China Convicts Chess Champions in Match-Fixing Scandal That Toppled an Entire Generation
Listen to the full version
A court in Hangzhou has convicted six of China’s top chess grandmasters in a sprawling match-fixing scandal, the legal climax to a crisis that has wiped out an entire generation of champions and disgraced the country’s most dominant player.
The verdict, delivered on Sept. 24 by the Shangcheng District Court, found the players guilty of crimes related to “buying and selling games.” Five of the defendants pleaded guilty and accepted their sentences, while the sixth, Hong Zhi, contested the charges and was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison, according to his defense lawyer, Sun Xiaoyang.
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
- Six top Chinese chess grandmasters were convicted for match-fixing by a Hangzhou court, including Wang Tianyi and Zhao Xinxin.
- The scandal, dubbed “Recording-gate,” led to prison sentences, lifetime bans, and the downfall of every national men’s champion from 2012 to 2023.
- In total, 41 more players were implicated, devastating the reputation of the Chinese Xiangqi (chess) community.
- April 2023：
- The scandal first broke when a leaked audio recording exposed match-fixing discussions among top grandmasters.
- October 2023：
- Liu Dahua publicly accused a top sports official of covering up corruption, triggering an official investigation.
- September 2024：
- The Chinese Xiangqi Association announced the results of its investigation, stripped Wang Tianyi and Wang Yuefei of all titles, and banned them for life.
- January 2025：
- A second announcement from the Chinese Xiangqi Association implicated 41 more players and banned three grandmasters, including Zhao Xinxin and Zheng Weitong, for life.
- September 24, 2025：
- The Shangcheng District Court in Hangzhou convicted six top grandmasters for crimes relating to match-fixing; Hong Zhi received two years and seven months in prison.
- PODCAST
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新