The Chinese State Sports Administration recently announced changes in the appointment of officials, revealing that Guo Liping has been removed from her position as Deputy Director of the Fitness Qigong Management Center. Prior to this, Guo Liping was reported by name for allegedly long-time protecting and tolerating corrupt forces within the chess community.
According to the reports in mainland China, Guo Liping served as Deputy Director of the Chess Sports Management Center in August 2023, and later assumed the position of Deputy Director of the Fitness Qigong Management Center.
Public records show that Guo Liping was born in 1974 in Harbin, Heilongjiang. She won the national individual tournament in the women’s division in 2002 and 2004, and claimed the world chess championship for women in 2003 and 2005.
On October 17, 2023, Chinese chess grandmaster Liu Dahua posted a video on his social media account, accusing Guo Liping, the then Deputy Director of the State Sports Administration’s Chess Sports Management Center, by name.
In the video, Liu Dahua presented his identification to report Guo Liping.
He alleged that Guo Liping had long been covering up and facilitating corrupt activities within the chess community, manipulating the outcomes and prize distributions of various major competitions domestically using computer software and modern technology, turning Chinese chess into a tool for a small group of chess outcasts to engage in match-fixing, bribery, and profiteering.
Liu Dahua, who was 73 at the time, is a Chinese chess super Grandmaster and senior chess coach, renowned as a leading figure in the world of chess. He is often referred to as the “Oriental Computer” and the “Chess King.”
Regarding Liu Dahua’s accusations, Guo Liping stated that she couldn’t respond at the moment and would wait for the official response, expressing belief that there would eventually be a conclusion.
After the video sparked public attention in mainland China, the Chess Sports Management Center responded that they were aware of the report and had provided feedback to the leadership.
In June this year, Wang Tianyi, who had held the title of the top Chinese chess player for 11 consecutive years and known as the “Number One in Chinese Chess,” was under investigation by the Hangzhou police in Zhejiang Province for alleged bribery unrelated to his status as a government employee.
Wang Tianyi’s investigation in June was suspected to be related to Liu Dahua’s previous report in October last year about Guo Liping. However, at that time, Guo Liping claimed she was unaware of Wang Tianyi’s situation.
In April last year, a phone call recording between Chinese chess super Grandmaster Wang Yuefei and Hao Jichao was leaked, causing a major stir.
In the recording, Hao Jichao admitted to using computer software to cheat in games, and they discussed Wang Tianyi engaging in match-fixing, manipulating the outcomes of chess matches, and mentioned suspected cheating with “special methods.” This recording quickly stirred up controversy in the Chinese chess community and became known as the “Audio Gate” incident.
On September 19 this year, the China Chess Association reported that the “Audio Gate” incident in April 2023 had received significant attention from society. The Association, in collaboration with relevant parties, found that athletes including Wang Tianyi and Wang Yuefei were involved in irregularities such as buying and selling matches, and manipulating games. The violations were deemed severe with a long duration and high frequency.
In accordance with regulations, Wang Tianyi and Wang Yuefei were given a lifelong ban from chess, revoking all technical rankings including the title of Grandmaster awarded by the China Chess Association, and are prohibited from participating in any chess events under the organization or authorization of the China Chess Association and its member units.