Chapter 43 Summarize the arena

Qian Yuping won the fifth group arena, and I didn't even appear.At that time Qian Yuping was in the limelight and was very popular. Later, as there were more and more big competitions like "Ying's Cup", "Fujitsu Cup", "Samsung Fire Cup" and so on, the influence of the group arena was not so great.Especially in the eleventh session, the coach was replaced by Ma Xiaochun, the young player Chang Hao won six games in a row, and he wiped them all out by himself, the game lost its former glory.The news media's publicity for it is getting smaller and smaller, making the organizer feel that it is not worth spending so much money.We also feel that the group arena has fulfilled its historical mission and there is no need to continue it.After negotiation between the two parties, the group arena match was changed to a confrontation match.

Looking back at the group arena now, it should be said that the performance of Chinese chess players was much better.Take me for example, I played eight times in the first ten tournaments, won a total of fifteen sets and lost four sets.Objectively speaking, the group arena has not had a great impact on the Japanese chess world, but it has a great impact on China. It can be said that Chinese Go became popular through the group arena. Without the group arena, the rise of Chinese Go would have A few years later. People must have a little spirit. When playing chess, you must always talk about self-confidence, morale and belief.Chinese Go surpassed Japan in the form of a group arena, which stimulated the fighting spirit of Chinese players and aroused the concern of the people of the whole country and the attention of the central leadership.The life experience of the older generation of revolutionaries and their persistence in belief also had a great influence on chess players and me.One summer when I was in Beidaihe, Cao Dayuan and I went to visit Xi Zhongxun’s hometown. During the chat, Mr. Xi told us that in northern Shaanxi, he was persecuted by the wrong route and ordered to be executed. When he got to the pit, it was about to be filled with soil. At the critical moment, Chairman Mao sent someone to rescue him.Even this did not shake his loyalty to the revolutionary cause in the slightest.

Later, when someone mentioned this period of history, Mr. Xi said many times that the past has passed and has become history, and we should look forward.What the old man said made a deep impression on me.It can be said that the broad-mindedness and high integrity of many revolutionaries of the older generation had a great influence on my firm belief. The chess players of the national team showed unprecedented cohesion during the group arena. Everyone was united as one, offering advice, doing their best, and actively preparing for the game.At that time, "pressurization" training was often carried out, that is, I was on one side, and the moves jointly studied by several national Go team players were the other side's game.Everyone helped each other prepare countermeasures before the game, and reviewed the game together after the game to sum up experience and lessons.Kobayashi likes to play "one-to-one" at the beginning, and I am going to take the lead with Erlu Feijiao. I will play more than a hundred changes with Chen Dezu and others to weigh the pros and cons.Even after falling asleep in the middle of the night, I suddenly thought of a change and got up and played it repeatedly on the chessboard. Later, there were more than 2,000 changes in this move.Although this move was useless, my understanding of Go was forced.

Another point to be mentioned is that in the group arena, the Chinese side didn't even have an appearance fee, unlike some rumors.When I mentioned this to a friend, he was amazed and couldn't believe it.And it is.In Japan, the general appearance fee for 9-dan is 600,000 yen, and the better one is 1.2 million.In other events, even if we have appearance fees and bonuses, we still have to pay them.Later, this situation changed, and individuals could get 28% commission.This is absolutely necessary and reasonable to improve the economic situation of good chess players. In 1990, the "National First Top Ten Youth" award ceremony was held in Huairen Hall.I arrived very early that day, and not long after, Comrade Yang Shangkun, the President of the State, also arrived. Seeing me standing there, he came over to shake my hand and asked me something about the sports world.Chatting and chatting, I somehow talked about the issue of bonuses.I told Chairman Yang that the current regulations of the State Sports Commission set a cap of 2,000 US dollars, no matter how high the prize money of the competition you participate in is the same.I also expressed my opinion. I think it is unreasonable to do so, and it is not conducive to mobilizing the enthusiasm of athletes.Take Lin Haifeng and I competing for the third "Fujitsu" championship as an example. For me, winning or losing, except for the difference in reputation, the prize money is the same.Because the runner-up prize was 7 million yen, which was 70,000 U.S. dollars at the time, but the athletes could only get 2,000 U.S. dollars; the same is true for the "Yingshi Cup", the runner-up prize was 100,000 U.S. dollars, but I could only get 2,000 U.S. dollars. Dollar.If the game wins the championship, the prize money will be more, but the athletes cannot get a penny more.

After Chairman Yang heard what I said, he immediately took me to Chairman Wan Li.When I went to Chairman Wan Li, I reflected the above meaning again.Chairman Yang attached great importance to this matter, and he said very seriously: "Comrade Wan Li, the situation reported by Xiao Nie is really unreasonable. The two of us will fight for him together. The bonus should not be capped." After a period of time, the National Sports Commission really reformed the bonus distribution system for athletes. Individual bonuses in competitions are 28% of the total bonus, and there is no upper limit; if it is a national competition or an international competition In the competition, the prize money is not taxed.This regulation has greatly improved the economic situation of athletes, so it has also been welcomed by the majority of athletes and coaches.

I dare not say that all this is my credit, but I think it should have something to do with the interference of Chairman Yang and Chairman Wan Li.