"Cut..."
Yu Shao saw this cut move and couldn't help but slightly nod in approval.
Even to him, this style of play was quite rare, carrying an ancient flavor. It might not be the absolute best move, but it was certainly not bad—just a different way of thinking.
This approach pursues balance across the whole board, whereas most modern players focus on rapid expansion of local stones and influence, so this method has fallen out of favor.
Soon, Yu Shao again picked up a stone and gently placed it down.
Column 14, Row 3, Double Knight's Move!
Seeing this move, everyone's expressions grew more serious, faintly sensing the hidden threat lurking on the board!
The Double Knight's Move formation is the most fierce tactic and the harshest punishment against White's cut!
The Double Knight's Move joseki sacrifices a star point under siege by the opponent to seize a large area. Both black and white can fight over it, but the side facing the Double Knight's Move is inevitably uncomfortable.
However, in this game, Su Yiming resolutely chose to cut the side, letting Black form the Double Knight's Move!Su Yiming's eyes flickered as he placed the stone without hesitation.
Tap!
At this time, a short-statured institute student suddenly shouted, "I know!"
Everyone was stunned and looked at the short boy.
The boy stared intently at the TV screen and said firmly, "It looks like White can accept this position, but Su Yiming must have seen further ahead!"
"If he really plays this way, perhaps at some point in the future, somewhere we haven't calculated, White’s position will become unacceptable!"
"From the previous moves, it's clear Su Yiming is developing towards the center sky, but he doesn’t want to form the shape at a slight loss!"
"Because Yu Shao is strong! Strong enough that any slight loss could lead to total defeat. He wants to guide the board's development exactly as he hopes, under complete equilibrium!"
Hearing this, the professional players in the broadcast room were momentarily dumbfounded, then exchanged looks before bursting into laughter.
"What are you talking about?"
Someone shook their head and smiled: "If you want to guide the board’s development your way, you have to pay a price. Since Yu Shao is strong, expecting to guide the board under perfect equilibrium is almost impossible."
"Right."
Another laughed: "Unlike matches against your institute students, in games between players of this level, the opponent won't let you shape the position as you want."
"Besides, Yu Shao isn't so strong that White losing a little leads to losing the whole game, right?"
The short institute student blushed and opened his mouth to argue but didn't know how to reply, stubbornly insisting, "No, I think it must be so!"
The professionals chuckled and shook their heads, continuing to analyze the game quietly.
...
Inside the Go room.
"We must wait patiently for the right moment!"
Seeing Yu Shao place another stone, Su Yiming quietly watched the board, calculating the following variations in his mind.
"Only when that fleeting moment appears, can I strike with an astonishing blow that immediately stirs upheaval across the whole board and guide the game to the development I foresee."
"Before that, remain calm and silent."
Su Yiming’s eyes were sharp as a sword. He slowly reached into the stone box, picked up a stone.
Tap!
Column 9, Row 15, Block!
Soon, Yu Shao reached into the stone box again, picked up a stone, and placed a black stone close to the upper right star point.
Tap!
Column 14, Row 16, Press!
"Pressing forward, as expected..."
Seeing Yu Shao's move, Su Yiming's expression darkened. He reached into the stone box again. The coldness of the stone seemed to pass through his fingertips, straight to his heart.
That coldness had been the same a thousand years ago, a hundred years ago, and still is today!
This pressing move by Black directly took the outer area, abandoning the corner, with the intent of a strong enclosure in the center!
"He wants to develop toward the center, but he forcefully takes outside influence to suppress me!"
"In this way, in the end, Black might be the one managing the center, and my White stones will have to rescue isolated stones!"
"But—"
"For now, I can only watch and wait. If he wants outside influence, I'll give it to him. If he wants territory, I'll take territory!"
"Even if the board doesn't develop as I expect, at least White can contend with Black. I must patiently wait for the right moment."
"Then, lure him into a deadly battle, so that in the intricate entanglement, territory and influence overturn!"
Click!
With the sound of stones clashing, Su Yiming took a stone from the box.
The stone landed!
Tap!
Column 16, Row 5, Extension!
"Extension?"
Yu Shao lowered his eyes and looked at the board, as if fleeting shadows of subsequent moves appeared before him.
"He didn’t aggressively break through the center with a hane to expand influence, but honestly surrounded the side to take territory..."
"Abandoning further expansion toward the center?"
Yu Shao silently stared at the board for a long time, then finally reached into the box.
The stone was slowly picked out.
"This is what I’ve learned from your play..."
The stone fell!
Column 12, Row 9, Knight's Jump!
The stone landed in the vast center, isolated on all sides, yet it seemed to emit a faint light, overseeing the whole board!
Yu Shao's gaze was calm and his expression peaceful as he looked at this black stone in the center.
"Now, I return it to you!"
"Come!"
...
"Directly jumping in the center, seizing the key battlefield!"
Seeing this black move on the computer screen, someone immediately widened their eyes, as if struck by lightning, uncontrollably standing up slightly!
"This move—"
Someone else stared at the screen, holding their breath, clutching the armrest tightly, disbelief on their face.
"Too divine..."
"A knight's jump?"
In Seoul, South Korea, a group of young professional players were dumbfounded watching the recently placed black stone on the TV screen.
All the variations they had just played out on the board were now invalid because they never dreamed Yu Shao would directly jump so far!
This position clearly was not a bad move. It directly corresponded with the entire board’s stones, but it was hard to imagine this move.
It was so imaginative, so free and uninhibited, it stunned people like a celestial being descending from the sky, brimming with genius brilliance!
However, though the move was obviously strong just from intuition, it was placed in the vast center, feeling somewhat ethereal.
That is, how much this move could actually achieve was an unknown!
More importantly, this bold, elegant style, this high placement move, this pursuit of shape, instinctively made people think of Shen Yi and Su Yiming.
But ironically, the person who made this move’s opponent was Su Yiming.
At this moment, the roles between the two seemed to quietly shift!
An Hongshi quietly sat in his chair, watching the big screen, silent and deep in thought about this move.
...
Back in the Go room.
Su Yiming stared at the board, focusing on the black stone at Column 12, Row 9, his expression still calm.
But his left fist quietly clenched, confirming his inner heart was not as peaceful as it seemed.
This move directly challenged the center, bringing a pressure only someone who often plays such moves could truly feel deeply!
After this move, White's expansion toward the center would become more difficult. Though it seems vague and uncertain...
It is precisely because of this that how much this move can achieve depends on the player’s skill!
"If the next move is a direct cut, White will be forced to surround the side."
After a moment, Su Yiming finally reached into the stone box again and picked up a stone.
"Then, I can only jump away as well, threatening Black’s isolated stones to resist!"
The next second.
Under the world's watchful eyes, Su Yiming picked up a white stone and finally placed it on the board!
Tap!
Column 15, Row 13, Knight's Jump!
Yu Shao lowered his eyelids and quietly looked down at the board. Soon he reached into the stone box again, picked a stone, and slowly placed it.
Tap.
Column 14, Row 13, Extension!
"He continues to extend, wanting to take outside influence and connect and divide my stones to form an iron wall?"
Seeing the black stone placed, Su Yiming's gaze darkened. He quickly picked another stone from the box and placed it immediately after Black's move!
Tap!
Column 9, Row 14, Hane!
Seeing Su Yiming place the stone, Yu Shao instantly picked up another stone and placed it quickly!
Tap!
Column 18, Row 5, Shoulder Hit!
Tap, tap, tap!
The two sides began to alternate placing stones continuously, moving quickly. In the quiet Go room, only the sound of stones hitting the board echoed endlessly.
Beside them, the female recorder and two referees were already somewhat stunned.
This game had completely exceeded their expectations.
The roles of the two players seemed to have thoroughly reversed.
Yu Shao placed stones high, taking the outside, forming a magnificent external influence, and the large center formation was already taking shape!
In contrast, White was now tangled with Black at the side and corner, seemingly abandoning expansion toward the center, instead competing for territory against Black’s influence!
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
The sounds of stones falling continued!
As more black stones appeared on the outside, Black’s center shape became clearer and clearer, like a waking lion, giving a chilling sense of pressure!
Both players’ expressions were cold, repeatedly reaching into the stone box, picking up stones, and placing them continuously!
The sound of stones hitting the board was the players’ deadly battle—a century of thrills, a century later still thrilling!
Soon, Yu Shao again picked up a stone from the box and gently placed it on the board.
Tap!
Column 12, Row 15, Knight's Move!
"Flying, trying to break my empty side?"
Su Yiming’s focus gathered on this newly placed black stone. He immediately calculated the follow-up variations and saw Black’s hidden intent!
This intention was not obvious and deeply concealed. Only by calculating all local variations could the killing potential be seen!
Su Yiming did not move immediately but stared intently at the board.
Time passed, minute by minute.
After five or six minutes, Su Yiming finally reached into the stone box again, slowly picked up a stone, and gently placed it.
Tap!
Column 15, Row 10, Shoulder Hit!
Seeing Su Yiming’s move, Yu Shao immediately reached into the stone box, picked up a stone, and gently placed it!
Tap!
Column 7, Row 13, Shoulder Hit!
"He really shoulder hits!"
Su Yiming saw this aggressive black move full of killing intent and focused his vision on one position on the board.
In his eyes, fleeting shadows of all previous games played against Yu Shao surfaced one by one. Like Yu Shao, these games were still vivid in his memory today!
"The center Black shape is almost complete. If it continues, it will be a clash of territory and influence to decide the winner."
"But—"
"There is still opportunity!"
Su Yiming lowered his gaze at the board. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened.
"The opportunity is already here!"
His right hand reached into the stone box and slowly picked up a stone.
The next moment!
Tap!
On the intersecting grid of the board, a white stone quietly landed.
The moment the stone dropped.
All fell silent!