Spokesperson: My medial friends, it is our great honors to invited Mr. Robert Mundell , the famous Nobel laureate in economics, Columbia professor .Welcome to our press conference .The idea of this tournament came from the adversary of Mr Mundell , he said that one of the best way to show the opening of Chinese city is to hosting such an high-level chess tournament . I have a question for Mr Mundell , what do you think the meaning of such a tournament on the development of economy and city ?
Mr. Robert Mundell : Thank you very much . I am very happy to be here , to the significant events . I think it is a significant event for two reasons : one is the five grand slam chess tournaments come to China ,which is a good way to make China bigger power in the map . Second , the male and female plays were held at the same time and occurred in the same area . The male one is on the third floor and the female one is on the second floor . Thank you .
Of course, the women’s tournament is not new for China; there have already been many Chinese world champions before, but no male ones so far. China has younger players and grandmasters so I think this day is not so far.
The great city, Nanjing, is the old capital, historical and cultural city. This kind of tournament put Nanjing big way in the map, particular in the world map, because it is such a international tournament.
No one can underestimate the importance and culture of the chess .It is a historical game, King playing with wife, Mrs. and officials, which became an important part of society. From the history of the chess, the countries are flourishing from the developing of chess, in the 18th and 19th centuries, chess is very popular and latter it becomes power. And then, so did Italy, the Bishop in chess means pope.
So we should pay more attention to the chess, firstly, it was prosperous in Europe, and then came to France ,latter in the early 18th and 19th centuries, the United Kingdom became the Sun-raising country , once again it arrived in the Germany in the 19th century which became strong . In the end, it reached the United States, when there were many chess grandmasters.
In 1920, a really great Russian chess master appeared in Russia in the end .The movement of the history of chess reflected the change of the great power in the world .Who is the next one? China.
I want to say, china is the most recent power to come up in the 21st centuries. It is very possible for China to follow the United States to become another power in the world. So it is fitting for such a chess tournament to put a great start to make China big way in the map.
Spokesperson : Thank you for Mr. Robert Mundell , We know that you are a chess fan and a master ranked above 2200 points , just now you were watching some chinese children playing chess and we are concerning the chess popularizing in the youth , if you have chance to say a sentence to chinese youth ,what would you like say ?
Just now, I indeed saw such a game going on. I am very wonderful to see such a game .I found china focusing on the popularity of chess among Chinese children .They can play chess with grand masters which will become a excellent memory and great begin .I think we should set up some chess club in school where gifted children can join it . When my son was five years old, I taught he playing chess and now he is eleven and participated the tournament in the United States on behalf his kindergarten. Of course, child can choose other sports, but it is helpful for their thought to learn chess, when they are five, ten, twelve thirteen years old.
Spokesperson: Ok , I also have a question for Mr. Robert Mundell ,you are a china master and have been Nanjing for many times , what do you think about Nanjing ? This time you come here again , what do you think about it ?
I have been in Nanjing first time in 2000. I came to the seminar of Nanjing University. Students asked me what the favorite city was in the world. I answered it was Nanjing. I liked the universities and it was the first time for me to see the Yangtze River, which was a really big thing.
CCTV: As we know, you are a famous economist. But not many people know that you are a chess fan. I want to know, for example what roles economy and chess play in your life. Thank you!
My father taught me playing chess when I was seven or eight years old. I could not take part in more and more competitions due to something and in the end I was unable to become a professional chess player. However, I never gave up chess, insisting in studying the chess history, collecting chess material .Last year I made a lecture in Rome about economy and math. If I was brought up today , I would think about the question whether I would be a economist or chess player .Although it is not fitting for everyone to learn chess , it is good for my life ,which has become a part of my life . Economy is also good; I can put society, history, culture math together. When you moved a piece you have to make decision whether it is optimistic or scarifying. I never gave up chess which is my base.
Pukou TV: I have a question. Chinese chess is popular in China, and chess is popular in Europe. Few people played chess in China before, but now more and more Chinese play chess. Many people regard it as a symbol of internationalization, while some people consider that we lost our Chinese culture. I want to know in your opinion what different influences to economy of Chinese chess and chess? Thank you!
Thank you for your question, I have been long thinking about the origin of chess, but it was in vain. We just know chess came from India in the 6 to 7 centuries .Someone even said chess may came from china , china communicated with the western world . We would find the Chinese chess is older than chess and maybe chess originated from Nanjing which has many dynasties .It is a tough question .Let me to take football as an example. Britain made football popular and it came to America, so we have football and soccer, now all the world is playing soccer .I think chess is going to the world .Many people think there are some flaw in playing chess, it is for finding denies or diligent person and now computer can also play chess .Currently, We are studying new method to play chess. It is very interesting to play chess.
Besides I want to talk about globalization, such as language although Chinese people speak Chinese, many people are learning English to communicate with others .so does chess .This is a win-win strategy.
Spokesperson: Thank you! Because of the lacking time, there is only one question last. Please put up your hand if you have question.
Shanghai Oriental Sports Daily: I think the last year Beijing paid a lot for Olympic and got returns at last. Then after so many years’ games, chess comes to China with a short history of chess. As a professor of economics, can you provide some suggestions to develop the commercial value and the world influence of this costly tournament?
Mundell: We can see China GDP, China GDP increases rapidly every year with growth of 8% to 9%. So we can hardly see the great economic influence of chess tournament. Now the foreign exchange reserves of China becomes more and more. But I think chess has a indirect influence, for example the influence of education、knowledge and culture.
Spokesperson: That’s all. Thank Mundell to present our press conference. Thank you for present.
