In the prosperous age of Kangxi and Qianlong, the chess world in the south of the Yangtze River was in turmoil, and two great chess geniuses were born one after another.
Fan Xiping, a son of a fisherman and woodcutter from Haining, was a self-taught player since he was a child. At the age of seven, he made a comeback at a rural chess stall. He has a free and easy nature, plays chess with great openness, and does not adhere to the constraints of ancient methods. He makes moves like a knight riding a horse, focusing on the overall situation.
Shi Xiangxia, a scholarly young man from Gui'an, was frail and sick, and spent all his time studying ancient music and chess theory. His layout is meticulous and rigorous, his moves are like a general's array, he follows the rules step by step, and has a measured attack and defense. He builds a complete chess system based on laws and regulations. He has a calm and forbearing temperament, and has a scholarly character.
One is wild and the other is rational, one follows one's heart and the other abides by the rules. The two joined the same school when they were young, and have been each other's lifelong confidant and rival. The two traveled around Suzhou, Hangzhou and Yangzhou, defeating veteran national players from the south of the Yangtze River one after another, and got caught up in the gambling of salt merchants, the conspiracy of chess tyrants and the undercurrents of the rivers and lakes. All kinds of difficulties and traps emerged one after another. The two supported each other and resolved all difficulties with their chess skills.
Pinghu wealthy businessman Zhang Yongnian invited the two of them with a lot of money, and they fought fiercely for ten days behind closed doors. This was the beginning of the ten rounds of the legendary Danghu. In the ten games, each move hides half a lifetime of obsessions, ideological differences and the bonds of confidants. On the chessboard, there is the ultimate collision of two extreme chess styles.
At the end of the ten games, the two of them had different paths ahead: Fan Xiping traveled around and taught chess as he pleased, while Shi Xiangxia wrote "Game Theory and Guidance" behind closed doors to establish the chess method for future generations. Black and white square inches carry the friendship of confidants for half a lifetime, and the ten games of chess shocked the south of the Yangtze River, leaving an epic game of chess that has been passed down through the ages.
