The Chinese men's team has won the silver medal in the World Chess Team Championship, which has concluded in the Israeli city of Be'er Sheva. China was defeated by Russia in the final matches on Friday, giving the championship to its opponent.

Pity has been amongst the most frequently used words expressed by Chinese players to describe Friday’s matches with the Russians.

Before the matches, China was already 2.5 points ahead of Russia. That is, Chinese team only needed one point to win the gold.

When Bu Xiangzhi finished his match first and scored half a point, some reporters already began compiling their reports with the title China Wins Gold, because the Chinese team was only half a point away from the champion.

But after some time, anther two Chinese players lost, leaving only 22 year old Ni Hua in the court to defend the lead.

When he finally left the court, the Russians were cheering, and people who had been waiting to see a black horse were disappointed.

"We didn't play well from the very beginning today. Maybe we are tired. Winning a silver is much beyond our original goal, but it is also a pity that we didn't win the gold," said Ni Hua.

Yet, this has been the team's best achievement ever. In the past, their best rating was fifth place.

But, Coach Ye Jiangchuan also feels pity about the result: "The Russians are the best team in the world. Our young players have already played very well, and we were very close to being champions. It is a pity that we failed to grab the opportunity. I think our players will have to improve their technique and mentality."

Alexander Grischuk of the Russian team defeated Zhang Pengxiang Friday, but he said his team fought a very hard war.

He said, "It was very difficult to beat such a strong team. Today they felt a lot of pressure, and from their situation I think it was very difficult for them. It seems they played weaker than they could have performed."

The Chinese men's team had led the race all the way, including a beautiful coup against the defending champions Ukraine Tuesday morning. The women's team, though stood last on the table, has also demonstrated its strength and indepth during the World Team Competition.