Chinese chess goes international San-Don Lee, chairman of the Forshang World Foundation, has been an ardent fan of Chinese chess since childhood. His concern at the lack of professionalism in the Chinese chess world prompted him to organize the Forshang Cup in hopes that the tournament would familiarize more people with the sport, bolster the morale of players, and introduce a bit of Chinese culture to the rest of the world.
自幼喜愛下棋、關心棋界發展的佛乘世界文教基金會導師會長李善單，看到了象棋這一特殊中國古老文化在現代發展的侷限，三年前遂決定舉辦一個大型的國際性象棋比賽，希望以此做為推動力，提昇人們對象棋的認知，也提振棋手士氣，並藉此對外介紹中國文化。