The norms required for the title were achieved in 2004 at the Aeroflot Open, China Men's Team Championship, and World Junior Chess Championship in Cochin,[2] where he came third.

[3] Playing under the handle CK-324,[4] he earned a spot in the 2006 FIDE Blitz Championship by winning a qualifying tournament on the ICC.

[5][6] Also in 2006, Zhao played for the Chinese national team which won the silver medal in the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin.

He reached the second round in 2007, when he knocked out Pentala Harikrishna in the first before losing to Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu.

Zhao won the 90th Hastings International Chess Congress in January 2015 with a score of 8/9, a full point ahead of the closest followers.