 Ni Hua scored 4.0/5 (+3 =2 -0) and his team topped the group.In late September 2008, he competed at the 5th Russia v China Match in Ningbo, where he scored 2.5/5 with a performance rating of 2700 for the men's team (with Wang Yue, Wang Hao, Bu Xiangzhi, Li Chao).In January 2009, he won the 51st Reggio Emilia chess tournament, becoming the first Chinese player ever to win this event.