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3rd SportAccord World Mind Games Kick Off Next Week in Beijing

The 3rd SportAccord World Mind Games will be held in Beijing, China December 12-18. Contestants will compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals in five disciplines: chess, contract bridge, draughts, go, and xianqi (Chinese chess). This year the go competition will include a round-robin men's team tournament, a double-knockout women's individual tournament, and a single-knockout pair-go tournament. China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and Korea are each sending three men and two women. North America is sending three men and one woman, and Europe is sending three pairs, who will also compete in the men's and women's events. The all-new Chinese contingent includes this year's winners of three major international tournaments (the Ing, Bailing, and Bingsheng Cups), plus the Bingsheng runner-up. The two Koreans who missed winning medals last year will return to try again, accompanied by three Korean players making their first SportAccord appearances. Among the players from Chinese Taipei and Japan are six teenagers, including the granddaughter of the legendary Fujisawa Shuko. Europe and North America are fielding mixed pro-amateur teams. The European contingent is primarily Russian, but also includes this year's European champion (from France) and runner-up (from Slovakia). They will be seeking in particular to avenge Europe's various losses to the North Americans in the first two SportAccord World Mind Games.

Three veteran players on the North American men's team and one young Canadian woman will try to stop them. Representing these thirty go players to the world at large will be Russia's Natalia Kovaleva (far left) and China's Yu Zhiying (left), the Go Ambassadors of the 2013 World Mind Games. Besides playing in the women's and pair-go competitions, they will join some of the world's top stars in the other disciplines in a program of social and publicity events. Live coverage of the go competition with a running commentary by the popular duo of Chris Garlock and Michael Redmond 9P will be provided to a worldwide audience via the SAWMG YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter feed. In addition, daily reports and commentaries will be posted on the Ranka website. 
- report by Ranka Online