Chapter 20 International communication

In 1978, during the 23rd European Go Championship, Chen Zude, Shen Guosun and I were invited to Paris, France to visit and play chess.This is the first time that a Chinese Go delegation has set foot on the European continent, which has opened up the history of direct exchanges between Chinese and European chess players. The overall level of Go in Europe is very low. Their champion is a Korean in France. I asked him to go three times and he still can't win.During the three weeks in Paris, I played a total of forty-one handicap games and won all of them, which shows the low level of European Go at that time.I heard that some people have now "give way", and the progress is still very fast.

Before we went to Europe, Vice Premier Fang Yi, then honorary chairman of the Weiqi Association, wrote a letter to Han Kehua, the then Chinese ambassador to France. As soon as we arrived, we were warmly received by the embassy.They provided us with a special car and sent the third secretary of the embassy to accompany us. Paris can be said to be the cultural capital of the world. We have visited the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, Versailles, Eiffel Tower... It seems that we have gone to all the famous places, but I have no impression at all.I am not very interested in this aspect. They wanted to go, but I had to go, so I followed in a daze. People agreed, and I agreed, and I didn't know how to do it.

In 1978, he was invited to guide the 23rd European Go Championship in Paris.Group photo with Chen Zude, Shen Guosun and translator in front of the embassy. I am also not used to Western food. Once a plate of snails was served, which was said to be a famous French dish. It looked so scary that I dared not eat it.The only thing I like is scrambled eggs for a few francs.It feels very good to eat at the embassy. In addition, when the French invite you to dinner, I don’t know whether it’s because they are “stingy” or because of something, but only one soup and two dishes are far worse than the Chinese’s “hospitality”.Moreover, French people, regardless of men, women, young or old, kiss when they break up, which also shocked me, and I am not used to it.

In short, this is my first time to go to the "West", so I can feel the so-called "collision" between Eastern and Western cultures! In 1985, Liu Xiaoguang and I went to Los Angeles together. This was also the first time for a Chinese Go player to visit the United States.This time, at the invitation of the Chinese Go Association in Los Angeles, I went to play guide chess.This Go club is jointly organized by Chinese from both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Every day we go to the Go club to play guide chess with them, and we play bridge at night when we have nothing to do. They saw that our life was very monotonous, so they wanted to charter a plane to go to the Grand Canyon, but I flatly refused. Firstly, it cost too much money, and secondly, I had no interest. This made Liu Xiaoguang very angry and complained for a long time .Later, they invited us to go to Disneyland to play. I didn't want to go at first, but the kindness was hard to refuse, and Liu Xiaoguang was very excited, so I had to go.Not far after entering the gate, I asked the lady accompanying us how to get back.The lady was very strange, why did she ask about going back when she just came in and hadn't played yet.I said that Disney has been here, so let's go back.Liu Xiaoguang was in high spirits, and when he heard it, he got anxious with me: "No! No! I can't let you go this time! You sit here and rest, we'll play first, and we'll pick you up later." I really just sat Rest there and let them play.I heard that Disney is very big, and it takes a long time to play.Seeing me waiting, they didn't have the nerve to play more, and they came out after playing for a while, maybe I disappointed them a lot.I really don't like touring.

But I am very interested in the "Casino" Las Vegas.I never gamble myself, but I like to watch others gamble and figure out its rules from it. This has something to do with my liking for winning and losing things since I was a child.I watched it and thought, if I really bet, I could win.This is not only by luck, but also by probability.For example, in roulette, you first observe where it often stops, and if you watch it twenty times in a row, you will feel that a certain place is coming soon, and you can bet there.It didn't work the first time, but doubled the second time.If it doesn't work the second time, just double it again, and that place is definitely going to be won.I've tried it several times in my mind, and it works every time.There is also "Blackjack". He puts several decks of cards together. Based on my memory, I think I can win, as long as I win him in terms of probability.In China, we used to play "knock three" with four decks of cards. When there were twelve cards left, I could name ten of them. My ability to memorize cards is still very strong.I said I would not gamble, and in Las Vegas, the largest "gambling city" in the world, I did not "quit".

The most meaningful trip to the United States this time was playing two games of fast chess with Korean chess player Cao Xunxuan.At that time, there was a Korean four-level chess player Cha Minsu living in the United States. He was very good at chess, and some of our chess players could not beat him.I made a deal with him first, and he thought he could win, so he even bet with others.In the end, I won a few sets in a row, and I didn't give him any face.He knew that I was the "No. 1 Go player" in mainland China, so he called Cao Xunxuan, the "No. 1 Go player" in Korea, to the United States, and wanted us to "compete" to see who was the best.But at that time, our country and South Korea did not have diplomatic relations, so we had to consult the embassy for instructions.The embassy believes that this involves relations with North Korea and is a very serious political issue, and they have no right to express their views.At that time, there was an official from the International Department of the National Sports Commission who came to the United States with us. I asked him to ask the relevant domestic authorities for instructions.What was originally a very simple matter has become so complicated.After fighting for a long time, it was approved.

Cao Xunxuan and I didn't know each other at that time, it was the first time we met, but we knew each other by name, and I didn't expect to become "enemies" in the "Ying's Cup" in the future.Because this is the first time that the top chess players from China and South Korea have met, it was quite a sensation in the United States.The Chinese said I could win, and the Korean said he could win, and they started a bet, making it very lively.I lost the first set with black, and won the second set with white, which was a tie.Both the Chinese-Americans and the Korean-Americans were hooked, and neither side lost face.

Then I went to San Francisco. The mayor of San Francisco gave me a "golden key" and awarded me the title of "Honorary Citizen of San Francisco".In San Francisco, several Taiwanese friends took me to a striptease in order to "open my eyes" and experience "American culture".I used to think that striptease was all yellow, but this time, I think it's not so yellow, it's a bit artistic.When the stripper got to the point where there was only one big zipper left, she suddenly ran up to me and said that she saw that I was from Mao Zedong's country and asked if I could unzip her zipper.Everyone in the audience looked at me, and I felt very embarrassed, so I told her bluntly that I came from Mao Zedong's country, but I was not interested in it.After the person next to her translated, she immediately said that she was wrong and apologized to me, but she still hoped that I could help her.I don't think she has any malice. It would be a bit "stingy" not to give her a hug when she has repeatedly apologized, so I gave her a symbolic pull. At this time, the light suddenly went out, and she took the opportunity Went behind the scenes.

In the United States, all I met were Chinese from the mainland and Taiwan. Just like in China, I always ate at Chinese restaurants, and I was very used to it.Los Angeles is very beautiful, which makes me feel that the material gap between China and the United States is too great.And I also think that the moon in Los Angeles is rounder than ours. I may be a bit "suspected" of being unpatriotic when I say this. I have observed it for many days. For some reason, other people's moons are indeed rounder than ours.When talking about this incident after returning to China, some people said that it may be related to air pollution. In heavily polluted cities, even the stars cannot be seen at night.I think he has a point.

But not everything is good in the United States. First of all, social security is definitely a problem.In San Francisco, I went out with my friends at night, and I witnessed an open robbery with a gun. My friend immediately pulled me away. It was so dangerous! In March 1988, I went to Singapore for the first time, which was also the first time that the Chinese Go delegation visited Singapore.At that time, the level of Go in Singapore was very low, that is to say, it had just started. To put it bluntly, we asked us to teach them.After that, they successively invited some of our professional chess players to live there for many years to guide their players.

I have heard before how clean and beautiful Singapore is, but when I went there, it was much better than I imagined. The streets, parks...all the public places are as if they have been carefully treated, without any garbage or dust.Wang Dingchang, who was then the deputy prime minister (current president), met me once and talked for a long time. I asked him why Singapore was managed so well.He said that there was only one word "punishment", and it was a heavy punishment.If you spit anywhere, you will be fined 500 Singapore dollars, which is more than 1,000 yuan.The monthly salary of an average person is only more than 1,000 Singapore dollars, and a penalty is half of it, which is unbearable for you.This reminds me of Beijing Wangfujing, where the fine for spitting is fifty cents. It is said that one person who was fined just spit again because he couldn't find the one yuan.If the fine is five hundred yuan, do you think he dares to vomit again? !Those who violate traffic rules should learn from Singapore's experience and impose heavy penalties. But my luck in Singapore was really bad. I lost the last two sets of the "Ying's Cup" final in 1989 in Singapore.I heard that Chinese football and basketball also lost in Singapore.I don't want to go any more. Japan and South Korea are the countries I have visited the most. I have been to Japan more than 70 times and to South Korea more than 30 times. They are all related to competitions, so I won’t say more.