Which top scholar defeated the Chinese chess legend?

He was Mạc Đĩnh Chi (1272-1346), from Lũng Động village, Chí Linh district, Hải Đông (now Hải Dương province).

Mạc Đĩnh Chi was born with an ugly appearance, but he was very intelligent and quick-witted. Because his family was poor, Đĩnh Chi couldn't attend school with his friends and had to stand outside the classroom listening to the teacher's lessons. At night, without a lamp, the boy had to catch fireflies and put them in eggshells to have light to study.

According to the Complete Annals of Dai Viet, in 1304 during the reign of Emperor Tran Anh Tong, the court held an examination, and 44 people passed, earning the title of Doctor of Philosophy (Thai Hoc Sinh). Mac Dinh Chi came first, winning the title of First Laureate (Trang Nguyen), at the age of just over 20.

Legend has it that when he was presented to the royal court, the king, seeing his ugly face and physique, did not want to grant him the title of "Trang Nguyen" (First-ranked scholar). He then composed the poem "Ngoc Tinh Lien" (Lotus in the Jade Well) to express his noble character and presented it to the king. Upon reading the poem, the king recognized his talent and virtue, admired him, and granted him the title of Trang Nguyen.

Mạc Đĩnh Chi was trusted by the king and sent as an envoy to the Yuan Dynasty twice. On both occasions, he excelled in overcoming all challenges, earning the respect of the Yuan emperor and officials, who bestowed upon him the title of "Two-Nation Top Scholar".

Mạc Đĩnh Chi was highly respected and praised by the Yuan Dynasty emperor as the "Two-Nation First-Rank Scholar." (Illustrative image)

During a diplomatic mission, Mac Dinh Chi rode past a house with a sign that read "Chess Champion of the Land of China." Being a chess enthusiast himself, Mac Dinh Chi entered the house, claiming to be a traveler passing through and asking for water. He casually struck up a conversation with the homeowner, which then shifted to discussions about chess.

The host was a scholar from the Song dynasty. When the Yuan army destroyed the Song dynasty, he did not wish to become an official but preferred to stay home, writing poetry and playing chess. At this time, Mac Dinh Chi expressed his desire to play a game of chess.

Knowing the guest wanted to test his skills, the host brought out a chess set made of horn. But the guest wanted a chess set made of ivory. The host replied, "Ivory chess pieces are only for entertaining the king. Besides that, they're only for those who are better at chess than me. If you bring them out to play, and you lose to me, what then?"

Mạc Đĩnh Chi then excitedly said, "If I lose, I'll return your head, but if I win, I'll only ask for the plaque with the title of champion and this set of ivory chess pieces."

The two men played chess, but due to their superior skills, the game lasted for three days. On the evening of the third day, Mac Dinh Chi realized his position was unfavorable and it was time to rest, so he asked to stop the game and continue the next morning.

That night, Mac Dinh Chi pondered deeply, trying to find a way out of his predicament. He mentally recreated the chessboard and finally discovered the winning move. The next morning, he made the decisive move, causing the host to exclaim, "That's a brilliant move! I admit defeat!"

The homeowner offered Mac Dinh Chi the ivory chess set and the plaque that read "Chess Champion of the Land of Flowers," but he refused to accept them, advising the homeowner to put away the plaque instead. This story is recorded in the Mac family's genealogy and has been passed down through generations.

Kim Nha

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/vi-trang-nguyen-nao-danh-bai-than-co-trung-hoa-ar905382.html