On March 13, 2021, the first in the history of the Republic of Belarus students’ Chinese chess tournament was held in the Belarus State Economic University. About fifty students of Belarusian universities, colleges, secondary schools and Chinese chess clubs at the centers of additional education for children and youth took part in that competition. In fact, it was the largest Chinese chess competition in Belarus for young fans of the game, which brought together the strongest masters in their age categories. The age of the players is from 6 to 27 years old. Chinese students studying at BSEU also took part in the competition.
The purpose of the tournament was to attract the attention of a wide range of students to the values of the intangible cultural heritage of China, the development and promotion of Chinese chess in the Republic of Belarus, the creation of an interest in the Chinese language and culture among the younger generation through playing this game.
The event received a significant international response, in particular, information about it was published in the news of the largest government news agency of the PRC “Xinhua”, as well as on some major Chinese news portals.
The tournament was held due to the activities of the Confucius Classroom of the Republican Institute of Sinology Named after Confucius of Belarusian State University in the educational institution “Belarus State Economic University”. Since 2018 the Chinese Chess Club has been one of the leading activities of the Confucius Classroom.
The organizing partner of the event was the Belarusian Federation of Chinese Chess, which supplied the required number of game kits, and also formed the panel of judges of the tournament. Many participants in the competition, especially in the younger age categories, are students of clubs led by the federation coaches. There are six such Chinese chess centers in Minsk at the moment.
The winners of the tournament in the absolute category (participants aged 12 and above) were Ivan Martsev, a student of gymnasium No. 7 in Minsk, and Kharlamova Alina, a student of gymnasium No. 6 in Minsk.
Chinese chess is the most popular intellectual game in modern China, and due to the rapid development of Chinese economy and interest in China and its culture, Chinese chess confidently gaining a place in the cultural space of the Western world alongside with traditional chess. This game not only develops intelligence, but is also a good way to comprehend Chinese culture, promote intercultural contacts and broaden economic relations with Chinese partners. Don’t forget that there is a Chinese chess club at BSEU. If you are interested in playing this game you are welcome to visit our club every week on Saturdays from 4 pm to 5:20 pm in the Hall of electronic resources (No. 1) of the BSEU library (building No.1).
