Among Zhang's more notable results are the silver medal in the 1998 World Junior Chess Championship (behind Darmen Sadvakasov), first in the 2001 Chinese Championship, 8.5/12 at the 2002 Chess Olympiad in Bled, and first with 11/13 at the Corus B tournament in Wijk aan Zee in 2003, three points ahead of his nearest rival (a result which qualified him for the prestigious main Wijk aan Zee tournament in 2004).
As of 2003, Zhang is almost always opening with 1. e4 when he has white, playing the Ruy Lopez after 1... e5 and usually avoiding the main lines of the Sicilian Defence (1... c5) by playing 2. Nf3 and 3. Bb5 (or 3. d3 after 2... e6). With black, he usually plays the Sicilian against 1. e4, sometimes the Najdorf variation. Against 1. d4 he has usually played Indian defences (the Nimzo-Indian Defence and the Queen's Indian Defence; see chess opening for an overview of these openings).
On the January 2004 FIDE Elo rating list, Zhang has a rating of 2644, making him the world number forty-seven and Chinese number two (behind Ye Jiangchuan).