Q. How do you feel being in Denmark for the first time?
A. I think it is jolly cold!

Q. What about the food then?
A. Yes well, I hate chips ! it’s ok I suppose but where the nearest Chinese take away.

Q. Did you see China play football the other night?
A. No, but when I last looked on the internet they were losing just 1-0 to Germany, not bad.

Q. Back to the chess, how did you learn the game?
A. A friend of the family I think, my parents don’t play the game.

Q. Isn’t chess popular in China then?
A. Well most people learn checkers or draughts. Only the young people have started learning to play chess. This is due to the fact that there is now a leadership for chess, so some schools now teach the children. But it is still a problem getting a visa to travel and there is not much money in the game.

Q. You are number 4 in China, when will you be number 1?
A. I am actually number 3 now and not many points from number1. My next goal is to reach the magical 2700 rating.

Q. Where are you going from here?
A. The world team championships in Israel at the end of October. I will be playing on board 2.

Q. Do you like this tournament?
A. Yes, very much. But it has fallen at the wrong time, as I will miss two chances to qualify for the next world championships, both the Asian and Chinese qualifiers start in the middle of the Samba cup. Otherwise the vicinity is very good. Skanderborg is a very very tiny village, but the playing conditions and organisation is excellent.

Q. Have you used your computer?
A. Yes computers are very important. Fritz is good ! I use a lot of time studying the openings and computers make things go quicker.

Q. Who do you look up to in the chess world?
A. It has to be Fischer. One of my first books was his 60 best games. He did it alone, he had no help unlike the Russians, no computers, nothing!

Q. I hope that we see you again soon in Denmark.
A. Yes, it would be nice to come back.

I would like to thank Pengxiang for his cooperation and wish him all the best for the future.

Colin Watson