Ni Hua facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ni Hua
World Mind Sports Games, 2008
Country	China
Born	(1983-05-31) May 31, 1983 (age 42) Shanghai, China
Title	Grandmaster (2003)
FIDE rating	2667 (June 2025)
Peak rating	2724 (April 2009)
Peak ranking	No. 21 (April 2009)

Ni Hua was born on May 31, 1983, in Shanghai, China. He is a famous Chinese chess player. He holds the top title of Grandmaster.

Ni Hua is also the captain of China's national chess team. He has won the national championship three times. In 2003, at just 19 years old, he became China's 15th Grandmaster. In April 2008, he and Bu Xiangzhi became the second and third Chinese players to reach an Elo rating of over 2700. Only Wang Yue had done it before them.

He was part of the Chinese team that won the gold medal at the 41st Chess Olympiad.

Ni Hua's Chess Journey

Ni Hua started playing chess when he was six years old. He quickly showed great talent.

Early Wins and Grandmaster Title

• In 1996 and 1997, he won the S.T. Lee Cup for players under 14.
• He won again in 1999 in a higher age group.
• In 2000, he played in his first Chess Olympiad in Istanbul.
• He earned his first Grandmaster (GM) norm in February 2000 in Budapest.
• His second GM norm came in April 2001 at the China Team Championship.
• He got his third GM norm in July 2002 at the Tan Chin Nam Cup.
• In 2001, Ni Hua had important wins against Dmitry Schneider and Hikaru Nakamura.
• He officially received the Grandmaster title in February 2003.

Major Tournaments and Achievements

• In August 2004, Ni Hua won the first Dato’ Arthur Tan Malaysian Open.
• He competed in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004. He won his first match but lost to a fellow Chinese player in the second round.

Ni Hua (left) at the Macau 2nd Asian Indoor Games

Ni Hua at the Reggio Emilia chess tournament, 2009

• In November 2005, he played in the World Team Chess Championship. His team needed one point to win, but Ni Hua lost two key games. This allowed Russia to win the championship instead.
• Later that month, he played in the Chess World Cup 2005. He was knocked out in the first round.
• At the 37th Chess Olympiad, Ni Hua helped the Chinese team win a silver medal. This was China's first medal ever in the men's Chess Olympiads.
• In September 2006, he tied for first place at the World University Championship. He finished second after a tie-break.

National Champion and Peak Rating

• Ni Hua won the Chinese Chess Championship two years in a row, in 2006 and 2007.
• In December 2007, he won the Prospero Pichay Cup in Manila.
• In April 2008, he played in the Russian Team Championships. He had a strong performance, earning a rating of 2735 for that event.
• In June 2008, he became the Chinese National Champion for the third time in a row.
• In September 2008, he played for team Mérida Patrimonio in Spain. His team won their group.
• Later in September 2008, he played in the 5th Russia v China Match.

International Success

• In January 2009, Ni Hua won the 51st Reggio Emilia chess tournament. He was the first Chinese player to ever win this event.
• In April 2010, he won the Asian Chess Championship in Subic Bay. This win qualified him for the Chess World Cup 2011. He was eliminated in the second round.
• In March 2012, Ni Hua won the 2nd HDBank Cup tournament in Ho Chi Minh City.
• The next month, he won the 14th Dubai Open. He tied for first but won on a tie-break.
• In June 2012, he tied for first with Bu Xiangzhi at the 3rd Hainan Danzhou tournament. He finished second on tie-break.
• In May 2013, he tied for second place at the 4th Hainan Danzhou tournament. He finished third on tie-break.
• In August 2013, Ni Hua won the 3rd Chinese Rapid Chess Championship.
• In July 2014, he won the 22nd Montcada Open.
• At the 2014 Chess Olympiad in Tromsø, he helped China win a historic gold medal. He also won an individual bronze medal for his performance.
• In November 2014, he helped the Chinese team win a special match against the Romanian Olympic team.
• In January 2015, Ni Hua won the Australian Open. He was 1.5 points ahead of other players.
• He also took part in the Chess World Cup 2015. He was knocked out in the first round.

China Chess League

Ni Hua plays for the Shanghai chess club in the China Chess League (CCL). This is a team competition for chess clubs in China.

Notable Chess Games

• Nigel Short vs Ni Hua, International Kings Challenge 2003, Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, General (B33), 0-1
• Ni Hua vs Mikhael Mchedlishvili, World Team Championship 2005, Nimzo-Indian Defense: Saemisch, Capablanca Variation (E29), 1-0
• Ni Hua vs Peter Svidler, Russia vs China Match 2008, Sicilian Defense: Canal Attack (B51), 1-0
• Ni Hua vs Sergei Tiviakov, Torneo di Capodanno 2008, Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts Defense (B01), 1-0

See also

• Chess in China