Thursday, April 14, 2011

Saving Chinese Chess

In China today there are fewer people playing Chinese chess and one of that country's best players doesn't like it. Hu Ronghua wants to fix the problem. To do that he started a reality TV show called, "Let's Play Chess Together". Apparently, the concept is not much different to "The Apprentice".

For ordinary people, Chinese chess may appear to be simple game of black versus red, but Hu explains that there’s much more than that going on, allowing it to compete with even today’s modern games.

“Chinese chess can cultivate one’s mentality," says Hu. “The small chessboard is filled with life’s ups and downs. Seemingly winnable chess might end up in total loss, while losing games might have chances to win back.”

Playing, says Hu, helps people develop skill and patience.

As an enthusiast of "western" chess this would be quite fascinating to watch. Imagine Kasparov in the role of Donald Trump looking for his apprentice. I think given the chance and the right amount of money, of course, the publicity-seeking Kasparov would probably jump at it!

Read more: Hu Ronghua (胡荣华): Chinese chess king looks for an apprentice.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Chinese chess is not as simple as people might think. The game is played by all ages in china, and can be as complex as Western chess. It is a shame that its losing traction in China, but I am hoping to see a revival too.

Anonymous said...

I prefer chinese chess with western pieces, my brain work very well with it.