Chess champion sees value in step-by-step progress

Being the youngest person to win the women's world championship in international chess, Chinese player Hou Yifan compared life with pawns — each moved forward to affect small things — and called on Friday for the young generation to empower the building of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Though limited in power and large in numbers, Hou spoke about her affection for pawns, the weakest chess piece, though as they move forward step by step they acquire the potential to be promoted to the strongest once reaching the opponent's back rank.

"I find this parallel to life itself — once you make a decision, there's no turning back, and even a humble pawn holds boundless potential," she said.

Ever since she started to learn chess at six years old, Hou has remained modest and upheld "an unwavering belief in reaching new heights and continually pushing the boundaries of human potential," be it victory or defeat.

At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Hou experienced a hard-earned triumph against the Kazakhstan team and faced challenges brought by 17-year-old rising star Umida Omonova from Uzbekistan. Confronting difficulties, she was more mature and composed than last time and relished the excitement of sports and competition with unwavering determination.

Based on the thinking of many little moves making a miracle, Hou deemed that the BRI was also composed of various small parts in infrastructure and trade cooperation as well as cultural and educational exchanges, among which chess culture was indispensable.

In such cases, organizing chess competitions and popularizing chess among the public could serve as a more engaging way to nurture cultural exchanges and mutual learning at the international level.

As an educator, she was pleased with the wealth of emerging talent in the realm of chess and spoke highly of the young generation who could potentially elevate this sport to new heights.

"Young individuals are not mere spectators or beneficiaries of the Belt and Road Initiative; they are its architects and ambassadors," Hou said.

Li Menghan contributed to this story.