BEIJING, Aug. 12 -- To win, or not to win is not the most important question Chinese chess players may ask.

Without intuition, Chinese chess would lose its appeal to both the players and the audience.

"How do you face an opponent like that that is so emotionless?" Xu Tianhong sighed after the match.

Over centuries, Chinese have developed a set of codes for chess.

Two men are supposed to sit face to face, close enough for them to judge from each other's face. For Chinese chess, the state of mind is critical point to compete with.

A psychological battle is also one of the most fascinating parts in Chinese chess.

"A slight expression might leak a critical message: your opponent is flurried," Xu Tianhong told China Daily.

Once a chess player is flurried, his opponent would scratch this opportunity to attack. This attack is often regarded a deadly blow in Chinese chess.

On the other hand, the tradition has cultivated chess players' habit of observing their opponents.

"It is a great fun to observe your opponent," Liu Yu, an amateur Chinese chess player told China Daily. "The changes in the board are accompanied by the shifting expressions."

However, human players are often overwhelmed by the absolute rationality of the computer. Computer doesn't know what it's winning or losing. So it doesn't care about the games.

"You can't see the computer sweating at all," Liu Yu said, "you can communicate your moves but you cannot communicate your emotions."

For many Chinese chess lovers, it's most unpleasant that they understand their opponent is not subject to the fatigue or any other emotions.

"It's totally different in all senses playing against a machine," Liu said. "It's a different game. The machine doesn't share emotions or has its own style like a human opponent. I don't really know what to expect."

(Source: China Daily)