Recently, the Chinese chess world has been shaken by the "Recording Gate" incident. As investigations deepen, more violators have been exposed, especially three grandmasters - Zheng Weitong, Zhao XinXin, and Wang Yang. Their lifetime bans have sent shockwaves throughout the chess community. In particular, Zheng Weitong and Zhao XinXin, two chess players who achieved brilliant results on the international stage, have found themselves mired in the mud of their careers due to their involvement in the "buying and selling of chess games" scandal. Zheng Weitong, the 30-year-old world champion, was widely recognized for his superb chess skills and tenacity. He was not only a genius in the chess world but also excelled in many competitions, winning titles such as the Asian Championship and World Championship. However, shockingly, his career came to an abrupt end in the "Recording Gate" incident. Although Zheng Weitong initially denied engaging in the buying and selling of chess games, he eventually had to admit that he did participate in this scandal. The amount involved was not huge, but it was enough to destroy his entire career. His past glory faded instantly under the shadow of the "Recording Gate" incident. Zhao XinXin is another beloved chess player among fans. At just 36 years old, he won the title of China's fifth world chess king. Zhao XinXin's chess skills are universally acknowledged as top-notch, and he won the World Championship in 2018 and the Asian Championship in 2023, representing the "golden age" of Chinese chess. However, behind his success lies a heartbreaking story - long-term involvement in "selling…

China's Chess Army Wiped Out, Brazenly Carrying Cash for Direct Transactions, Coaches Leading Teams to Raise Funds for Buying and Selling In a sweeping crackdown, nearly the entire contingent of Chinese chess players has been penalized, with 41 individuals sanctioned for match-fixing through the buying and selling of games. Among them, the top three ranked players in the nation—Wang Tianyi, Zheng Weitong, and Zheng Xin—have all received lifetime bans. Eighteen out of the top 32 players in the country have been punished, which might lead to difficulties in future competitions against Vietnam. It was previously thought that the Chinese national football team was plagued by corruption, but it appears that the world of Chinese chess is even darker. On January 12th, the Chinese Chess Association announced the results of its investigation into the "recording incident," imposing lifetime bans and revoking technical titles from Zhao Xinxin, Wang Yang, and Zheng Weitong. They are now barred from participating in any chess events or activities organized or authorized by the Chinese Chess Association and its member units. Including the additional 38 individuals disciplined and the previously lifetime-banned Wang Tianyi and Wang Yuefei, a significant portion of China's male chess scene has been dismantled. Zhao Xinxin, Wang Yang, and Zheng Weitong were once the faces of Chinese chess. Representing China at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Zheng Weitong even clinched the historic 200th gold medal for the Chinese sports delegation. After his victory, I interviewed Zheng Weitong late into the night, finishing around 1 a.m. He mentioned that Chinese chess had few opportunities to be…

On January 12th, Beijing time, the official Chinese Xiangqi Association announced the results of the investigation into the Xiangqi Recording Scandal. A total of 41 players were severely punished for bribery, corruption, and buying/selling games. Among them, 37 were given bans of varying lengths, while 4 were publicly criticized. The most severe penalties were handed to Zhao XinXin, Wang Yang, and Zheng WeiTong, who, like Wang TianYi and Wang YueFei before them, received lifetime bans and had their technical titles revoked by the Chinese Xiangqi Association! Among the list of those punished was Party Fei, which came as a surprise to netizens. Party Fei had previously reported the recording scandal under his real name, submitting a complete 90-minute version of the "Recording Scandal" file to the relevant departments. He expressed his willingness to fully cooperate with investigations and demanded a thorough investigation into the Xiangqi Recording Scandal. Now that the official results have been announced, Party Fei is also on the list of those punished, ultimately receiving a three-year ban. The three-year ban on Party Fei has sparked heated discussion. After all, he had reported the scandal under his real name, demanding a thorough investigation, only to become one of those punished. Is this self-involvement or seeking punishment? Judging from Party Fei's statements at the time of his real-name report, it seems he genuinely wanted to change the corrupt practices in the xiangqi world. He said, "I want to report under my real name, exposing the many chaotic phenomena in the chess world related to the Xiangqi Recording Scandal. I…