in chess competitions at school. He became National Youth Champion in 1992 and 1993.He became a FIDE Master in 1996, and an International Master in 1998. He was National Junior Champion in 1999.
In 2001, he finally became a Grandmaster, and in 2002, won the National Chess Championship
Chinese Chess Championship
The Chinese Chess Championship is the annual individual national chess championship of China.-Winners:-Women's Crosstables:Average Elo: 2382 Cat: 6m = 6.60Average Elo: 2372 Cat: 5m = 7.04Average Elo: 2346 Cat: 4...
. Zhang's peak rating was 2657 in April 2007 when he was ranked 47th in the world.
He was the runner-up at the 1998 Chinese national men's chess championships
Chinese Chess Championship
The Chinese Chess Championship is the annual individual national chess championship of China.-Winners:-Women's Crosstables:Average Elo: 2382 Cat: 6m = 6.60Average Elo: 2372 Cat: 5m = 7.04Average Elo: 2346 Cat: 4...
. He has been a Grandmaster (GM) since August 2001, when he achieved his last norm
Grandmaster norm
A norm in chess is one of the requirements to receive a title such as Grandmaster from FIDE.- Grandmaster norm :In order to qualify for the title of Grandmaster of chess, a title awarded by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, a player must achieve three or more grandmaster norms in events covering a...
at the Asian Continental Championships
Asian Chess Championship
The 2007 championship was a FIDE Zone 3 qualification event for the 2007 Chess World Cup, the next stage in the 2009 World Chess Championship. Ten players were qualified for the 2007 World Cup: Zhang Pengxiang , Wang Hao , Abhijit Kunte , Zhao Jun , Susanto Megaranto , Wen Yang , Darwin Laylo ,...
- won by Xu Jun
Xu Jun
Xu Jun is a Chinese chess Grandmaster. In 1994, he became China's fourth Grandmaster.He was champion of China in 1983 and 1985. He has been a member of the Chinese Olympiad Team, a five times winner of the Asia Team Championship 1983–2003, the 1987 3.3 Zonal Champion, the 1998 Champion of...
- in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
where he came fourth with 7.5/11.
Earlier that month, he won the Zhong Hong Real Estate Cup in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
with 8/11.
In November 2001, he upset former world champion Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
(who had an ELO rating 162 points higher) in the first round at the FIDE World Chess Championship
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
s in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Zhang, ranked 113th in the world at the time, held Karpov to two draws in regular matches and forced him into the two tie-breaks. In the first rapid play tie-breaker Zhang won the first game (Queen's Gambit Declined Slav) where he mounted a stiff opposition as black that eventually Karpov ran out of time in a roughly equal position. In the second tie-breaker (reverse colors), Karpov resigned as Black in 45 moves in a Giuoco Piano
Giuoco Piano
The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
. Zhang won 3-1 overall.
After that encounter with Karpov, Zhang said he had prepared for two months before the game in case he met him. "I wanted to draw the first two games and to play the tie-breaks. My idea was to avoid the exchange of pieces to preserve my chances and to maintain tension in the game," Zhang said. "I took the upper hand in the second tie-breaker. He used up his time and had to give up." These tactics proved to be a brilliant success against the 48-year-old Karpov, who had already conceded victory to Zhang four years before at an exhibition game in China. Zhang also said "He is my idol," and "I told myself during the game not to play softly just because of my admiration for him." Zhang has said he had been an admirer of the Russian grandmaster since he was five years old. "It is still fresh in my memory that I read a chess book of Karpov by chance in 1985 which I liked very much," the 21-year-old said. "It lifted me to a higher level." "I was happy that I took on him in the first round." Zhang moved on to the next round to play Evgeny Pigusov of Russia but got whitewashed 2-0.
In February 2002, Zhang came joint second with 6/8 (joint fourth on tie-break) at the 2nd Trignac
Trignac
Trignac is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Loire-Atlantique department*Parc naturel régional de Brière...
International Tournament in France. In March 2002 he won the 9th 'Anilbal' International Open in Linares with 8/10. Also later in March 2002, he came second at the 25th Ciudad de San Sebastian with 5.5/8 after the winner Yu Shaoteng
Yu Shaoteng
Yu Shaoteng is a Chinese chess Grandmaster, and is the personal trainer of chess prodigy Hou Yifan. He took part in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2002, but was knocked out in the first round by Zhang Zhong. In 2004, he became China's 17th Grandmaster at the age of 25.-Grandmaster title:He...
. In September 2002 he also became the Chinese national champion
Chinese Chess Championship
The Chinese Chess Championship is the annual individual national chess championship of China.-Winners:-Women's Crosstables:Average Elo: 2382 Cat: 6m = 6.60Average Elo: 2372 Cat: 5m = 7.04Average Elo: 2346 Cat: 4...
for the first time in Qinghuangdao.
In May 2004, Zhang came second at the China Men's Team Championship with 8/10. In August–September 2004, he came second at the 6th Sants Hostafrancs A with 8.5/10 in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. In September 2004 he won the 14th Gros Xake Taldea International Open in San Sebastian
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, and in October 2004, won the Essent Open in Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town...
with 7/9. In December 2004, he came fourth with 6.0/9 at the Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
Masters.
In February 2005, Zhang won the Festival International des Jeux in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
with an almost perfect score of 8.5/9. In March 2005, he won the International Chess Festival in Bad Wörishofen
Bad Wörishofen
Bad Wörishofen is a spa town in the district Unterallgäu, Bavaria Germany known for the water-cure developed by Sebastian Kneipp , a Catholic priest, who lived there for 42 years...
with a score of 7.5/9. In May 2005, he came fourth at the Dubai Open, which was won by Wang Hao
Wang Hao (chess player)
Wang Hao is a Chinese chess Grandmaster. In November 2009, Wang Hao became the fourth ever Chinese player to cross the 2700 Elo rating mark. He is the reigning Chinese Chess Champion, with a ranking of No. 1 in China, No. 2 in Asia behind Viswanathan Anand and No. 19 in the world...
. In October 2005, he came joint second (third on tie-break) with 5/10 (2684 TPR +71) at the 2nd Samba Cup in Skanderborg
Skanderborg
Skanderborg, with a population of 18,253 , is a town in Denmark just southwest of Aarhus. It is more or less a suburb today, located in Skanderborg municipality, Jutland.Skanderborg municipality has a population of 57,303 ....
.
In November 2006 Zhang won the 1st President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cup in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
by finishing in clear first with 7.5 points, and in December 2006, he won the Singapore Masters.
In September 2007 he won the Asian Individual Championship
Asian Chess Championship
The 2007 championship was a FIDE Zone 3 qualification event for the 2007 Chess World Cup, the next stage in the 2009 World Chess Championship. Ten players were qualified for the 2007 World Cup: Zhang Pengxiang , Wang Hao , Abhijit Kunte , Zhao Jun , Susanto Megaranto , Wen Yang , Darwin Laylo ,...
ahead of second place fellow compatriot Wang Hao
Wang Hao (chess player)
Wang Hao is a Chinese chess Grandmaster. In November 2009, Wang Hao became the fourth ever Chinese player to cross the 2700 Elo rating mark. He is the reigning Chinese Chess Champion, with a ranking of No. 1 in China, No. 2 in Asia behind Viswanathan Anand and No. 19 in the world...
in Manila. He scored 8/11 with an Elo rating performance of 2713.
In April 2008, he came a clear second at the 2nd Ruy López International Chess Festival in Mérida
Merida
Places of the world named Mérida or Merida include:*Mérida, Spain, capital city of the Spanish Community of Extremadura*Mérida, Yucatán, capital city of the Mexican state of Yucatán*Merida, Leyte, a municipality in Leyte province in the Philippines...
with a score of 5/7 and performance rating of 2772.
National team
Since 1997, Zhang has been a member of the China national chess team. He has competed at two Chess OlympiadChess Olympiad
The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
s in 2002 and 2006 (overall: +5, =1, -4).
In 2003, he won the individual gold medal at the 13th Asian Team Chess Championship in Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
. He was also part of the 1999 team at the 12th Asian Team Chess Championship in Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
.
He also competed at the 2005 World Team Chess Championship
World Team Chess Championship
The World Team Chess Championship is an international team chess event, eligible for the participation of 10 countries whose chess federations dominate their continent.-Men's team medals:-Women's team medals:-References:*...
in Beersheba
Beersheba
Beersheba is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. Often referred to as the "Capital of the Negev", it is the seventh-largest city in Israel with a population of 194,300....
.
China Chess League
Zhang Pengxiang plays for HebeiHebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
chess club
Chess club
A chess club is a club formed for the purpose of playing the board game of chess. Chess clubs provide for both informal games and timed games, often as part of an internal competition or in a league.-Organisation:...
in the China Chess League
China Chess League
The China Chess League is a Chinese professional league for chess clubs. The league is organized by the Chinese Chess Association. It is sponsored by Youngor Group and was sponsored by the Shandong and it has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. Seasons usually run from April...
(CCL).