Sunwu Chess

Sunwu Chess

　　Sunwu Chess

　　Sunwu County may be remotely located, but it produces a product that is world-renowned—the “Shuangxi Brand” wooden chess set, which has been praised as the best of domestic products. The chess sets from Sunwu are considered a shining pearl in the treasure house of Eastern culture, a true work of harmony between man and nature. In the 1950s, a famous chess player came from Sunwu—his name was Wang Jialiang. He won second place in the first, second, and fourth National Chess Championships in 1956, 1959, and 1965 respectively. In 1982, he was awarded the title of Chinese Chess Master, and in 1984, he received the title of Grandmaster of Chinese Chess. Wang Jialiang thus became the pride of the people of Sunwu.

　　Owing to Sunwu’s long winters and short summers, as well as its cool springs and autumns, the forests of the Lesser Khingan Mountains grow a type of maple-birch tree well-suited to the local climate. Those with black bark are called black birch, while those with white bark are called white birch. White birch has a clean, milky color, fine grain, and hard wood. Chess pieces made from white birch are firm in texture, exquisitely smooth, as white as jade, with even thickness, elegant and refined, offering a comfortable feel in hand, along with a beautiful and delicate design. These unvarnished raw wood chess sets gradually develop an antique ivory-like hue with prolonged use, and they produce a crisp, pleasant sound when pieces collide. According to chess experts, good chess pieces should have appropriate weight, a satisfying tactile feel, and produce a crisp metallic ring when struck against the board—and the Shuangxi Brand chess sets embody all these characteristics. At the same time...

　　...when critical moves are made during a match, the resonant sound of the pieces striking each other can boost one’s own confidence and exert psychological pressure on the opponent. The Shuangxi Brand chess sets excel at delivering this experience. As a result, they have become a high-quality product beloved by Chinese chess enthusiasts. The Sunwu Beijiang Timber Products Factory has been producing the “Shuangxi Brand” wooden chess sets for over 30 years, offering four major categories—Chinese chess, pictographic chess, international chess, and three-army battle chess—with 20 specifications and 41 varieties. The “Shuangxi Brand” chess sets have won numerous accolades: in 1983, they were awarded the Light Industry Ministry’s Quality Product Award, as well as the National Packaging and Decoration Award and the National Packaging Design Award. In 1985, the pictographic chess set won the Light Industry Ministry's Excellent Award, the Excellent New Product Award, and the only national silver award issued by the National Quality Examination Committee (pictographic chess is an invention by the people of Sunwu: developed and successfully prototyped in June 1984, its design draws inspiration from the symbolism of Song-era chess. For example, the “General” is styled after Yue Fei’s phoenix-feather helmet; the “Advisor” resembles Zhuge Liang’s black silk headdress... while the rules of play remain unchanged). In 1992, the pictographic chess set again received the national silver award. In 1997, the Beijiang Cultural and Sports Goods Factory produced 6,600 high-quality wooden chess sets as a heartfelt gift from the borderland people to their compatriots in Hong Kong, which were delivered to Hong Kong before its handover. In December 1997, the three-dimensional international chess sets produced in Sunwu appeared as precious gifts...

　　...on the gift list during a state visit to Malaysia by the then President of China. On September 6, 1984, at the Fifth World Chess Federation Congress held in Manila, the Shuangxi Brand chess sets were designated as the official chess sets for international competitions. In the same year, they were used in the “Seven Stars Cup” International Chinese Chess Invitational Tournament. In 1998, they were the designated chess sets for the “Black Fish Cup” Eighth National Peasant Chess Championship.

　　Sunwu Chess provides high-quality sets for enthusiasts of this sport that combines elements of physical activity, art, and science. This represents the contribution of the people of Sunwu to the cause of Chinese chess. Sunwu produces master players, Sunwu crafts premium chess—“Shuangxi Brand” chess sets, this radiant pearl in the treasure house of Chinese culture, shine brilliantly in China’s northeastern frontier.