A Journey Through Time

Four-time Women’s World Chess Champion 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) enjoys the company of 王伟 (Wáng Wěi), Chairman of 银丰集团 (Yínfēng Group), at the evening party held to celebrate 济南银丰 (Jǐnán Yínfēng), the team champion of the 1st “机器人谷杯” (“Robot Valley Cup”) China City Chess League for the season 2020–21 in 济南 (Jǐnán), Saturday, June 12, 2021. As usual Her Majesty was a queen among knights, and her teammates gallantly let her take the stage. In her acceptance speech, 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) was profuse with thanks to her first chess teacher, taking the audience along on her journey of memory, back to 2001, when she was 7 years old, and moved here with her mother just to study in the city. As they say, first love never ever dies, and the queen has finally come back to the Spring City, just to taste the draught of eternal life from its 72 artesian springs. This was on Saturday in the moonlight. Sunday came, and the queen climbed the stairs to the library room. Suddenly she felt like a teacher in a class of youngsters old enough but too young to think of themselves as old as their tutor. Leisure and pleasure, checks and chicks, questions and answers. Of course, everyone is free not to believe, or to believe that in chess the Queen is much stronger than the King. Photos: 163.com and Sina Sports.