BEIJING, March 15 -- Just a few hours after sealing her last round win for China at the 2019 World Team Championship in Astana, Chinese International chessmaster Shen Yang arrived in Beijing with the championship trophy in hand, along with her teammates on Friday morning.
"We used exactly the same strategy like we did at last year's Chess Olympiad, inspired by a Chinese ancient war strategy called 'Tianji's horse racing,'" Shen Yang said. "But not all the teams fit that strategy."
The Chinese women's team did not stick to a fixed board arrangement throughout the tournament like many other teams. Instead, China's strategy was to let Lei Tingjie, an expert in playing white, play many games with white pieces, which has proved successful in China's nine straight wins in the championship.
To make that happen, grandmaster Shen Yang had to sit out in a few rounds so that the entire team had a greater chance to win on aggregate. Shen returned as the only Chinese women's player without an individual medal, but she pointed out that the team spirit was an important factor behind China's triumph.
"Our teammates are very close to each other. We trust each other and we are all willing to sacrifice for the team victory. That's the secret," she added.
It's Shen Yang's fifth appearance at the World Team Chess Championship. She won the championship in her debut along with Chinese chess icon Hou Yifan in 2007. Winning as a mom this time made it even more special.
"Many women left the sport after they got married and gave birth to their babies. My teammate Huang Qian and I want something different. We want a balanced life between chess and family and we are happy we made it," Shen said.
Tian Hongwei, secretary general of Chinese Chess Association, spoke highly of Shen and her teammates.
"They fought as one. They are so united that they look like one person out there. Shen Yang and Huang Qian showed young girls who play chess that they can have a long and fruitful career," Tian said.