Sim Jong Sop works at the International Friendship Exhibition House.

In late September last year, as a player of the Pyongyang municipality team, he won three diplomas at the janggi (Korean chess) event of the national Taekwon-Do technique innovation contest, which was held under the concern of many janggi fans.

He was interested in playing janggi when he was six years old.

Young as he was, he felt curious about the game whenever he saw his father and brother playing the folk game.

His father was a veteran janggi fan. He had won the janggi competition several times, which were held for those engaged in the education sector in Pyongyang.

First he learned from his brother the method of putting chessmen on the chessboard. Gradually, he learned from his father the history and tradition of the game and the chessmen’s moves one after another.

Under the influence of his father and brother, he developed a taste for the game, and delved into its world; he came to know that it is not merely one of leisure activities but helps one to possess sound moral traits and personality.

While mastering skills, he often played the game with aces, and participated in the friendship matches with foreign players. In the course of this, his skills further improved.

He made his debut in the janggi event of the national Taekwon-Do technique innovation contest held last year.

Experts and fans commented that it would be a sharp competition as it drew scores of excellent players from Pyongyang and provinces, and all of them had to compete with each other.

In the contest, he demonstrated his abilities in the preliminaries and knockout competitions by winning single-round match.

In the final match, he played against a well-known player from Jagang Province.

Whenever they made a move, they were under a psychological burden.

Both players concentrated their attention to break down the counterpart’s position in accordance with their tactical intentions, and watched for unexpected counterattacks on the counterpart’s vulnerable points amid uninterrupted offensive and defence.

At last, Sim won the match.

And it was followed by his winning in the doubles, and he rendered a great service to his team’s winning in the team event.

He won in the single, doubles and team events, thus winning three diplomas.

After the contest, when journalists asked him how he could play such wonderful games in his thirties, he answered:

Janggi is part of my life. I always think of the game, and love to discuss about its moves with others. Though I’ve won in the contest, I think I am still far behind to master the high techniques of the traditional game, and I’m determined to play better in other games in the future.

He is a member of the Janggi Association of Korea, and is actively engaging in the work of widely disseminating the folk game at home and abroad, which is associated with the wisdom and talent of his nation.