"Your chess is very good."

Lao Zhou rarely praises Yang Zheng, because in his eyes, although Yang Zheng's chess skills have improved rapidly, he always lacks a little "spirituality".

But today's Yang Zheng is not only a little more spiritual, but also very resilient.

He was surprised, because he really couldn't guess how Yang Zheng had made up for his shortcomings in just a few days.

But he was relieved after all.

Because, with Yang Zheng's current strength, it is enough to change something.

"Do you know what I'm here for today?"

It was the end of another game of chess, and after Lao Zhou finally confirmed the fact that Yang Zheng had transformed, he asked slowly.

"I don't know." After Yang Zheng answered honestly, he didn't speak, since he met Master Zhao Tianze, Yang Zheng has gradually developed a good habit, that is, no matter whether he wins or loses, he will review the game just now in his mind.

"You should know the most important tournament in chess, right?" Lao Zhou saw that Yang Zheng was reviewing the game just now, and he couldn't help but lower his voice.

"You're talking about the Chess League? Or the National Individual Chess Championship? Or the Asian Games? Yang Zheng raised his head, and there was suddenly a trace of doubt in his eyes, he didn't understand why Lao Zhou was talking about this.

Because he is just an ordinary amateur chess player, and only the best professional players can participate in these top tournaments.

Lao Zhou also seemed to see the confusion in his eyes, and he replied with a smile: "Although these events are the most professional top-level events in China, in my eyes, the most important event is the Muzi Cup National Amateur Chess Grand Prix." ”

"What?" Yang Zheng didn't react, not only did he not hear of this kind of event, but even the chess practitioners around him and the media did not mention it.

And the four words of the amateur competition, it doesn't sound challenging, Yang Zheng, who has been in the industry for almost a year, is very aware of the gap between the strength of professional and amateur chess players, even if there is indeed a saying that masters are among the people, but more than 95% of the top masters of chess are professional chess players.

"It is the Muzi Cup National Amateur Competition, in this amateur competition, its rules are not limited to age, nor is there any identity limit, even three or four-year-old children and eighty or ninety-year-old people can participate. Moreover, this competition is divided into regions, and only the top five in the region can participate in the final team competition. As for why its reputation is not obvious, it is only because the prize money for the championship before this tournament was only a few tens of thousands, and all of them were crowdfunded by private chess enthusiasts. ”

"Not only that, but it's also different from other chess tournaments in that it used to focus only on the content and results of the game, and never paid attention to publicity. However, this year's Muzi Cup Amateur Tournament is different from the past, and it will be jointly organized with the Chess Academy and the Chess Association. ”

"Co-organized?" Yang Zheng inexplicably thought of Wang Yifan and the other bigwigs in the Chess Association, he only felt that such a small folk competition should not be worth meddling in by these bigwigs.

After all, compared to an unfamous amateur tournament like the Muzi Cup, they should be co-organized with Tiantian Chess, which can currently bring more benefits to professional players.

Unless...

Lao Zhou also saw what Yang Zheng was thinking at this time, and he continued: "Because, this Muzi Cup is different from previous competitions, and the top ten in the region will be directly promoted to professional chess players. ”

After Yang Zheng listened to Lao Zhou's explanation, a nameless fire suddenly appeared in his heart.

"If it is so easy to become a professional chess player, is it fair to those who have struggled for more than ten years to become a professional chess player?"

Yang Zheng was angry from his heart, and refuted Lao Zhou impulsively.

He knew that this kind of event must have been approved by Lao Zhou.

If the gold content of professional chess players changes from high to low, is it worthy of those professional chess players who have been fighting for this goal for more than ten years?

He also remembered the "lost man" who missed the professional chess position in those games because of a game difference, and he slowly calmed down.

Unconsciously, Yang Zheng not only learned to be impulsive, but also learned to be calm after impulse.

This is what comes with age, and it is also called "maturity".

Lao Zhou didn't speak, and he also understood that this kind of event would definitely have a huge impact on the previous professional system.

If the king had not repented and lived, he would never have done so, and he would not have consented to it.

But the king's unrepentant departure made him understand a lot, and also let him learn to adapt to this era.

Lao Zhou learned to use mobile phones, learned to surf the Internet, learned to play chess online, and learned to look at the changes of the times from another perspective.

The lower threshold will naturally attract many people, especially young people and those parents who hope that their sons will become dragons and their daughters will become phoenixes. Lowering the bar may be unfair to the older generation of professional chess players, but it can also change the impending shortage of chess.

In fact, whether it is chess or other unpopular traditional culture, the reason why it cannot add points in the college entrance examination is that the audience rate is too low.

Although Xiangqi is the No. 1 chess game in China, in the eyes of many educators, its importance is not as good as Go, mainly because the audience rate is too low, and there are almost no areas covered except for Huaxia itself.

Therefore, this kind of risky reform is worth it in Lao Zhou's eyes.

Not only that, Lao Zhou also knows that the reason why the Xiangqi Association attaches so much importance to this year's professional chess player assessment is also to pave the way for reducing the requirements of professional chess players in the future.

He couldn't help but begin to admire the foresight of the current president of the Chess Association, and also understood Yang Zheng's thoughts.

Because when the news was first announced, almost half of the young chess players voted against, but fortunately in the end, they figured it out and gradually voted yes.

Almost all practitioners engaged in the chess profession really like Chinese chess, and it is precisely because they like and love that they are willing to sacrifice.

Although this era is destined to obsolescence of many things, and although people in this era also seem to be becoming more and more selfish.

But what is "selfish", why does it seem selfish, but there are a considerable number of people who are willing to sacrifice their own interests to make life better for more people.

"It's no wonder that there aren't many professional chess players playing chess on professional software." Yang Zheng also slowly accepted this seemingly unreasonable reform, he suddenly understood Pengfei's sudden change during this time, in the face of the impact of the reform and the reduction of the gold content of professional chess players, it is normal for people to accumulate fans and be ready to deal with the way out.

"You want me to go to the Muzi Cup, right?" Yang Zheng also reacted.

"Don't you want to be a professional chess player now?" Lao Zhou asked rhetorically.

"Are you willing to play chess all your life without doing anything? Although the life of an amateur chess player is also very exciting, I can guarantee that the world of professional chess players is even more exciting! ”

Lao Zhou laughed, he understood that Yang Zheng would most likely not refuse his invitation.

Because the appearance of this game also represents the rise of Chinese chess.

As long as you love chess players in your heart, you will never refuse a more exciting world of chess.

"I agree." Yang Zheng did not hesitate this time, he looked at the chess pieces on the chessboard, and he inexplicably had more expectations in his heart.

……

Master Zhao Tianze, although he was nearly sixty years old, he looked like a young man in his forties, he was thin, full of black hair, and his eyes were like eagles staring at the notice that had just arrived.

He had known about the reform of the Chess Association for a long time, but what he didn't expect was that this reform would make chess directly become an extra point in the college entrance examination.

A long time ago, with the exception of the top six in the national tournament with the option of extra points, chess was basically a casual game that was formulated by the educational body as a plaything.

This reform also reminded him of his unknown past except for media reports.

He is actually an extremely self-disciplined person, and his uninhibited appearance is just an illusion he brings to outsiders. He also rarely drinks alcohol, let alone before a crucial match, unless something extremely sad or happy happens.

He remembered that in the year that changed his life, his best friend chose to commit suicide because he lost to artificial intelligence, which is a sad ending.

It was also because of the death of his confidant that he would buy and lose the game after overindulgence.

However, it was an excuse, and it took him a long time to understand.

A true warrior will always turn grief and anger into strength, rather than using grief and anger as an excuse to vent his inner desires.

Today is also the day of the 20th anniversary of the death of an old friend.

He sat in front of the grave, sprinkled a few bottles of liquor on the grass, and he sat on the ground, telling interesting stories with his old friends.

He said he had met a funny kid who was very similar to him. It is also said that the current artificial intelligence is becoming more and more powerful, and the artificial intelligence in the future will only become more and more difficult to surpass, but he will continue to challenge.

He also said that he has also changed, and he is more and more fond of telling people those big and small truths that once made him feel ashamed, and he hopes that he can change something, but there is a high probability that he can't change anything.

He babbled on and on for an afternoon, and he was very miscellaneous and incoherent, but he was sure that both he and his old friend would be happy.

"By the way, your little apprentice has now become a chess master, and he is still called a chess nerd."

"This reform is also highly recommended by this nerd, and I don't know why a person who, like us old guys, can't be proficient in using smartphones, changes his brain so quickly."

"If you have knowledge, you will definitely scold and oppose the new policy as before."

"But we old guys can only change ourselves, and it's hard to change the whole world."

"The times are really loved and hated, because the times have created countless opportunities, but we can't keep up with the pace of the times in our lives. But in the chase, I suddenly understood, why do we have to catch up with the pace of the times? As long as we are down-to-earth and worthy of our hearts, it is enough. ”

"As for the future, there will always be someone who will take over from us and guard what we want to protect."

Although Zhao Tianze didn't drink, after he said these words, his face was red, as if these words were like a few pots of spirits, making him feel that there was still something to look forward to.

"Let's go, I'll come back to see you next year and go back to play chess!"