I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 213: Enduring What Others Cannot, Withstanding What Others Would Break Under

“Could it be… there’s some hidden follow-up?”

This move was completely beyond reason, utterly incomprehensible. The spectators could only fix their eyes on the board, desperately trying to calculate possible variations in their minds.

Yet…

Nothing.

The answer remained elusive!

If there was a follow-up, then what was it?!

Le Haoqiang stared at the single white stone on the board, and his mind involuntarily recalled a match from the recent National Master Battle—specifically, that shocking fifth-line shoulder hit.

That move had been utterly unorthodox, defying all convention. But at least it had contributed to expanding central influence. This move, however? Its purpose was completely unfathomable!

“Whatever the case… whether it’s a fifth-line shoulder hit or a fifth-line hanging move! Whether it’s unreasonable or part of a hidden strategy!”

Le Haoqiang took a deep breath. Instead of being rattled by the unexpected play, he felt an unprecedented calm wash over him. His eyes lowered as he studied the board meticulously, carefully considering the game’s trajectory.

A moment later, he reached into the bowl, picked up a black stone, and placed it down decisively.

“My only task is to play every move well… and win!”

Click!

Column 4, Row 5—Peep!

The moment his stone landed, Le Haoqiang looked up at Yu Shao across the board. His gaze was like that of a lone wolf—sharp, aggressive, and unwavering.

Despite his young age, his stare carried a powerful sense of dominance.

“Come on, then!”

This peep, reinforcing the corner, was the most severe counter to White’s high-hanging move, threatening to solidify territorial control and forcing White to respond immediately.

Rather than engaging in a grand-scale central battle—where both sides would wage an all-or-nothing war over large frameworks—Black had opted for a tactical skirmish in the corner.

Yu Shao reached into the bowl and placed another white stone on the board.

Click!

Column 5, Row 4—Extend!

Le Haoqiang had clearly anticipated this. Without hesitation, he grabbed a black stone and placed it down.

Column 5, Row 6—Hane!

Yu Shao followed up swiftly.

Click!

Column 6, Row 6—Hane!

Black responded immediately.

Column 5, Row 7—Extend!

White followed up like a shooting star streaking across the board.

Column 6, Row 7—Press!

“He pressed on the fourth line, and now he’s pressing on the fifth?”

The spectators looked on in shock.

But Le Haoqiang remained unshaken, his expression as composed as ever. After analyzing the board for a brief moment, he once again picked up a black stone and placed it decisively.

Click!

Column 6, Row 8—Hane!

Yu Shao countered without hesitation.

Click!

Column 7, Row 8—Hane!

At this moment, someone in the crowd swallowed hard, their eyes filled with disbelief.

“He pressed on the fifth line… and now he’s continuing on the sixth?!”

Le Haoqiang shot a glance at Yu Shao before swiftly placing another move.

Click!

Column 6, Row 9—Extend!

“This is reckless!”

Many spectators couldn’t help but gulp. They had initially thought White’s high-hanging move was a calculated reduction, but now it seemed… there was no deeper plan at all!

By pressing on the fifth and then the sixth line, White had inadvertently allowed Black to consolidate a massive corner territory!

At that moment, several players suddenly turned to each other, exchanged glances, and silently left the chess room.

Once outside, they rushed to the review room, grabbed stones from the bowls, and began replicating the board position from Yu Shao and Le Haoqiang’s game.

“I’ll check again.”

One of them left the review room and returned to the main hall, fixing his gaze on the ongoing game.

At that moment, Yu Shao had already placed another stone.

Click!

Column 7, Row 4—Jump!

Upon seeing this move, the young man turned and left the room once more.

As his figure disappeared through the door, more players started realizing what was happening. They, too, hurried off to the review room, eager to analyze the game for themselves. Among them was Zheng Qin.

Su Yiming, however, remained where he was, his eyes glued to the board. It was as if he had completely forgotten about his own game.

Opposite him, Feng Zhenzhong, who had already made his move, alternated between blushing and paling, his emotions in turmoil.

…

…

“Faced with White’s jump, Le Haoqiang responded with a peep at Column 5, Row 2.”

The young man reporting the moves stepped into the review room and announced, “Yu Shao then followed up with a Tiger’s Mouth.”

“A peep on the second line?”

Hearing this, someone nodded gravely before placing a black stone on the corresponding position.

“Peeping on the second line completely avoids White’s cutting threats. As expected of Le Haoqiang—his play is watertight,” someone remarked as they studied the board.

“But Yu Shao’s Tiger’s Mouth is also an excellent move.”

Dou Yiming picked up a white stone and carefully placed it at Column 8, Row 7. He gazed at the board with deep concentration.

“It’s an incredibly solid move, reinforcing the cutting point.”

“However…”

One player took a deep breath, still unable to shake their confusion—if anything, they were even more perplexed now.

“Black has such a massive territory on the left. What is Yu Shao thinking?”

No one had an answer.

Or rather, this was exactly what they were trying to figure out by analyzing the game in the review room.

A high-hanging move at that position to reduce Black’s large framework—such an approach was utterly baffling. Pressing on the fourth line, then the fifth, and even the sixth, had effectively handed Black control of the right-side territory.

What’s more, White had gained nothing in return. The upper-left White stones hadn’t secured any significant territory, while Black had taken massive profit with zero compensation for White!

Zheng Qin studied the board in silence for a moment before pointing to a specific position and frowning. "If White plays a Tiger’s Mouth here, will Black extend in this direction?"

"Extend here?"

A young player immediately reached into the bowl and placed a black stone on the board. Dou Yiming and a few others began discussing possible variations, replaying different scenarios.

They had barely started when the game recorder rushed back into the main playing room, his face openly displaying shock. The moment he stepped into the review room, he announced loudly:

"The next move—Le Haoqiang has played at Column 3, Row 15! He’s attached in the lower-left!"

"He attached?!"

The room collectively froze for a moment before turning their attention to the board. As they processed what had just happened, identical looks of astonishment spread across their faces.

"Le Haoqiang didn’t sit back and defend his massive territory—he attacked instead!"

"This move clamps down on White, forcing a response. It’s a precise strike, threading the needle at just the right moment. The next few exchanges will be explosive!"

Dou Yiming clapped his fan against his palm, clicking his tongue with a pained expression. But even so, he admitted, "I’d expect nothing less… from Le Haoqiang."

Another player nodded solemnly. "Just from this one move, you can tell—Le Haoqiang’s will to win is unstoppable in this game."

"This match… he might just go all out in a real blaze of fire!"

---

Inside the game room.

"He attached!"

Watching Le Haoqiang’s fierce attachment, Wu Zhixuan glanced at Yu Shao, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes.

She still couldn’t understand why Yu Shao had chosen that high-hanging invasion. She was certain he wouldn’t make a move without a plan, but the fact remained—Black had already secured a massive territory!

And now, with this powerful attachment, Black was applying direct pressure on White’s lower-left stones. Even if it didn’t outright kill White’s group, it would at least heavily restrict White’s development!

Click!

The crisp sound of a stone landing echoed through the room as Yu Shao finally reached into the bowl, picked up a white stone, and gently placed it down.

Click!

Column 4, Row 15—Tiger’s Mouth!

On the sidelines, Su Yiming still hadn’t returned to his own board, quietly observing the game unfold.

"He played a Tiger’s Mouth!"

Le Haoqiang’s eyes flashed as he pondered for a brief moment before swiftly picking up another stone and placing it down.

Click!

Column 3, Row 14—Extend!

Yu Shao responded immediately.

Click!

Column 2, Row 16—Stand!

"So strong!"

Wu Zhixuan clenched her fists as she stared at the board, the worry on her face growing more pronounced.

"With those two clever exchanges, Black has once again expanded his territorial control along the edge!"

Seeing Yu Shao’s standing move, Le Haoqiang didn’t rush to play his next stone. Instead, he studied the board carefully, his expression calm and composed.

"The battle for the left flank… is over."

"Black has taken such a massive profit here. Without a doubt, I’ve come out ahead in this exchange!"

"However—"

Le Haoqiang’s gaze shifted toward the lone White stone at Column 5, Row 5.

"This isn’t entirely my doing. It’s the consequence of White’s high-hanging reduction… a self-inflicted disaster!"

Reaching this point in the game, Le Haoqiang still saw no hidden follow-ups from White. It was as if that hanging move had only served to donate territory to Black—nothing more!

Yet, instead of letting his guard down, his eyes grew even sharper.

He couldn’t help but recall the match between Yu Shao and Zheng Qin from the National Master Battle. No matter what the board looked like now, he refused to believe that someone capable of playing a game like that would crumble so easily!

"I can’t let my guard down!"

"I need to push White into a corner—keep fighting all the way to the endgame!"

After a brief pause, Le Haoqiang finally reached into the bowl once more.

The next moment, his stone landed on the board.

Click!

Column 16, Row 10—Extend!

Seeing this move, the game recorder immediately turned and hurried back to the review room. The moment he stepped inside, he announced loudly:

"Le Haoqiang ignored local fights and extended at the Star Point, seizing the biggest point on the right side!"

The players in the review room were taken aback upon hearing this. Without hesitation, they grabbed black stones from the bowl and placed them in the corresponding position on the board’s right side.

"He ignored the fight and extended… I didn’t expect this. Le Haoqiang is playing with unexpected composure—he didn’t get caught up in further battles on the left."

A player stared at the board, his face filled with surprise. "Just moments ago, he was fiercely clashing with White in the corner, fighting tooth and nail. And now, he’s coolly shifting his focus to the whole board, looking to form a framework on the right!"

"This is one of the reasons why Le Haoqiang is so strong."

Another player nodded with a serious expression. "His play is aggressive, yet extremely disciplined. He never lets emotions dictate his moves. He’s patient, always waiting for the right opportunity, and his judgment is precise!"

"He can endure what others cannot and withstand what others would break under. That’s why… he can achieve what others cannot!"

"When he sees an opening, he strikes swiftly, with relentless precision, suffocating his opponents with an airtight offensive!"

"Even now, despite his overwhelming killing intent, if he judges that extending for a bigger point is better—even by just a small margin—then…"

The player paused for a moment before concluding,

"Then he will, without hesitation, abandon the local battle and take the biggest point on the board!"

Hearing this, Dou Yiming’s expression darkened slightly, but he didn’t argue—because it was the undeniable truth.

"The left-side Black territory is already massive. No matter what, White cannot allow Black to form another huge framework on the right!"

Among the crowd, Zheng Qin didn’t say a word. He kept his eyes fixed on the board, deep in thought. Finally, after a long silence, he spoke in a low voice.

"White’s next move… must be an invasion into Black’s framework. He has no choice but to break it apart."