The highlight event of the Fourth Shanghai Cup Xiangqi Masters Open sees Wang Linna, the women's professional champion, triumph over Lyu Qin, the men's senior champion. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]
The Fourth Shanghai Cup Xiangqi Masters Open concluded on Sept 21 in Jiading district, Shanghai, after four days of intense competition. This year's event, marked by numerous firsts, highlighted its international significance with new competition formats and overseas qualifying events.
In the professional group, Lyu Qin won the men's senior championship, while Wang Linna secured the women's title. In the highlight event, the "Qinglan Duel", Wang triumphed over Lyu.
Since its inception, the Shanghai Cup has continuously evolved, promoting traditional Chinese culture globally. "We aim to make the Shanghai Cup a professional yet widely participatory event," said Liu Shizhen, president of the Shanghai Chess Academy.
This year's Shanghai Cup featured four qualifying events in the Yangtze River Delta region with over 500 participants. The event also attracted nearly 20 teams from the World Xiangqi Federation across Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania.
Notably, the Shanghai Cup hosted a Japan station match in collaboration with the Japan Xiangqi Association, drawing around 50 Chinese and Japanese Xiangqi enthusiasts.
"Over four years, the Shanghai Cup has attracted players from over 20 countries, sparked a worldwide Xiangqi craze, and fostered exchanges between traditional Chinese culture and diverse world cultures," Liu said. Looking ahead, the organizing committee plans to further expand the event's scale and enhance its international influence, contributing to Shanghai's development as a global sports city.