I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 263: He’s Been Brewing a Grand Strategy

Inside the Playing Room, the game continued.

“He just... gave up such a huge group of stones? And without hesitation?”

Majie couldn’t help but glance up at Yu Shao. In his eyes, there was now a trace of genuine respect—but beneath that respect, an even deeper killing intent.

Yu Shao had already played seven consecutive games. Yet even in such an exhausted state, he had the courage to execute a massive sacrifice, betting on complex calculations to force a kill. Terrifying.

Majie lowered his head again, staring at the newly placed white stone on the board.

Even though the move had caught him off guard, his expression remained composed. He began calculating every variation that could stem from White’s sacrifice.

Time ticked by silently.

“No good. I can’t calculate it all. That side is way too complex—every move affects the entire board. There might be Ko fights, exchanges, capturing races, sacrifices… it’s beyond what a human mind can fully calculate.”

After a long think, Majie took a deep breath.

“To survive, I only need one way out. But to kill—you have to see through everything.”

His eyes flashed. He pulled out a stone and dropped it decisively.

“He’s burdened by the sacrifice. As long as I hold my shape here, even if I can’t counterkill, as long as I survive, I win.”

“If you really think you can kill me—”

Tap!

Column 7, Row 12—Block!

As the stone landed, it seemed to echo the unspoken thoughts of a warrior.

“Then come and try!”

Yu Shao gazed at the board, calm as ever. Moments later, he picked up a white stone and placed it.

Tap. Tap. Tap…

The stones continued falling like rain. Majie stared at the board, utterly focused. Everything else in the world disappeared. Only the life and death of black and white remained in his mind.

All around the world, viewers watching this fierce sacrificial assault instinctively held their breath. It was as if they could hear their own hearts pounding in their chests.

Everyone understood—this sacrifice was the decisive moment of the game.

At this point, the match had devolved into a brutal life-and-death fight. The board was already out of control. Black most likely had a path to survival—but not guaranteed.

And if White failed to kill Black, the loss in territory and the weight of the sacrifice would create a gap so massive it would be irreparable.

If it were anyone else, people would think White was gambling on a desperate last chance.

But Yu Shao was different.

In the previous seven matches, he had played dazzling combinations, one after another. That fearless, rising battle spirit had already shaken the world.

Not to mention—he had taken down the Demon Blade itself. People still hadn’t recovered from that shock. And right after that came this—Game 8.

Killing Black here would be incredibly difficult—but if anyone had a chance, it was Yu Shao.

“Before that jump, White was perfectly safe when I pushed forward.”

Majie focused on the board, all distractions gone. He reached into the bowl and picked up a black stone.

“But if I play the tiger’s mouth and patch the cut point, he’ll have too many forcing moves. Playing too safe might backfire.”

His gaze sharpened. He dropped the next stone.

“This is where we decide everything.”

Tap!

Column 12, Row 8—Jump!

Everyone watching felt their hearts tremble.

White had launched a sacrificial attack—Black just needed to survive. If Black wanted to avoid White’s sharp follow-up, he should’ve patched his shape immediately.

But Majie hadn’t backed down. He’d jumped out boldly, leaving himself open to a cut. Wasn’t that a huge risk?

And then... realization dawned.

“If he’d patched with the tiger’s mouth, White would’ve had a forcing atari. After Black connects, White would still have many follow-ups!”

In the review room, Qin Lang stared at the screen, voice trembling.

“The jump exposes Black to a cut... but look closely—Black is actually ready to abandon stones!”

“If White cuts, Black will sacrifice, counterattack with a bend-and-cut, and then go after White’s big dragon, flipping the board position!”

Nearby, Le Haoqiang and the others watched in stunned silence, sweat forming on their brows. Even Su Yiming’s expression had grown serious.

If Black escaped freely, his dragon would live—"a dragon soaring into the heavens." At that point, even the finest technique wouldn’t be able to tie it down.

But—

If White cut and Black countered with the bend-and-cut, White’s big dragon would be surrounded. Even if White survived, Black would have seized the initiative.

Back in the Playing Room.

Yu Shao calmly observed the board. Then, without hesitation, he made his move.

Tap!

Column 11, Row 8—Push!

Majie’s eyes narrowed. He responded immediately.

Tap!

Column 3, Row 12—Bend-and-Cut!

Black abandoned the stones!

Well—not quite.

This wasn’t a sacrifice in the traditional sense. By cutting, Black had robbed White’s big dragon of its eyes. If White ignored it, Black would recover those stones and kill the entire group—a massive turnaround.

The process of that dragon kill was incredibly complex, with countless variations.

But Majie had already calculated all of it.

Yu Shao placed another stone:

Tap!

Column 2, Row 12—Hane!

“He patched it.”

Majie stared at the white stone, expression tense.

White’s move had neutralized Black’s killing sequence. If Black wanted to go after the dragon again, he’d be chasing shadows.

But through that clever exchange, Black had secured sente—a breath of air amid White’s storm of attacks.

“Can’t let my guard down.”

Majie kept his focus. On the surface, things looked better—but his group still hadn’t fully lived.

“This group—there’s room to make eyes, but not yet safe. If I patch with a tiger’s mouth, he might slip in. Better to small knight—cut off entry completely.”

He reached into the bowl, then dropped a move with firm resolve.

Tap!

Column 15, Row 6—Small Knight’s Move!

Yu Shao responded quickly.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Crisp stone sounds echoed through the Playing Room. On the board, black and white were entangled in an increasingly complex, mysterious battlefield.

Time passed.

Everyone stared intently at the game, as if watching a war play out—every move filled with open and hidden blows, bursts of brilliance clashing across the board.

As the stones fell, the room fell increasingly silent.

Black was playing brilliantly.

Even the commentators had to admit it.

White’s sacrifice had created a flurry of sente plays. Normally, even thick shapes could be rattled under such an onslaught.

And White’s attack was relentless—every move a hidden threat.

But Black had risen to the challenge, move after move filled with depth, fighting back with equal intensity.

That jump, that small knight’s move—masterfully precise. Even though his dragon lacked eyes, he didn’t rush to build them. Instead, he cut off White’s future invasions at the source.

At this point, Black still hadn’t fully lived, and had suffered heavy losses. But by fighting fire with fire, he had balanced the overall game.

White might still be able to kill the dragon—but the chances... were slim.

If White failed, the cost of the lost territory and the sacrifice would be unbearable.

“There’s still a chance!”

“Black’s dragon doesn’t have eyes yet—it’s not safe!”

“Yeah, there’s still hope!”

In the livestream chat, bullet comments flew by.

Those words lifted spirits a little.

Indeed, while the odds of White killing the dragon were low—they weren’t zero.

And as long as there’s a chance... there’s hope.

Majie had no idea what was happening online.

He was fully immersed in the board before him.

Even though his dragon seemed untouchable now, he remained razor-focused.

Because he knew—the game wasn’t over yet.

“My dragon’s still tight on liberties. If he blocks and cuts again, I could still die. I better patch first.”

Majie stared at the board, then reached out and placed his move.

Tap!

Column 7, Row 13—Tiger’s Mouth!

Across from him, Yu Shao studied the move. A moment later, he picked up a white stone and dropped it.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 11—Peep!

“Peep?”

Majie was startled.

That white stone—just above his dragon—made no sense in the heat of this killing battle.

Why patch now?

After Black’s tiger’s mouth, White should have immediately attacked the dragon’s eye space. Anything else would let the Heavenly Dragon live, and the game would be over!

Still confused, Majie reassessed the board.

And then—

His eyes widened.

His pupils shook uncontrollably. Sweat trickled down his cheek.

That white stone—

And the white stones surrounding it—

Were glowing.

They weren’t random.

Together, they formed an iron wall, encircling the center. A net. An unscalable fortress.

And the black stones in the middle—

Were already dangerously thin.

In Majie’s mind, like a flood of memories, flashed every move Yu Shao had made so far—
the attach to the small point, the sacrifice, the ferocious attacks…

“He gave up territory with that attach, traded it for outer influence... then used the sacrifice to lure the fight into the center!”

“He never intended to kill my dragon. He used the attempt to kill—to take sente and build this wall.”

“That very first sacrifice—”

“He was brewing a grand strategy all along!”

Majie could no longer remain composed.

He looked up sharply—**eyes wide—**and stared at Yu Shao.

“I’ve been caught in his web… without even realizing it!”

Across from him, Yu Shao was already looking back—quietly.