I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 262: A Gap So Wide, It Becomes Unreachable

"He actually attached directly?!"

It took a long moment for Majie to suppress the emotions stirring within him. He forced himself to calm down, staring intently at the board, running through countless follow-up variations in his mind.

That attach was unbelievably aggressive—borderline reckless. There was no way Black could tenuki from it. He had to respond immediately, or White would dismantle the entire formation!

“There are four main responses. I could extend left or right, or hane up or down. But extending in either direction would seem too passive, and hane down might mess up my shape.”

“If I hane upward, it’ll spark a direct fight in the lower-right—could even erupt into a capturing race. Originally, I was trying to extend the fight across the board, not start a brawl here!”

At last, Majie pulled a stone from the bowl and played decisively.

“But... so be it!”

Tap!

Column 17, Row 16—Upward Hane!

It was the most aggressive counter to White’s attach. Now, with two Black stones flanking White, it was White who looked in danger.

Seeing this, Yu Shao immediately followed up.

Tap!

Column 15, Row 17—Downward Hane!

“He hane’d back.”

Majie wasn’t surprised. He calmly considered the situation, then reached in again and played.

“Let’s go!”

Tap!

Column 16, Row 15—Atari!

Yu Shao responded without hesitation.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The two began placing stones at lightning speed—locked in a fierce battle right from the opening, tightly entangled in the lower right. The energy of the match was already searing hot.

“This is... not looking great.”

Before long, the female recorder and the two referees found their hearts tightening in concern.

“Attaching to the small point was just too aggressive. The lower-right fight is turning extremely complicated. And Majie’s responses to this reckless attach—they’ve been calm and composed.”

The female recorder’s hand on the mouse was slick with sweat.

“He didn’t retaliate immediately—he let White overextend and used the attack to gain shape and real territory. His restraint is terrifying.”

She couldn't help but glance toward the chestnut-haired young man across from Yu Shao. The name Majie etched itself deeper in her memory—his reputation was clearly well-earned.

On the board, the stones continued falling.

Yu Shao stared at the position, his mind racing through countless possibilities.

“Although attaching to the small point... has never been used in this world before…”

He finally lifted his eyes and met Majie’s gaze.

Majie just so happened to look up too. His brown eyes were steady, even gleaming faintly with a hint of sharpness—a unyielding spirit that didn’t lose to anyone.

Their eyes locked in midair.

“Even in this unfamiliar position, his every move has been flawless. His reading is deep.”

Yu Shao’s gaze remained calm.

“There was an atari trap earlier, but he saw right through it—didn’t take the bait, and reinforced instead.”

After a pause, Yu Shao looked back at the lower-right and assessed the position.

“In this fight, I’ve gained nothing—and even lost a bit of territory.”

If Black responds accurately, then attaching to the small point does result in a loss of territory. There’s no doubt about that. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been labeled a "bad move" before the AI era.

For someone to respond flawlessly the very first time they face it—maximizing White’s weaknesses—such players are rare.

But—

Even if it loses territory, the attach to small point was still playable. It had its justification.

By this point, White wasn’t at a disadvantage—just hadn’t gained an edge.

Still, Majie had managed to exploit the weakness of the attach to its full extent, which surprised Yu Shao.

Despite his youth, Majie’s moves showed no immaturity. Every play looked composed on the surface, but was brimming with hidden threats—drawing Yu Shao's offense into his rhythm.

“He’s not someone who can be beaten easily…”

Yu Shao stared at the black-and-white battlefield before him, reached into the bowl, plucked out a white stone—and swiftly placed it.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 15—Small Knight’s Move!

“A small knight into the center after tenuki?”

The recorder and two referees all flinched.

“That area’s wide open. What’s the point of playing there?!”

They stared at the board in confusion.

“White hasn’t even settled in the lower right. If Black ataris and cuts off the shape now, White will be forced into a life-and-death fight!”

But, to their surprise, Majie didn’t play immediately after seeing the move. In fact, his expression grew even more serious.

The three of them instantly fell silent.

Could it be... there was a deeper meaning?

Majie stared at the board. His eyes were fixed on White’s small knight move.

“This… doesn’t look like a bad move.”

At first glance, this floating stone seemed random and disconnected from the current flow. His instinct was to punish White’s group in the upper left.

But right now—Majie had a strong feeling.

This wasn’t a bad move.

He didn’t know why yet, but that feeling wouldn’t go away.

After a long think, Majie’s expression suddenly changed slightly—he’d figured it out.

“So that’s it!”

“That small knight’s move… looking at the whole board, it seems unrelated—but it actually connects to the lower-right position! It sets up for future capturing races in the center!”

He clenched his fist. A sharp glint appeared in his eyes as he pulled out another stone and dropped it.

Tap!

Column 17, Row 12—Hane!

The female recorder and referees froze again.

“Hane there?!”

Gradually, realization dawned on their faces.

They finally understood the intent behind White’s earlier move, and why Black followed up with this hane.

The battle was no longer local—it had shifted to the entire board.

White was using large-scale positional pressure to shift the battlefield!

Yu Shao quickly responded.

Majie tightened his lips and calmly played his move too.

The sound of stones falling echoed through the quiet Go room—each one heart-pounding.

Clack!

Soon, another stone landed.

Tap!

Column 8, Row 12—Jump!

“A brilliant move to reposition!”

The recorder and referees were stunned again. Even they had to admire it—this was a stroke of genius.

Majie’s eyes burned with intensity. His aura grew stronger with every move, and each stone landed with powerful, decisive rhythm.

Yu Shao stared at the board in silence. After a pause, he reached into the bowl again—the stones clicked crisply as they clashed.

Finally, he picked one and placed it carefully.

Tap!

Column 8, Row 11—Attach!

---

In the American team’s review room—

“That jump—what a brilliant way to reposition!”

Everyone was analyzing the follow-up on their boards.

“That small knight move gave me a cold sweat—but Majie responded perfectly. He’s locked down the territory—White has no way to shake it!”

“After the attach to the small point, White lost too much territory. That small knight aimed to spark a large-scale fight, but Majie didn’t give him a chance to recover.”

“That peep from White was clever, but Majie’s cut—textbook tesuji.”

Everyone was flushed, hands busy shifting stones and arguing over the variations.

Just then, the screen updated.

White played another move.

Tap!

Column 8, Row 11—Attach!

“He—”

Zeng Jun lifted his eyes sharply.

“He didn’t respond to Majie’s jump—instead, he’s trying to redirect the fight left. He’s sacrificing stones!”

Is he serious?

That entire group—just thrown away?!

Faces changed. As they watched White abandon such a large group, they all thought back to the killer moves Yu Shao had played in previous matches. A chill crept into their hearts.

Regaining composure, they began laying out the possible sequences.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Stones fell as they followed along—each move making their expressions darker.

“Even after the sacrifice, White still has playable options here. Black should still have the advantage, but White’s sente plays are adding up—it’s way too complex to read clearly.”

Duncan couldn’t help speaking up, his nerves fraying.

“Didn’t expect him to go full attack mode here. If Majie slips, it could spill over and hurt the lower-right territory,” Eddie added gravely.

In the back, Raymond furrowed his brow.

“What are you talking about? If sacrificing that group didn’t lead to any advantage, why would he throw it away?”

“Yes, White has some follow-up, but this fight is extremely complicated. Even if he were a god, there’s no guarantee he wins this!”

“And more importantly—Majie has the advantage. If Yu Shao can’t find a breakthrough here—**even if the fight ends evenly—the gap will grow so wide, it’ll be completely unreachable!”