The challenge of BGN in year 2001

The challenge of BGN in 2001, a year of nostalgia.

In the book 'BGN World Xiangqi Challenge' published by the Chinese Xiangqi Association, in the very first page there is a Preface which is of historical significance, since the Sponsors of the tournament, Brain Games Network is unfortunately not in the scene of Xiangqi anymore. Ask any player in China if he or she has ever heard of the name BGN, the answer will most of the time be 'yes' !

[Preface]
Thanks to the joint efforts of the Chinese Xiangqi Association and the Brain Games Network, plc (BGN), the first BGN World Xiangqi Challenge, which was staged from April 18th to July 21st, 2001 and lasted for more than three months, is now successfully concluded.

Since the time when we came into contact with the BGN at the end of the year 2000, until the days of pleasant co-operation in 2001, the BGN has left a deep and good impression on all of us. We are convinced that in the next four years, the co-operation between the Chinese Xiangqi Association and the BGN will be surely even better and more successful.

The significance of the first BGN World Xiangqi Challenge has exceeded the limits of the Xiangqi competition. Xiangqi is a sport of Chinese civilization of long standing. The participation of the BGN has opened up a new field for the development and popularization of Xiangqi in the world. It marks the beginning of investment of the foreign capital into the Xiangqi market and integration of Xiangqi competitions with the modern scientific technology of Internet. The BGN World Xiangqi Challenge has added an impressive chapter to the history of Chinese Xiangqi.

In this book, we have gathered the competition data of the first BGN World Xiangqi Challenge, commentaries of the games, studies on the new openings, introductions of the players, and photos taken at the exciting moment of the games, and of those people who have contributed to the successful organization of the tournament.

Let us recall every brilliant moment of the tournament and look forward to seeing a new beginning of Xiangqi play in the new millennium.