Chinese Xiangqi player Wang Linna was crowned in the women's individual event of the World Mind Sports Games, after upsetting Yu Xiaolan from the Netherlands in the final round here on Thursday.
Wang won the gold medal with an undefeated record but the margin over the silver medallist was rather close. Wang and her compatriot Zhao Guanfang both accumulated 13 points in the seven-round competition.
Wang finally secured the gold because of a better rivals' points, suggesting that Wang have encountered stronger rivals in the tournament.
"I am excited with this results. After all it is the World Mind Sports Games, and in some sense it is just like the Olympic Games for mind sports. So being the champion means much more for me," said the 28-year-old Wang after the match.
Being one of the best female Xiangqi players in China, Wang earned six victories during the competition, only to draw with her teammate Zhao. Talking about that match, Wang could not hide her regret.
"I did not play well in that match, leaving too many chances to the opponent. I think Zhao was too nervous to beat me at that time, or I could not have earned one point from that match," said Wang, who started to learn Xiangqi at the age of eight and won her first national title in 1997.
"I hope this gold medal could be a good start for Chinese female Xiangqi players. Hopefully, my teammates can win another gold for China in the women's team event," added Wang, coming from Heilongjiang Province in northeast China.
The silver medallist Zhao said: "Foreign female Xiangqi players have made great progress in recent years. Competitors from Vietnam, the Netherlands and Britain have posed huge pressure for us during the matches."
The bronze went to Vietnamese Ngo Lan Huong, who was such a "player with great progress". In 2007 Asian Indoor Games held in Macao, she even defeated Chinese player to claim title in the individual event.
The first World Mind Sports Games, which officially opened on last Friday night, attracted more than 3,000 players from 143 countries and regions. Bridge, Chess, Go, Draughts and Xiangqi are on the program. There are 35 gold medals on offer, including five in Xiangqi.
(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2008)