I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 256: As If Divine Light Pierced the Clouds

“Two-space jump?!”

In the Playing Room, Yi Yien stared at the massive white stone in the center of the board, frozen in place.

“That jump...”

A second later, realization slammed into Yi Yien like a freight train. His hand, already halfway into the Go bowl, trembled violently. His pupils contracted, and cold sweat burst from his forehead.

“That move not only shut down my attack on White’s lower-right group—”

“But it also gives White massive potential territory across the entire bottom!”

This two-space jump wasn’t some incomprehensible Go theory. The moment it landed, its intention was clear. But the problem was—no one would’ve ever thought to make such a move in the vast, open center!

And yet, that’s exactly what he did.

Yi Yien’s expression instantly turned ugly. After a long, painful think, he finally reached back into the bowl and dropped a black stone with a sharp clack.

Column 14, Row 15—Point!

Seeing Black play, Yu Shao instantly pulled out a white stone and responded quickly.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 14—Peep!

Yi Yien’s face darkened even more. A flush rose to his cheeks as he responded with another move.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

“At this point... my only choice is to invade the bottom and force a kill on White’s framework!”

Soon, after a few more moves, Yi Yien grabbed a stone from the bowl and dropped it with gritted teeth.

Column 7, Row 17—Small Knight’s Move!

A fierce fight exploded in the lower-left corner between Black and White.

In the American team’s review room, the tension on everyone’s face was unmistakable. One by one, they pulled stones from the bowls to mirror the moves onscreen.

“Yi Yien managed to live in the lower left... but White completely locked down the bottom!”

Wan Jing stared hard at the board in front of him, sweat beading on his forehead as he worked through the positions in his head. “Luckily, Black has a counterattack on the upper left!”

Just as he said that, another white stone landed onscreen.

Column 5, Row 2—Stand!

Seeing that move, everyone’s expression shifted—eyes widening in shock.

“What?”

The blond youth couldn’t believe it. “He didn’t extend to the side—he stood up into the lower right instead?”

Ma Dong remained relatively composed. He studied the board carefully, reached into the bowl, and quickly laid out the follow-up variations on the practice board.

Tap. Tap. Tap...

As the sequence unfolded, everyone's faces changed dramatically.

“That stand move... it looks small compared to an extension, but...” Wan Jing's voice rose in astonishment, “White just secured over twenty points of territory in the upper side?!”

“And with that stand, there’s also potential to jump into the corner!”

Eddie’s expression grew grim. “But thankfully, since White didn’t extend, Black can still grab the left side and build a large framework.”

The group exhaled in mild relief.

Onscreen, Black and White continued trading moves. The next seven or eight plays were all standard and quickly brought the board to the same state as Ma Dong’s earlier forecast.

Black, Column 4, Row 11—Extension!

As soon as Black’s move landed, White answered immediately:

Tap!

Column 9, Row 6—Small Knight’s Move!

The moment that white stone hit the board, the review room fell completely silent.

Everyone locked their eyes on the TV screen, their hands frozen, backs stiff. It was like their voices were stuck in their throats—unable to speak, barely able to breathe.

After a long pause, Eddie’s voice trembled slightly as he finally said, “After that small knight’s move, the five Black stones on the upper right just... lost their thickness!”

“Black can no longer develop territory on the left!”

“Looking back now—White’s earlier attach move, the one we all thought was crude, wasn’t for a passive lead—it was to grab absolute sente and seize the key area!”

That previously dismissed attach move now blazed with brilliance—it had been the setup all along.

“Black still has a good move here,” Zeng Jun suddenly said from the back of the room.

A good move?

Everyone, stunned and despairing, immediately looked toward him.

Zeng Jun’s expression was serious as he said, “If Black plays at Column 7, Row 11—a High Knight’s Jump into the center—he can still tussle with White.”

The others quickly glanced back at their boards, found the spot he mentioned, placed the stone, and began working through variations.

“A divine move!”

Eddie swallowed hard. “If he jumps here, it not only connects with the five Black stones above, but also opens up expansion to the left—and it could even limit White’s lower-right potential!”

“But the problem is—Yi Yien might not be able to find this move.”

Someone in the crowd muttered it quietly.

The review room fell into silence once more.

It was true. Even if a great move existed, finding it at this moment was another challenge entirely.

Everyone held their breath, eyes glued to the TV, anxiously awaiting Black’s next move.

This long think dragged on—agonizingly long.

Minute after minute passed.

And finally.

After what felt like forever, Yi Yien reached into the bowl and pulled out a black stone.

Under the tense gaze of the entire review room—he placed it.

Tap!

Column 7, Row 11—High Knight’s Jump!

Everyone blinked.

And then—cheers broke out.

“He found it!”

“He actually played it, even after all that thinking!”

“The game isn’t over! As long as Black chokes out White’s development and converts his framework into real territory, he can still win!”

The room buzzed with excitement—but Zeng Jun remained silent, staring at the screen, not looking too optimistic.

Finding that move only avoided collapse. The board was still tight, and White’s potential was enormous. If Black couldn’t stifle White’s expansion, he still had no way to turn it around.

Still, one thing was clear—Black would now go all in. He’d throw everything into a desperate assault, forcing a brutal kill battle. There might even be a Ko fight—anything to blow open the game!

Onscreen, a white stone floated down onto the board.

Column 6, Row 9—Suspend!

Zeng Jun’s expression shifted.

“...He suspended the stone inside Black’s formation?!”

Others noticed too.

“He... invaded Black’s sphere of influence? He’s trying to kill Black’s entire framework!”

Their faces paled.

The room fell deathly quiet again.

Against all expectations, it wasn’t Black who struck first—it was White!

Of course, it wasn’t inherently wrong for White to initiate. If he could bust through Black’s framework and tear it apart—then it was game over.

But Yu Shao had already played five full games.

This was his sixth!

And yet—he just suspended a stone straight into Black’s territory, trying to force a kill despite being visibly exhausted.

That sheer killing intent sent chills down everyone's spine.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Black and White continued trading fierce blows.

Time passed. The board position became increasingly volatile and dangerous.

White’s every move crackled with intensity, relentlessly targeting Black’s weak points. At first, Black could still respond, sometimes countering with offense of his own.

But under the suffocating pressure of White’s continuous attacks, each move grew sharper than the last.

Even through the screen, everyone could feel the icy edge of White’s killing aura.

After a dozen more moves, Black backed down—retreating with a small knight’s move.

“The five stones on the upper right retreated—and now White jumped to the left. That whole section of Black’s left side is in danger too!”

Wan Jing’s voice was anxious. “He shouldn’t have backed off! Yi Yien was scared to fight him—he lost the momentum!”

Everyone kept their eyes on the screen, watching the stones drop one after another.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

No one knew how long had passed.

But then—a white stone landed again.

Column 8, Row 12—Peep!

That peep turned everyone’s face pale.

“That move just cut off Black’s liberties. Not only the left and upper right—but even the lower right is in danger now!”

Eddie stared at the screen, his voice hoarse.

“That one small knight’s move from White... broke Black’s entire framework into three isolated groups!”

Without realizing it, the review room had gone completely silent. No one spoke. No one continued analyzing.

Because they all saw it—the outcome was clear. Yi Yien wasn’t fighting back anymore—he was just barely holding on.

Black could no longer threaten White.

At last—

After what felt like an eternity, under the watch of the whole room, two Black stones fell to the board.

Black, resigned.

Yi Yien—had lost.

No one said a word. They all stared at the screen, fear gripping their hearts.

Looking back on the match—after that single small knight’s move, White—who had already fought through five games—exploded with even greater momentum than before.

A chain of attacks that was like divine light piercing through clouds.

White seized initiative at every turn, slicing Black’s massive framework into three isolated groups.