Walking chessman

The final match of the 2009 International Weichi Tournament took place at the Southern Great Wall in China's ancient town of Phoenix on Saturday. Chinese player Guli and South Korean Lee Sedol, both of the highest professional ranking, went head-to-head in the complex strategic board game similar to chess.

Some 200 martial arts practitioners dressed in black and white act as  the chess stones and move across the board in sync with the ongoing game.  [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

Now in its fourth year, the event drew numerous weichi fans and media from home and abroad, not only because it pitted two top players against each other, but also for the special location and unique interpretation of the game.

Guli and Lee Sedol, both 26 and the most promising players on the international weichi stage, have been dubbed the "rivals of each other's lifetimes," for they are now 9:9 in their previous eighteen matches.

They played in a pavilion high on the Southern Great Wall, far from any disturbances, while audiences followed the game on a giant plaster chessboard on the ground. Some 200 martial arts practitioners dressed in black and white acted as the chess stones, moving in sync with the ongoing game.