I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 270: The Most Contested Battlefield

"Black just went for a shoulder hit directly, completely ignoring the risk of being cut off by White—way too bold!"
The female recorder’s heart skipped a beat. When she saw Zeng Jun make that move, even though she wasn’t one of the players, she still felt immense pressure coming off the board.
After jotting the move down, she turned back to the board, a bit tense, waiting for Yu Shao’s response.

“Black's shoulder hit is a strong, aggressive move—it gives White zero breathing room. If White jumps to cut off Black, the situation on the board will get super complicated, and both sides could be in danger!”
“If White extends instead, things might calm down, but one careless slip and Black could still turn it against him. It’s a tough call either way!”
“How the game unfolds from here completely depends on how White responds.”

Next to her, the two referees had unconsciously held their breath.
Yu Shao looked down at the board. After a few moments, he finally reached into the Go bowl and picked out a white stone.
The next moment, he placed it on the board.

Tap!
The sound of the move echoed.

And when Yu Shao retracted his hand, and everyone saw exactly where he’d placed his stone—they were stunned, then immediately widened their eyes in shock!

Column 14, Row 5. Press!

Tenuki!

A moment of silence—and then chaos exploded in the live stream!

“What the h*ll?”
“He really tenukied here?”
“That spot is a strategic high ground, a critical area on the board, but... to ignore the cut? If he doesn't respond, White’s entire dragon is in danger! Is he that confident it can survive?”
"....."

The comment section was flying with messages.

“He actually tenukied?”
Zeng Jun’s expression shifted. He finally couldn’t help but lift his gaze to look across the board at Yu Shao.
He had considered the possibility of a jump or an extension, but White choosing to tenuki at this crucial moment—completely out of left field.

“If White tenukis here and I can slay his dragon, then it’s game over.”

Zeng Jun stared at the board, still appearing composed, but his left hand had unconsciously clenched into a fist.
He didn’t feel as calm as he looked.

“But... the variation here is incredibly complicated. The White dragon looks fragile, but killing it won’t be easy at all.”
“One wrong move, and I might lose everything.”

Time kept ticking by.

Five minutes...
Ten minutes...
Twenty minutes...

After a full half hour, the silence in the Handtalk Room was finally broken by the sound of a stone being picked up.
Zeng Jun grabbed a black stone and swiftly placed it on the board.

Tap!
Column 8, Row 14. Suspend!

“Let’s go.”

Zeng Jun stared intently at the board, a sharp glint in his eyes.
“There has to be a decisive outcome here.”
“If you really think you can make that dragon live—then show me how!”

Moments later, White responded.

Zeng Jun’s eyes reflected the board. Without missing a beat, he snatched a black stone and made his move.

Tap!
Column 7, Row 12. Extend!

Yu Shao looked at the densely packed stones on the board. After a moment of thought, he picked out a white stone and quickly placed it.

Tap!
Column 4, Row 14. Atari!

The tension on the board had now fully come to a head.

“That atari—brilliant!”
Over in the American team’s review room, everyone held their breath as they stared at the TV screen.

“If Black counter-atari’s here, White definitely won’t capture. He’ll just extend. Once White has more liberties, trying to net him becomes nearly impossible.”
Everyone was getting tense—even Ma Dong was no exception. They all stared at the screen without blinking.

Soon after, Black made another move.

“Push!”

Ma Jie’s expression shifted, a sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead. “That’s a strong move too. If White blocks here, Black might initiate a ko fight to fight back!”

Sure enough, the next white stone appeared on the screen almost immediately.
And then Black responded right after.

Watching both sides rapidly exchange moves, everyone—even just watching from the screen—felt an overwhelming pressure.

“Black still has the initiative.”
After seeing Black's latest move, Ma Dong said in a low voice, “Even though White doesn’t seem to have an effective counter now, since White tenukied earlier, Black’s got more initiative going forward.”

No one said a word.
Because yes, initiative was with Black.

But when White tenukied earlier, sure, he cut off his retreat—but didn’t he also drag Black into a do-or-die situation?

Now, Black had to score something massive in this mutual kill. Even if he couldn’t completely slay the dragon, he had to make White pay dearly for that tenuki.

Otherwise, since White took that strategic point, he could become unstoppable from here on out.

And sure, White looked like he was in danger.
But if he dared to tenuki earlier, maybe he really did have what it takes to survive—even against Black’s full-scale onslaught?

It was incredibly hard.
But remembering Yu Shao’s past games in this tournament, no one dared say for sure that he couldn’t live—even with Black having the initiative.

Back in the Handtalk Room,
The recorder and referees stared fixedly at the board, captivated by this life-and-death battle.

“White’s earlier peep was solid, but Black’s recent bump move was a classic eye-destroying tesuji!”

As they watched the two players alternate moves, they couldn’t help but hold their breath.

Soon, Yu Shao once again gently placed a white stone.

“He turned…”

Zeng Jun looked at the board. Seeing the move, he wasn’t surprised—his eyes stayed cold and sharp.

“I still have initiative. White’s eye space is almost gone.”
“He’s cutting—to attack and defend at the same time? Fine. I’ll abandon a few stones and go all in!”
“If he tries to break through, I’ll attach and press down, using support from my other stones. In twenty moves, I’ll kill him.”

“I’ll drag White into the grave!”

Black picked out a stone and placed it on the board under the gaze of the entire world.

Tap!
Column 9, Row 14. Retreat!

“Retreat?”

Someone watching on a computer suddenly stood up from their chair, face stunned.
And when he finally figured out what that move was about, his mouth went dry. “Seriously? He calculated that far ahead?”
His heart jumped into his throat—he had no idea how to respond.

Soon, White dropped another move on the screen.
And when he saw it, his eyes widened in disbelief.

“No cut? No break? He just... maneuvered?”

The move looked totally basic at first glance, almost amateurish.
But after thinking it through, his face flushed red. “Genius! Beautiful! I can’t believe there’s such a clever maneuver here!”

“It looks crude, but it’s actually a passive move that flips into initiative—definitely a brilliant tesuji!”

Scenes like this were happening all around the globe.

Back in the Handtalk Room, the recorder and referees were just as floored, their faces flushed with excitement.

Zeng Jun stared at the newly placed white stone, taking a deep breath.
“This initiative was neutralized like it was nothing... but I’ve still got sente on the top side!”

He immediately grabbed a black stone and placed it swiftly.
Yu Shao quickly followed with his own move.

Everyone was glued to the board, eyes locked on this high-stakes match full of lethal intent.
Lots of games are full of tension, but this one—it had an eerie, almost unnatural intensity.

Every move shook the entire board.
In this kind of chaotic situation, one misstep could bring total collapse. The game had the feel of clashing swords and charging warhorses!

“He blocked this side.”
As the next move landed, Zeng Jun’s eyes narrowed. He had already calculated more than thirty moves ahead.

“In this fight, if I recklessly attach, White might just go full kamikaze on me.”
“If I charge down and he blocks, and I twist-cut, White might counter with a brutal tiger’s mouth!”

Finally, Zeng Jun placed another move.

Tap!
Column 5, Row 8. Jump!

“Brilliant!”
“That jump is so sharp—totally unexpected!”
“It looks slow, like it won’t hurt White right away, but it cuts off his retreat path from a distance! The reinforcements that could’ve come to save him? Now they’re stuck outside!”

Everyone felt a chill. You could understand the brilliance once it was played, but hardly anyone would’ve thought to put a move that far from the battlefield.

White’s turn.
Everyone held their breath.

One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.

Most assumed White would fall into deep thought.
But only three seconds later—White moved, with a crisp, decisive tap.

Tap!
Column 9, Row 7. Flying Suspend!

In that instant, jaws dropped. Everyone was speechless. Zeng Jun stared at the board in disbelief.

“Now?! You fly-suspend into the center?!”

After a long silence, the room filled with unease and goosebumps.

This move coordinated the entire board.
What looked like a dying dragon suddenly started to breathe again—and it even echoed with White’s overall formation, expanding his central territory dramatically!

If Black continued with his earlier plan and pressured the center, White could push, Black connects, White ataris—and in the end, Black’s liberties would shrink. He might end up losing his dragon instead!

“This is... a god-tier move!”

Beside him, the female recorder and the two referees were completely dumbstruck. “It really looks like... White’s alive?”

A moment later, Zeng Jun gritted his teeth and dropped another move.

Tap!
Column 9, Row 6. Bump!

Yu Shao calmly studied the board. After a few seconds, he placed his response.

Tap!
Column 10, Row 6. Hane!

Zeng Jun’s expression darkened. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He placed another stone.

Tap!
Column 4, Row 13. Tiger’s Mouth!