Zhang Pengxiang (; born 29 June 1980 in Tianjin) is a Chinese chess grandmaster and the 2007 Asian Chess Champion. In 2001, he became China's 12th Grandmaster. Zhang's peak rating was 2657 in April 2007 when he was ranked 47th in the world. He has stated his desire to teach and give training to youngsters in China via an online classroom network. He lives in Beijing. Career Zhang learned to play chess when he was 5 years old, and at the age of six he started to play in chess competitions at school. He became national youth champion in 1992 and 1993. He became a FIDE Master in 1996 and an International Master in 1998. He was national junior champion in 1999. He was the runner-up at the 1998 Chinese national men's chess championships. He has been a Grandmaster (GM) since August 2001, when he achieved his last norm at the Asian Continental Championships - won by Xu Jun - in Kolkata where he came fourth with 7.5/11. Earlier that month, he won the Zhong Hong Real Estate Cup in Beijing with 8/11. In November 2001, he upset former world champion Anatoly Karpov (who had an Elo rating 162 points higher) in the first round at the FIDE World Chess Championships in Moscow. Zhang, ranked 113th in the world at the time, held Karpov to two draws in regular matches and forced him into the two tie-breaks. In the first rapid play tie-breaker Zhang won the first game (Slav Defense) where he mounted a stiff opposition as black that eventually Karpov ran out of time in a roughly equal position. In the second tie-breaker (reverse colors), Karpov resigned as Black in 45 moves in a Giuoco Piano. Zhang won 3-1 overall. After that encounter with Karpov, Zhang said he had prepared for two months before the game in case he met him. "I wanted to draw the first two games and to play the tie-breaks. My idea was to avoid the exchange of pieces to preserve my chances and to maintain tension in the game," Zhang said. "I took the upper hand in the second tie-breaker. He used up his time and had to give up." These tactics proved to be a brilliant success against the 48-year-old Karpov, who had already conceded victory to Zhang four years before at an exhibition game in China. Zhang also said "He is my