The 7th Chinese NEC Cup I-go Tournament has concluded in Beijing. As expected, the nine-dan young master, Chang Hao defeated Liu Shizhen in the final and to consolidate his reputation. It’s the second time hot favorite Chang Hao has taken the title in this famous tournament, which he first won in 1998. Liu Shizhen, the six-dan newcomer, performed considerably well throughout the tournament. Liu, coming from Shanghai, defeated all his opponents but his fellow townsman.

　　As Chang Hao pointed out, before the final scenario was staged, many new faces have come to the fore in the 7th NEC Cup tournament. He said he would use his experience and his achievements to respond to the challenge coming from the newcomers. He went on, through his stable performance to convince and satisfy all the fans and enthusiasts. Chang Hao’s victory also provides a contrast to last year's upset in the 6th Cup when 23-year-old Luo Xihe 9-dan beat veteran Zhou Heyang 9-dan.

　　Moreover, success in the most lucrative domestic event earned Chang Hao not only the prize money of 120,000 yuan, but also secured him a place in the NEC Super I-go Match, one of the highest level competitions between China and Japan. Runner-up, Liu Shizhen, meanwhile, takes away 40,000 yuan.