China will hold its first chess match between humans and robots this year according to sources within the Chinese Society of Artificial Intelligence.

Robots are the challengers and will meet five masters of Chinese Chess at the First Chinese Chess Competition in July. In August robots and humans will confront each other once again at the country's first exhibition of artificial intelligence products and achievements.

The competition, to be held from July 25-31, will be sponsored by the Society of Artificial Intelligence and three Universities.

Chinese scientists, who have developed the participating robots, have studied robots playing Chinese Chess which is different from the popular chess.

As well as the competition there will be a symposium at which scientists will share their views on the Chinese Chess-playing robots!

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2006)