2026 12th “AFNB Cup” Xiangqi Tournament Concludes

​

          The 12th AFNB  Cup Xiangqi Tournament concluded successfully on October 24 at the Bayland Community Center. Xiangqi masters and enthusiasts from across the southern United States gathered for a full day of competition and friendship, creating an exciting celebration of strategy and skill.

          The tournament featured Adult and Junior divisions, with the Junior Division open to players born after January 1, 2008. A record 12 players competed in the Junior Division, with the youngest participant only six years old. The young competitors played with energy and determination, demonstrating solid fundamentals and excellent sportsmanship. Their strong presence was a highlight of the tournament and brought new vitality and promise to the development of Xiangqi in North America.

          After five fiercely contested rounds, the top finishers in each division emerged. In the Adult Division, International Grandmaster Yushan Hu, a former North American champion, scored four wins and one draw in five games. He finished level on points with Vietnamese player Yogi Do, but won the championship by the narrowest of margins, holding a one-point advantage on tiebreak score, and received the $500 first prize. Grandmaster Yogi Do finished runner-up. Third through eighth places went to Nianhao Lin, Nga Nguyen (Vietnam), Hien Truong (Vietnam), Ruisong Zhou, Ben Ta (Vietnam), and Dung Nguyen (Vietnam), respectively. The top six finishers in the Junior Division were Sean Liu, Andrew Wu, Joseph Hu, Lucien Lu, Henry Liang, and Yuchen Li.

          The tournament was organized by the Houston Xiangqi Association (HXA), co-organized by the Chinese Civic Center of Houston (CCC), and exclusively title-sponsored by American First National Bank (AFNB). Alice Lee, Chief of Staff for Harris County Precinct 4; Anna Liu, Vice President of Marketing at AFNB; Jingkun Zhang, Executive Director of the Chinese Civic Center; James Shu, Vice President of the Houston Xiangqi Association; and Hong Dai, President of the New Orleans Xiangqi Club, among others, attended the closing ceremony, presented awards to the winners, and joined them for commemorative photos. In her remarks, Alice Lee introduced community resources available through Harris County Precinct 4, expressed support for Xiangqi activities, and encouraged young players to carry forward and further develop traditions in the arts and sports. On behalf of Precinct 4, she also presented certificates of recognition to AFNB, HXA, and CCC. Anna Liu congratulated the organizers on the tournament’s success on behalf of AFNB and expressed her hope that Xiangqi activities in Houston would continue to flourish. Representing the HXA, James Shu expressed sincere gratitude to AFNB for its many years of sponsorship and to Harris County Precinct 4 for its support. Xu recalled that, since the inaugural AFNB Cup in 2009, the tournament has now been held 12 times over a span of 17 years and has become a traditional event in the North American Xiangqi community. Activities such as this helped Houston successfully host the 18th World Xiangqi Championship in 2023 and the 10th North American Xiangqi Championship in 2026, strengthening Houston’s role as a center of Xiangqi activity in North America. On behalf of the HXA, he once again paid tribute to AFNB for its strong promotion and support of cultural and sports activities.

          The successful staging of this tournament was made possible by the strong support of partner organizations and sponsors, as well as the dedicated efforts of the referees, staff, and volunteers. The organizers said they will build on the success of this year’s event to further promote the growth and popularity of Xiangqi across North America, attract more young people to the game, and foster the sharing and appreciation of traditional Chinese culture.