激情的追踪

世界智力大师公司主席詹姆士霍奇爵士为棋书写前言(中译) :

中国一向都很迷人. 天朝王国长期吸引了来自西方的注意. 从马可波罗的旅行（如果他到达中国）到现代的中华人民共和国的成就，人们学习和沿用着中国无数的成果 ：火药，印刷，丝的制作，大规模水库的建造, 等等等等.

可是, 西方更少知道的, 是中国对古游戏象棋的贡献. 中国象棋，或者称 '大象游戏' 被演释了超过1,000 年. 今天在中国, 有二亿多认真下棋的人，偶然玩玩的更多. 在东亚别的地方也很流行，尤其在海外中国人社区.

象 棋逐渐地在西方有更多的吸引力了，很多西方人通过本地中国人社区给介绍学象棋的. 可是，直到最近，棋人总是不容易找到对手. 现在一切改变了, 利用在线互联网络的成长, 彼此联系变得更容易. 有史以来第一次, 任何地方的任何人，都能够进入世界象棋大师在线比赛, 得到评级，名称和奖金, 有机会为在最后16名候选人中, 赢得胜利，每年12月在北京在现场决赛, 争夺铜，银或金牌和世界象棋大师称号.

各级水平的棋手需要和 欢迎指导. 中国人方面写的棋书当然很多. 但是迄今英语出版的很少. 这本书，是有关世界智力大师世界锦标赛的第一个步骤，寻求缩少差距. C.K.Lai 在棋坛上有名望. Raymond Keene是著名的国际象棋棋手, 广泛写书和写棋评. 他们一起出版这本书, 想要学习和玩棋的人，想改进这个迷人的智力游戏的人, 都将深被吸引. 我称许和介绍这本书, 这迷人的象棋, 很可能成为一种终生激情的优秀的追踪.

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Thanks to World Mind Masters Chairman Sir James Hodge, who wrote the Foreword :

China fascinates. The 'Middle Kingdom' has long attracted attention from the West. From the travels of Marco Polo (if he got to China) to the achievements of the modern-day People's Republic of China, folk have studied and followed China's achievements in a myriad fields: gunpowder, printing, silk-making, the construction of massive dams -- the list could go on.

Less known in the West, though, is China's contribution to the ancient game of Chess. The Chinese variant Xiangqi, or 'The Elephant Game' has been played, in some form, for well over 1000 years. Today there are more than 200 million serious players in China alone, and more who play occasionally for enjoyment. The game is also very popular elsewhere in East Asia, particularly among overseas Chinese communities.

Xiangqi is gradually attracting adherents in the West, many introduced to the game through local Chinese communities. However, until relatively recently, enthusiasts have not always found it easy to locate opponents. That is changing with the growth of the Internet which has made it easier for players to contact one another and to play on line. Now everything has changed. For the first time ever anyone, anywhere, can enter the WORLD XIANGQI MASTERS online at World Mind Masters, for ratings, titles and prizes, and have the chance to win a place in the final 16 candidates tournament and finals held live in Beijing in December every year, and to win the Bronze, Silver or Gold medals and the WORLD XIANGQI MASTERS Title.

Players at all levels need and welcome advice and guidance. Much has been written about Xiangqi in Chinese, of course. But to date little has been published in English. This book, the first in a projected series produced in connection with all the World Mind Masters World Championships, seeks to fill that gap. C. K. Lai is a renowned authority on Xiangqi. Raymond Keene is a well-known Chess player who writes and commentates widely about the game. Together they have produced a book that will appeal both to those who want to improve their Xiangqi skills and to those who would like to learn, and play, this fascinating game of the mind. I commend it as an excellent guide to a pursuit which may become a life-long passion.