A pioneering deal between Brain and china is set to open Chinese chess (Xiangqi) to a truly global audience for the first time.

Britain's Brain Games Network has agreed with the China Chess Institute exclusive rights to co-host and broadcast the World Chinese Chess (Xiangqi) Championships for the next five years.

Under the agreement the world championships will be open to all players worldwide via the Brain Games Network website. This will create unprecedented opportunities for an estimated one billion enthusiasts to test their skills against the masters of the games.

Sir Jeremy Hanley, chairman of Brain Games Network, commented "Only because of the internet can Chinese chess players from anywhere in the world experience the excitement of participating in and watching live a truly global championship tournament."

The agreement establishes an annual World Xiangqi Challenge, in which 32 Xiangqi Grandmasters and masters will participate. The first tournament will start in February 2001 with play-offs open to everyone through the Brain Games Network website, and will culminate in July 2001 with the spectacular prospect of finals held in the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace or even on the Great Wall.

The winner will go to challenge the world's most advanced Chinese Chess supercomputer, in a Man Versus Machine contest reminiscent of Kasparov's classic chess battle with IBM's Deep Blue.

Not everyone will be keen to take on a Xiangqi Grandmaster, but the website - www.braingames.net - will have something for everyone. The Xiangqi pages will be accessible by early 2001 in Chinese, English and Spanish.

"Xiangqi has been an integral part of Chinese culture for thousands of years," said Secretary-General of the China Xiangqi Association, Hu Haibo. "We are very excited that using today's technology, it will reach an even wider audience of intellectual games enthusiasts."

(People's Daily 11/21/2000)