I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 22: A Go World Untouched by AI

On the other side.

After returning home and finishing his homework, Yu Shao couldn’t help but recall the game he played against Zheng Qin at the chess hall earlier that afternoon.

"The fact that I almost lost that game… Although it was mostly because I underestimated him, it still highlights my glaring weakness in attacking and killing."

Yu Shao had been acutely aware of his shortcomings even in his previous life. His weakness was clear: he wasn’t adept at offensive play. His playing style was dense and meticulous, often prioritizing invincibility while waiting for his opponent’s mistakes.

He excelled at using influence to suppress opponents, gradually dismantling their territories and strangling them with subtle moves. However, grand, aggressive offensive maneuvers were a significant shortcoming of his playstyle.

In fact, there’s a counterintuitive phenomenon in Go: in most matches, the one attacking frequently tends to be the weaker player.

In Go, offense isn’t always the optimal choice, as it often exposes one’s own weak shapes. Matches between two strong players are typically subtle and intricate, unfolding in ways that make one shudder upon deeper reflection.

Top players possess far-reaching calculative depth, strategizing over countless possibilities. They excel at orchestrating the entire board, adhering to the principle: "Those who fail to plan for eternity are unfit to plan for the moment."

But this approach of managing the entire board often results in top players appearing less aggressive. They don’t seek immediate advantage but aim for the long-term.

When such players do choose to attack, it’s either because they’ve fallen into a disadvantageous position or because they’ve calculated everything thoroughly and are ready to start slaying dragons.

Of course, there’s another type of player: the pure attack-oriented player.

These players may not be as skilled at managing the overall board compared to someone like Yu Shao. However, they possess an extraordinarily sharp sense for attacking and killing. Their understanding of dead shapes and thickness surpasses that of ordinary players.

They can pinpoint key areas on the board with precision and launch ferocious assaults akin to a violent storm, overwhelming opponents and seizing control of the game’s tempo.

Yet, such players are rare among high-level players. Even when they face meticulous players like Yu Shao, the results are usually a toss-up.

After all, while their attacking skills may be impressive, when facing opponents of similar caliber, the more aggressively they attack, the more weaknesses they reveal, making it easier for them to be countered.

Yu Shao felt that his inadequacy in offensive play only stood out when compared to this type of player. Otherwise, if today’s match had truly turned into a strategic tug-of-war, Zheng Qin wouldn’t have had any chance to retaliate.

As for players who can manage the board with meticulous calculations and wield the deadliest offensive capabilities, Yu Shao only knew of one: Go AI.

Reviewing Go AI game records often reveals how it balances overall board control with devastatingly relentless attacks.

Especially in matches between two Go AIs, the exchanges are often so brutal and dazzling that even professional players are left drenched in sweat.

At this thought, Yu Shao suddenly remembered the peculiar reactions from the crowd at the chess hall when he played the 3-3 Point.

"Could it be… this world hasn’t developed Go AI yet?"

The idea made Yu Shao uneasy.

The technological level of this world seemed about the same as it was in his previous life when he transmigrated: computers, smartphones, VR glasses—it all seemed familiar. Yu Shao had never considered the possibility that this world might lack Go AI.

After mulling it over, Yu Shao went into his study, turned on his computer, and began searching for information about Go AI.

However, after flipping through several pages of search results, he found no relevant information about Go AI.

The only vaguely related topic he encountered was a post on a Go forum, where someone had asked if computers could beat human players in Go.

The replies were overwhelmingly dismissive:

【I Defy Fate and Achieve the Impossible】: Bro, that’s impossible. Maybe for other games, but Go? Absolutely not!

【Memoirs of My Late Wife】: Let’s analyze this rationally. Do you know how many variations there are in Go? 10 to the power of 170! That’s more than the total number of atoms in the known universe! Your computer would fry itself trying to calculate that much.

【Strategist Entering the Board】: Go is too complex. Computers can easily calculate all variations in other board games, but not Go. Thinking about it, anyone who plays Go well must be truly amazing.

"There really isn’t one?"

Yu Shao was dumbfounded. These comments were all too familiar to him. Before Go AI emerged in his previous life, the general consensus had been that it was impossible for AI to beat human players in Go. The reasons given were practically identical to those he just read on the forum.

And indeed, even the most advanced Go AIs from his past life were far from exhausting all possible variations of Go.

However, Go AI didn’t need to calculate all possibilities. It didn’t need to be perfect—it only needed to be better. That was enough to dominate the Go world and make all human players bow before it.

Unwilling to give up, Yu Shao continued searching for various Go opening structures and strategies online.

The final result was—

The entire collection of Go openings and techniques from the AI era hadn’t yet emerged in this world. Many traditional openings, which were deemed obsolete during the AI era, were still mainstream here!

This was a Go world that had yet to endure the "harsh training" of Go AI!

Yu Shao stared blankly at his computer.

In a world where Go AI already existed, he had managed to climb into the global top five. In this world, where Go AI hadn’t yet appeared, wouldn’t he be able to dominate with ease?

However, to Yu Shao’s surprise, he didn’t feel particularly excited.

Sure, with the AI-era techniques in his mind combined with his own skill, he could easily crush the competition of this era. But what was the point of that?

Go is a game that thrives on equally matched opponents. After all, a single person can never create a legendary match on their own.

"No, that’s not it..."

An idea suddenly flashed in Yu Shao’s mind!

His lack of strength in attacking and killing had always been his greatest shortcoming. The primary reason for this was his aversion to aggressive play. In his previous life, he carried the expectations of many people—he didn’t dare to lose, nor was he allowed to.

But in this life, could he strive to become an attack-oriented player and address his greatest weakness?

"If I could do that, would my skill level reach an entirely new height?"

In his previous life, he had thought about overcoming his weaknesses and breaking through to a higher level. But in critical tournaments, he always ended up sticking to the playing style he was most comfortable with.

However, this second chance at life might just be the opportunity he needed to start over.

To become an attack-oriented player?

Yu Shao stood there for a long time, lost in thought. Suddenly, he blinked.

"Wait, what am I even thinking about?"

"I spent an entire lifetime playing Go in my previous life. Now that I’ve been reborn, shouldn’t I focus on enjoying my youth?"

"I must have been influenced by Zhou De—my brain’s getting a little foggy."

Yu Shao shook his head, stretched lazily, then stood up, turned off the computer, and prepared to take a shower and go to bed.

...