A key factor in achieving success in chess is the ability to dominate the central squares on the board. In the latest in a series of match fixing and gambling scandals rocking Chinese sport, the elephant in the room is chess grandmaster and top-ranked player Wang Tiyani. His career hit checkmate when, alongside Wang Yuefei, another grandmaster, Tiyani received a lifetime ban from the Chinese Xiangqi Association. The fact that this sport is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, reflecting the rich traditions and history of China, has sparked a wave of outrage.
Following lifetime bans imposed recently upon 43 individuals for match-fixing and betting-related fraud by the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and lifetime bans for ten snooker players, including Liang Wenbo and Li Hang with allegations of manipulating games, approaching players to cheat, betting on snooker and fixing matches, Chinese Chess, or Xiangqi has become the latest sport to fall foul of corruption.
Xiangqi hails from China for over 2000 years. Its pieces include elephants, chariots, cannons, and soldiers. Stalemating the opponent is a victory. Attacking happens faster and Xiangqi is fluid and tactical, rewarding creative attacks from the go.
Previous chess scandals
This is not the first time that scandals have rocked the world of chess. The most famous controversy was Magnus Carlsen and Hans Neimann in 2022. This led to Carlson withdrawing from events, and in a particular game, resigning after one move. Toiletgate in 2006 saw Veselin Topalov’s team accusing opponent Vladimir Kramnik of cheating by making too many frequent bathroom visits.
Now, though, the more sinister world of betting syndicates has infiltrated sport in China, which is vulnerable to these influences because of its strict gambling laws. A report in July 2024 from cloud network security company Infoblox suggested that the reach of the organised illegal gambling crime groups in China are worldwide, not just domestic.
An article by Richard Spencer, China Correspondent for The Times newspaper suggests in his article ‘Chinese chess rocked by match-fixing’ any sports played for money in China are vulnerable to the betting syndicates’ powerful influence.
It’s not only players who are susceptible to bribes. Senior figures have also fallen foul of the law. Chen Xuyuan, the former president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), had a life imprisonment ban handed to him. He pleaded guilty to taking bribes worth 81 million yuan ($11.2m; ￡8.9m).
China’s strict gambling regulations
In a country inhabited by 1.4 billion people, China has a strict criminal code where citizens of the PRC (People’s Republic of China) will face punishment even if they gamble overseas.
In the wake of the global pandemic in 2020-2021, Chinese authorities uncovered that a staggering $151 billion (€135 billion or ￡126 billion) was spent on illegal betting activities. Although the Chinese authorities allow gambling in Hong Kong and Macau, this is difficult for the average citizen.
The only ways to gamble legally are the China Welfare Lottery and the China Sports Lottery. The Chinese Ministry of Finance released figures that in the first half of 2024, China’s lottery sales reached RMB 308.48 billion (€39.29 billion). As with mainstream Europe’s gambling sectors, UEFA Euro 2024 significantly boosted spending on the lottery. By the end of July 2024, the figures represented a 12.5% year on year increase.
In his article, Spencer suggests Wang Tianyi’s fall from grace is akin to him being a ‘Pelé’ of the sport. Despite him winning millions of yuan in legitimate prize money over a 15-year period as a leading competitor, his match fixing accusations alongside Wang Yuefei amount for only 800,000 yuan.
Rumours throughout his career that Wang Tianyi used cheating software in matches consistently circulated. His difficulties are far from being resolved since not only has his national career ended, but he also remains at risk of criminal charges. Additionally, the World Xiangqi Federation (WXF) may seek to enforce a global ban against him.
The current World Chess Champion is Ding Liren, a Chinese grandmaster. In the World Chess Championship 2023, Ding faced off against Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia. Ding clinched victory to become the first Chinese player to hold the title of World Chess Champion and is also the highest-rated Chinese chess player in history.
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