Ding Liren Is 2011 Chinese Champion
Not many 18 year-olds can say they have won their national chess championship twice, but Ding Liren (pictured) achieved that honour at the recently completed 2011 Chinese Chess Championships in Xinghua.
Back in 2009, Ding won his first national title at the tender age of 16. However, he was awarded his final round game by default because his opponent was late.
This time there can be no arguments whatsoever about the result, with a determined Ding winning the single round robin event with an amazing score of 9/11, a full 2 points clear of his nearest rival.
Let's hope we see Ding Liren in some top international competitions as soon as possible.
A selection of games are below. Check out the utterly amazing win by Zhao Jun!
Zhang Xiaowen won the separate women's championship with 8.5/11, but the women's world champion Hou Yifan competed in the "men's" event and finished in a creditable 5th place.
The final standings:
| 1 | Ding, Liren | 2637 | * | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2 | Ni, Hua | 2646 | 0 | * | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Zhou, Jianchao | 2660 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 4 | Zhao, Jun | 2580 | ½ | 0 | ½ | * | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | Hou, Yifan | 2602 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 6 |
| 6 | Wang, Yue | 2734 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | * | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5½ |
| 7 | Yu, Yangyi | 2652 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5½ |
| 8 |
Li, Chao |
2646 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 |
Bu, Xiangzhi | 2677 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | * | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 10 | Xiu, Deshun | 2508 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | * | ½ | ½ | 4½ |
| 11 | Li, Shilong | 2520 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | * | 1 | 3½ |
| 12 | Zhang, Ziyang | 2442 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | * | 1 |
