chess venue. Zi Shi Yuan Restaurant tel.84002215, located on No. 139 Drum Tower East Str. (Gulou Dong Dajie) or contact Illian at playerbacc@yahoo.com

Me playing the Bulgarian Emil - the best player in Beijing. Some say the best in China at John Bull.

Chad playing Emil.

Stephen, Emil, Chad, Randolf, Mark & Stephane at the Hidden Tree, old and gone San Li Tun South street.

We really are a friendly chessclub

stephane at Souk

Souk

Playing chess in Beijing.

I learned to play chess as a kid. My level was pretty high until I grew fonder of girls and drugs at age 12. I kind of picked up chess again in my late twenties, but never was able to rise from the level of mediocrity – or come close to my earlier level. It’s my personal aim to play gambits (give a pawn away in order to develop quicker) in every opening to avoid boring games. Since 1994 I’m also into playing Chinese chess. The game has different pieces and rules, but the goal is the same – checkmate the other king. Although in Chinese chess it’s called a general, whilst it’s actually an emperor. This happened to be like this during one of China’s many dynasties in which Chinese chess was forbidden, coz the emperor said there is only one emperor and that’s me! Everybody who plays chess is a rebel and should accordingly be decapitated – hence the renaming in general by his successor and the present day big population of China. More recently I’m trying to learn Go or WeiQi. This game has the easiest rules but the hardest strategies and techniques. It’s played on the crossings of a 19 by 19 board using only black and white stones not to be mistaken with candies. Somebody brought over Japanese chess one night which was very intresting either, don't know all the rules though.