I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 236: Blade and Sword

Black, under the watchful eyes of the world…

A single stone landed on the 3-3 point!

Even through the screen, the sound of the move seemed to pierce through, echoing in the ears of everyone watching—shocking them to their core!

Never in the history of Go had there been a precedent of playing 3-3 this early in the game. Yet now, in this high-stakes final, representing the pinnacle of young professional Go—

Not only had a 3-3 invasion appeared, but twice!

This was a Mutual 3-3 Invasion Game!

For a brief moment, the live chat fell into silence—

Then, an explosion of discussion erupted!

"3-3?!"

In the broadcast studio, Zeng Chenlu stared at the screen, utterly stunned. "Why would he invade 3-3 after playing Triple Star?!"

Ignoring the debate over whether 3-3 was a good move or not, one thing was certain—3-3 was a corner-breaking move.

After Black's Triple Star Formation, they had established an overwhelming influence—Kunlun towering over the board, aiming to flood the game like the Milky Way spilling over.

And yet, despite striving for a massive central framework, Black had just dived into the corner with a 3-3 invasion?!

"Because he wants to strike first rather than be struck."

Zhu Huaian spoke calmly, eyes fixed on the screen. "Yes, he does want to build a massive framework—but he refuses to be bound by it."

"Even if he has to abandon his central plan, he is confident that he will still prevail!"

Handtalk Room

Yu Shao stared at the board, his gaze cold as he observed the black stone at Column 3, Row 17—gleaming as if it carried its own light.

In this lifetime, he had played the 3-3 invasion countless times, using it to defeat opponent after opponent.

But this was the first time he had faced it himself.

Clack.

Yu Shao finally reached into the Go bowl, picked up a stone, and swiftly placed it down.

Tap!

Column 3, Row 16—Block!

After Black's 3-3 invasion, White's block was the natural response. Su Yiming wasn't surprised at all.

Without hesitation, he reached into the Go bowl again, picked up a black stone, and placed it right behind White.

Tap!

Column 4, Row 17—Extend!

Black and White had once again reached the critical turning point of a 3-3 invasion variation!

Seeing the game reach this stage, the female recorder’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might explode.

She stared at the board, hands trembling, waiting for Yu Shao's next move.

Previously, in every game featuring a 3-3 invasion, White would always respond by haneing (bending) without hesitation.

But in this game, after White's 3-3 invasion, Black had extended instead of haneing!

And now, with Black also invading 3-3, what would Yu Shao do?

"Will he… extend too?"

Her throat was dry.

She knew—if Yu Shao also extended instead of haneing…

That would change everything.

Yu Shao stared at the board for a moment before slowly reaching into the Go bowl, pinching a white stone between his fingers.

The next moment—

Tap!

Column 5, Row 17—Hane!

"Hane?"

The female recorder’s face showed a trace of surprise.

"White still chose to hane!"

This move wasn't surprising—it was the default response to a 3-3 invasion.

Yet, for some reason, she felt a strange sense of disappointment…

As if she had been expecting something else.

She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and clicked her mouse to record the move in the game log.

Su Yiming quickly reached into the Go bowl, plucked out a black stone, and decisively played his next move.

Tap!

Column 5, Row 18—Second-Line Hane!

This was a textbook joseki.

Since Black had invaded 3-3, White's hane attempted to cut off any retreat.

White wanted to seal off Black's escape route, forcing Black to die in the corner!

Which meant that Black had no choice but to fight back—hard.

And so—Black bent on the second line!

Clack!

Stones clashed in the Go bowl.

Yu Shao reached in, picked up a white stone, and placed it down.

Tap!

Column 6, Row 18—Double Hane!

"He continued—"

The female recorder’s eyes widened as she stared at the board, completely absorbed.

"White hane'd again!"

According to standard joseki, the common response here would be to extend—forcing Black to crawl along the second line.

This would compress Black's position, limiting their movement while strengthening White.

But…

White didn't extend.

He chose to double hane!

This meant Black wouldn’t be forced to crawl.

Which begged the question—

"Is this exactly what White wanted?"

Broadcast Studio

"He's refusing to force Black to crawl?!"

Zeng Chenlu’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Why?!"

Zhu Huaian, standing beside her, showed no surprise.

Instead, his expression grew serious.

He stared at the screen, deep in thought, without saying a word.

On the big screen, the game continued.

Black—Column 6, Row 17—Cut!

White—Column 5, Row 16—Connect!

Black—Column 7, Row 18—Atari!

White—Column 4, Row 18—Counter-Atari!

Although this board position was completely new—never seen before in any recorded game—

Both players moved instantly, as if they had memorized each other's every move.

What did this mean?

A Battle Between a Blade and a Sword

Go is a battle.

The Triple Star Formation was a blade—an unrelenting weapon of aggression, meant to dominate through sheer force.

The 3-3 invasion was a sword—cutting directly into the heart of the enemy’s formation, disrupting their plans before they could take shape.

And now—

On the board, blade and sword clashed.

Neither side hesitated.

Neither side flinched.

And for the first time in Go history—

The Mutual 3-3 Invasion Game had begun.

It was already beyond words!

As the stones continued to fall, Zhu Huaian’s expression grew colder, his eyes sharp as steel.

The pressure on the board had escalated to an entirely different level.

Tap!

Finally, on the big screen, White made another move!

Column 8, Row 6—Jump!

"White strikes first—"

Zhu Huaian’s gaze instantly sharpened. "This move dives deep into the center—it’s an all-out attack on Black’s massive framework!"

Black's Triple Star Formation was a strategy of sacrificing flesh to forge the bones of a sword.

But White had also been building quietly, patiently weaving an encirclement.

What was that if not sharpening the claws of a dragon?

Review Room—Absolute Silence!

As the white stone appeared on the big screen, an intense tension filled the room.

Everyone’s eyes locked onto the screen, their breath held.

"The massive framework created by Triple Star always invites an invasion. The battle in the center will determine everything—the game will expand and shrink based on the intensity of the attack and counterattack!"

Zhou Wei stared at the screen, his thoughts drifting in the storm of possibilities.

"There’s no middle ground. It’s kill or be killed. This jump is just the prelude—the real life-and-death struggle starts now!"

Beside him, Le Haoqiang clenched his fists.

His gaze was so intense it seemed like he wanted to see through the screen into the Handtalk Room itself.

"The game will soon become brutally simple—an all-out chaotic war, where no standard patterns exist. Every single move will carry weight. One wrong step, and it all collapses!"

"Black, using the Triple Star Formation, is in extreme danger. But White, boldly infiltrating deep into enemy territory, is equally at risk.

"Both sides are gambling their lives!"

As if replaying an old nightmare, Le Haoqiang remembered his own games—one against Yu Shao, one against Su Yiming.

He could still feel the overwhelming power of their strength, far beyond his own reach.

"Who will come out on top in this Mutual 3-3 Invasion game?"

"How will this battle end?"

"And more importantly—what kind of Go will they create?"

Next to him, Gu Chuan also remained silent.

He took a deep breath, staring at the screen.

"This game has defied every expectation from the very start."

"I never imagined that in the most important finals match, someone would actually dare to play Triple Star—a formation so difficult to control!"

"And yet, not only did they play it—they even played Mutual 3-3 Invasions!"

Gu Chuan still couldn't fully comprehend why one player chose to extend instead of hane after 3-3…

And why the other player responded by double haneing instead of following the standard sequence.

"I can't judge these two moves yet."

"At least—not until the game is over!"

Handtalk Room—The Battle Begins!

In the center of the quiet Go room, Black and White continued to clash, stones falling in rapid succession.

The board had begun to show its true ferocity.

"A diagonal move would be a stable choice, but it would slow me down. If Black simply connects, using thickness to pressure me, I might fall into a difficult fight!"

Yu Shao’s mind raced as he calculated every possibility.

"If I cut directly, Black might sacrifice a group and go for a mutual destruction fight—if that happens, the game will turn into a capturing race, and my position is unfavorable. I have to avoid that for now."

"Or…"

Yu Shao shifted his gaze toward the upper-right corner, considering another possibility.

Finally—his hand moved!

He reached into the Go bowl, plucked out a white stone, and slammed it onto the board!

Tap!

"If I can kill off this section of Black’s stones while simultaneously shifting the capturing race to my favor, I’ll suppress Black’s influence—turning their central power against them!"

The blade had been drawn.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 7—Clamp!

Seeing White’s clamp, Su Yiming’s expression grew even more serious. He carefully examined the board, mind racing.

It was as if a phantom board existed within his thoughts, where stones continuously fell, shaping and reshaping the balance of power and territory.

"It looks like he's targeting my isolated stones in the upper right, but in reality, he's preparing for a capturing race in the center."

"If I extend outward, he might peep, threatening my cutting points. But if I press first, I might create an impenetrable mountain range."

"But when that moment comes… will he stop?"

Su Yiming already knew the answer.

"No. He won’t."

"Even if I create a towering structure, there will still be weaknesses. Others might hesitate to invade, but with his deep understanding of thickness and thinness, with his playstyle—he will absolutely strike at the gaps and fight me to the death!"

"If this turns into an all-out battle, I'll be at a disadvantage in this area. Even though the fight will be complex and full of sequences, he will calculate it all—without a doubt!"

Finally, Su Yiming reached into the Go bowl, pinched a black stone, and swiftly placed it on the board.

"Then I’ll cut directly. If he attaches, I’ll force him into a ko fight—a life-or-death struggle!"

Tap!

Column 12, Row 5—Cut!

"He cut!"

Yu Shao wasn’t surprised. His eyes remained locked on the board, deep in thought.

"My first instinct is to attach—to take away Black’s eye space. But when I really think about it, an attachment might be too dangerous. If this turns into a ko fight, I may not have enough ko threats."

"Then I’ll block his retreat—force him to jump out!"

After a brief pause, Yu Shao reached into the Go bowl and played his move!

Tap!

Almost immediately, Su Yiming followed with his own move!

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The rapid exchange of moves continued—each placement laced with killing intent, each stone interwoven like blades clashing in midair!

Broadcast Studio

"The game is getting more and more complex. Facing White’s clamp, Black didn’t extend outward but instead abandoned his isolated group, choosing to cut instead!"

Zeng Chenlu continued analyzing the board, adjusting the stones on the demonstration board as she spoke. The more she arranged the possible sequences, the more puzzled she became.

"Cutting isn’t a bad move, but if Black had extended first, their attack would be much fiercer. Wouldn’t that have been better?"

"No, extending first would have invited an overwhelming counterattack!"

Zhu Huaian shook his head, resetting the board and demonstrating another variation. He placed a white stone down, speaking in a firm tone.

"If White plays here, Black's seemingly aggressive attack becomes unbearably heavy."

"Here?"

Zeng Chenlu looked at the board, then at the demonstration stones—her eyes widened in shock.

"You're right! If White plays here, Black will be in trouble and might even have to fight for life!"

"That’s why Black chose to cut."

Zhu Huaian placed another black stone on the board.

"But White's response is also powerful—directly attaching, tightening the liberties, sacrificing a stone to set up a lethal attack!"

"However, Black's counterplay is just as sharp! Instead of backing down, he lunges forward, threatening White’s weak group and forcing a response!"

Zhu Huaian stood in front of the demonstration board, his expression cold and focused, continuously breaking down the fight.

"White’s answer? Not responding at all—ignoring the threat and directly clamping down on Black’s isolated stones. This will inevitably lead to mutual destruction!"

Zeng Chenlu stood beside him, momentarily unable to say a word.

She could only hold her breath and watch the stones land, as if witnessing two master swordsmen trading devastating blows!

The sound of the stones hitting the board—

Like sparks flying as blades met in midair!

It wasn’t just her.

The tens of thousands of spectators in the live broadcast all held their breath, their eyes glued to the rapidly escalating battle in the center!

The Storm Has Arrived!

As another black stone landed on the big screen, Zhu Huaian’s gaze flickered.

"One of the hardest things about Triple Star is that normally, in Go, you test your opponent’s responses within their territory. But in Triple Star, you let your opponent test you—inside your own domain."

Zhu Huaian spoke slowly, watching the board intently.

"That’s why White has been attacking up until now. Even though Black has played excellent moves, White has still managed to break through a lot of Black's potential territory."

He paused for a moment, then turned back to the screen.

"But—Black has survived the most difficult phase. Now, the framework in the center is finally coming together!"

On the Board—The Avalanche Approaches!

In the center of the board, Black’s formation was beginning to take shape.

Each black stone connected seamlessly, forming an unbroken chain of influence and power—it was as if a great avalanche was poised to crash down!

If the game earlier was like a silent battlefield, where both sides maneuvered in secrecy—

Then now, the clashing forces of black and white had erupted into open war!

Triple Star had sacrificed corner and side territory to expand into the center, and such a massive sacrifice could only be justified if it led to a devastating counterattack!

The reward for Triple Star was simple—

If it succeeded, the entire board would belong to Black.

A structure so overwhelming that it exerted a crushing force over the game—

Like a great roc spreading its wings, ready to blot out the sky.

"The next sequence will be an all-out battle."

"The game will be decided in the center—one will live, and one will die!"