Liu Xiaoguang, the youngest player in the field at 40, won China's first major tournament for veterans, the Nanfang Securities Cup on 18 December 2000. He beat Wu Songsheng 9-dan 2-0.
This new cup is open to players of 40 and over, and is designed to provide some security for the older players, now that making a living from go is somewhat more precarious than it was just a few years ago, before the capitalist bug really bit. It is perhaps fitting, therefore, that the sponsoring firm is China's second largest securities underwriting company. The tournament is also being seen as a thank-you to these older players who (in the Chinese view) fought in the front lines against the Japanese 9-dans in the 1970s and 1980s.
The main event, a 32-player knockout, began at the Zhongguo Qiyuan in Beijing on 18 November, and Rounds 1-3 were played there over three days. The scene then shifted for the semi-finals and final to Shenzhen City, at the headquarters of Nanfang Securities, in Guangdong Province from 16 December onwards.
An oft quoted maxim in China today, and one we have quoted here before, is: "You think you're brave until you go to Manchuria; you think you are well read until you reach Beijing; and you think you are rich until you set foot in Shenzhen". Liu is certainly much richer after his trip there anyway - his first prize was 128,000 yuan. Whether he'll want to stay there is another matter. It is a kit city built on the back of becoming a special economic zone in 1980 and has a reputation of being like Hong Kong without the culture. Nevertheless, it is trying hard in that area, too, and has hosted several major go events.
Liu began his working career as a middle-school teacher specialising in go and table tennis but first game to prominence in 1979 when he won the World Amateur Championship. His two earliest teachers, Huang Jinxian and Chen Ximing, appeared in this very tournament, though neither made it past the first round.
Liu turned pro in 1982, along with a huge swathe of other Chinese who were so rewarded for winning their spurs against the Japanese. He made 9-dan in 1988. He has featured heavily in title matches and his career at the top is far from over. In December 1999 he captured the world record for simultaneous games: 139.
Here are the two games by which Liu won the final. A statistician once claimed that 80% of Liu's games featured killing groups or making large captures.
Here are the full results leading up to the final:
ROUND 1(18 November, Beijing)
Chen Zude 9d 1-0 Che Zewu 7d
Luo Jianwen 7d 1-0 Luo Jianyuan 5d (yes, they are brothers!)
Wang Qun 8d 1-0 Wang Yehui 6d
Li Xing 6d 1-0 Wu Yulin 6d
Wu Songsheng 9d 1-0 Qiu Xin
Tan Yanwu 7d 1-0 Huang Miaoling 3d
Cheng Xiaoliu 6d 1-0 Shao Zhenzhong 9d
Zhu Baoxun 4d 1-0 Wei Xin
Hua Yigang 8d 1-0 Yan An 7d
Chen Anqi 6d 1-0 Jiang Guozhen
Nie Weiping 9d 1-0 Chen Ximing
Chen Zhaofeng 5d 1-0 Huang Jinxian 6d
Liu Xiaoguang 9d 1-0 Chen Huifang 5d
Huang Dexun 7d 1-0 Xu Rongxin 7d
Ruan Yunsheng 7d 1-0 Wang Yuan 8d
Chen Zhigang 6d 1-0 Lu Jun 6d
ROUND 2(19 November, Beijing)
Chen Zude 1-0 Luo Jianwen
Wang Qun 1-0 Li Xing
Wu Songsheng 1-0 Tan Yanwu
Cheng Xiaoliu 1-0 Zhu Baoxun
Hua Yigang 1-0 Chen Anqi
Nie Weiping 1-0 Chen Zhaofeng
Liu Xiaoguang 1-0 Huang Dexun
Ruan Yunsheng 1-0 Chen Zhigang
QUARTER-FINALS(20 November, Beijing)
Chen Zude 1-0 Wang Qun
Wu Songsheng 1-0 Cheng Xiaoliu
Hua Yigang 1-0 Nie Weiping
Liu Xiaoguang 1-0 Ruan Yunsheng
SEMI-FINALS(16 December, Shenzhen)
Wu Songsheng 1-0 Chen Zude
Liu Xiaoguang 1-0 HuaYigang
HOW DOES THE NANFANG SECURITIES CUP WORK?
The sponsors are Nanfang Securities (Nanfang Zhengquan) Co. Ltd., China's second largest securities firm in terms of primary underwriting value, and the Chinese Weiqi Association. Nanfang Securities is based in Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province.
The event is open to veterans of the Chinese Weiqi Association, defined as players of age 40 and above. The final stage is a 32-player knockout culminating in a best-of-three final. The winner gets 128,000 yuan.
Komi is 2.75 points (Chinese rules) and time limits are one hour each with one minute byoyomi.
