I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 297: That Game Deserves to Be Recorded in Go History

The next day, at the Southern Go Association, in the review room,

Yu Shao and the other four were gathered together, reviewing the game just played between Qin Lang and Le Haoqiang.

“You were too focused on securing territory here, and overlooked development in the center. Black had plenty of options to invade and reduce, but White’s responses weren’t hard either—overall, White had an easier game.”

Yu Shao looked at the board, pondered for a moment, then said to Le Haoqiang, “So here, I think jumping out might’ve been better.”

Hearing that, Le Haoqiang frowned slightly. After rearranging the stones as Yu Shao suggested, he seemed puzzled. “But if I do that, and White clamps, won’t Black get forced into an empty triangle?”

“If White clamps and Black plays the diagonal cut here, then it’s actually White who’s in danger.”

At that moment, Qin Lang, sitting across from Le Haoqiang, spoke while staring at the board.

“Diagonal cut?”

Le Haoqiang thought about it, then quickly laid out the variation—Black jumps, White clamps, Black cuts diagonally—and his expression changed slightly. “I thought that tiger’s mouth I played was already pretty good.”

“Your small knight’s move was excellent. White chose to extend, and your attach was clean and sharp—it flipped the game.”

Gu Chuan stared intently at the board and also spotted many subtle points. “Locally, White’s strongest reply might’ve been a peep, right?”

“I saw that peep, but playing it would’ve made things way too complicated. With just ten seconds per move, there was no time to see it clearly—so I extended instead.”

Qin Lang frowned a bit, trying to justify his choice.

While everyone was discussing, suddenly there was a knock knock at the door of the review room.

The chatter instantly stopped.

“Gu Chuan, did you order milk tea again?”

Le Haoqiang instinctively looked at Gu Chuan and asked, “You treating again today?”

Gu Chuan quickly shook his head and denied, “When do I ever have money to treat you guys to milk tea every day? My money’s all with my parents. I barely get any allowance.”

“Then who is it?”

Le Haoqiang frowned, a bit confused.

They were leaving for Seoul in a few days for the Team League, and this review room had been specially arranged for them by the association. Normally, no one would interrupt.

But Le Haoqiang didn’t think much of it. Since he was the closest to the door, he stood up, walked over, and opened it.

But when he saw who was standing at the door, he froze.

Not just him—everyone in the room, even Yu Shao, was briefly stunned.

Zhuang Weisheng was standing at the door.

“Zhuang... Zhuang Weisheng, Teacher?”

Le Haoqiang couldn’t help but stammer, “What brings you here?”

Zhuang Weisheng swept his gaze through the review room, his eyes lingering on Yu Shao and Su Yiming for a moment before he finally spoke. “I heard you were training here, so I came to see how it’s going.”

“Teacher Zhuang, are you here to give us guidance?”

Le Haoqiang’s face lit up in surprise. “I’ve always wanted to play against you, but never had the chance.”

“No need for grand talk of guidance.”

Zhuang Weisheng smiled and shook his head. “You’re still young and need more experience—no comparing yourselves to me just yet.”

He smiled with some anticipation. “But I would like to play a game with you sometime.”

“I actually do want to play with all of you one day. But this afternoon, I have to fly to the Northern Go Association, so I’m afraid it won’t be today. Next time.”

Zhuang Weisheng paused, then said, “Actually, I came today because, before heading north, I wanted to play one game with Yu Shao, 2-dan.”

Hearing that, Yu Shao looked up at Zhuang Weisheng.

Zhuang Weisheng turned his gaze to both Yu Shao and Su Yiming. “That game you two played the other day left a very deep impression on me.”

“I had expectations for that game—but never imagined it would turn out the way it did.”

He paused again, then said, “As a Go player, being able to witness such a game in person is an honor.”

Hearing this, Le Haoqiang and the others were stunned. Then, one by one, they looked up at Zhuang Weisheng in disbelief.

Honor?

They could hardly believe their ears—those words actually came from Zhuang Weisheng.

But thinking back on that game from a few days ago, strangely, it didn’t feel wrong at all.

For a Go player, to witness the birth of a joseki like the Great Avalanche, Demon Blade, or Large Diagonal would absolutely be an honor.

And that supposedly ordinary main player selection match had produced something even more complex and intense—the Storm.

Even now, thinking back on it felt like a dream.

No exaggeration—that game truly deserves to be recorded in the history of Go.

The only reason it hadn’t gone viral yet was that it hadn’t fully spread. Not many knew about it.

If it had, the global Go scene would’ve been shaken. This legendary match would make players across the world bow their heads.

None of them could forget the shock and confusion they felt after watching that match.

“That’s a game I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Finally, Zhuang Weisheng looked at Yu Shao and asked, “Yu Shao, 2-dan—you have time now, don’t you?”

The room fell completely silent.

Su Yiming, Le Haoqiang, Qin Lang, and Gu Chuan all instinctively turned their eyes to Yu Shao.

Under their gaze, Yu Shao was silent for a moment—then slowly nodded. “Yes.”

Seeing him agree, Zhuang Weisheng walked over to the Go table, pulled out a chair and sat down. Yu Shao also came over and sat across from him.

Watching this, the others exchanged looks, then instinctively took a deep breath and moved around the table, surrounding it.

Zhuang Weisheng glanced at the timer. “You were playing ten-second blitz before this?”

“Yes. Want to change the time control?”

Yu Shao nodded and asked.

“No need. Ten-second blitz it is.”

Zhuang Weisheng shook his head with a smile. “Good thing—I don’t have much time anyway.”

With that, Zhuang Weisheng reached into the Go bowl and scooped a handful of White stones into his palm.

Yu Shao saw this and immediately picked out two Black stones and placed them on the board.

Off to the side, Le Haoqiang silently watched the two of them count stones for turn order, and couldn’t help glancing at Zhuang Weisheng, feeling conflicted.

“Zhuang Weisheng is the target for all Go players in the world... one of the very few who can rival An Hongshi.”

Le Haoqiang then looked again at Su Yiming, who was quietly watching the board. His feelings grew even more complicated.

“Even though Teacher Zhuang Weisheng said all of us had the strength to challenge him… was he really talking about all of us? Or… just Yu Shao and Su Yiming?”

Soon, the two finished counting stones.

In this game, Zhuang Weisheng took Black, and Yu Shao played White.

After bowing to each other, the match began.

Zhuang Weisheng quietly stared at the board, and soon, accompanied by a soft clack, pinched out a stone from the bowl and played the first move.

Tap!

Column 16, Row 4—Star Point!

Yu Shao, focused as ever, quickly picked up a stone and responded with the second move.

Tap!

Column 4, Row 16—Star Point!

Zhuang Weisheng’s face betrayed no emotion. He calmly placed another move.

Tap!

Column 16, Row 17—Small Point!

Yu Shao quickly responded.

Column 4, Row 4—Star Point!

Black with a star and a small point, White with two stars—Star-Small Point vs. Double Star. Now that White had completed his opening, it was Zhuang Weisheng’s turn again.

Black move!

Column 6, Row 17—Small Knight’s Approach!

Seeing Black’s move land, Yu Shao played again.

Column 3, Row 14—Small Knight’s Move!

Zhuang Weisheng swiftly picked up a stone and gently placed it down.

Tap!

Column 10, Row 16—High Extension!

At this move, Le Haoqiang, Qin Lang, and Gu Chuan all showed slightly more serious expressions.

“Small Point, Small Knight’s Approach, High Extension—Weisheng-style Opening!”

Gu Chuan couldn’t help glancing at Zhuang Weisheng and subconsciously clenched his fist. “That’s… the opening named after Teacher Zhuang Weisheng himself!”

Yu Shao narrowed his eyes and stared at the board. He didn’t play right away.

Only after a solid six or seven seconds did he finally pinch out a stone and drop it swiftly.

Tap!

Column 17, Row 15—Small Knight’s Approach!

“Small Knight’s Approach?!”

Seeing that move, the three—Le Haoqiang, Qin Lang, and Gu Chuan—all tensed slightly, eyes widening in disbelief. Only Su Yiming remained silently watching.

“After White plays the Small Knight’s Approach, Black has many possible responses. But to coordinate with the High Extension, the most powerful is the Two-Space High Pincer—a move pioneered by Teacher Zhuang Weisheng!”

After a moment, Qin Lang instinctively narrowed his long, slender eyes.

You have to know—against Weisheng-style openings, the Small Knight’s Approach by White has been studied exhaustively over the years!

In fact, because of the poor results White consistently got after playing Small Knight’s Approach against the Two-Space High Pincer, that strategy had already been discarded.

After the Two-Space High Pincer, White has only three options:

Jump!

Two-Space Jump!

Diagonal!

“If White jumps, and Black follows with a knight’s move, White’s two stones get attacked. Plus, Black’s stones along the lower side coordinate perfectly, and White ends up in a bitter fight.”

“If White two-space jumps, Black has a harsh attach. White hane, Black pulls back, White pulls back again, and Black cuts—instantly severing White’s connection. The resulting kill fight favors Black.”

“If White plays the diagonal, Black’s natural follow-up is to knight’s move along the side. But if White invades the corner after that, he does get some counterplay.”

“However, Black’s next move can be a jump into the corner, launching a strong attack along the second line to kill White—and that too was first played by Teacher Zhuang Weisheng!”

“That jump to root out the corner is a devastating move. White has to respond. If he runs, Black uses the momentum to secure territory, and the side pincer’s positioning is perfect. In the end, Black still seizes initiative.”

Qin Lang pulled his gaze away from the board and looked at Yu Shao.

“But even knowing all that—he still played the Small Knight’s Approach.”

Then he looked over at Zhuang Weisheng, only to find the latter’s expression still eerily calm as he stared at the board.

Clack!

Zhuang Weisheng reached back into the Go bowl. The stones rattled as he pinched one and slowly placed it on the board.

Tap!

Column 16, Row 12—Two-Space High Pincer!

“Sure enough... the Two-Space High Pincer!”

Everyone had expected it. Their expressions naturally grew even more focused.

With the Two-Space High Pincer, the Small Point stone and the pincer stone now began to form a net, threatening to enclose the White stone that approached the corner.

“But… since Yu Shao chose the Small Knight’s Approach, does that mean he has a new response besides Jump, Two-Space Jump, or Diagonal?”

Le Haoqiang stared intently at the board, waiting for Yu Shao’s next move. “If there is—then what is it?”

At that moment, Yu Shao once again pinched out a White stone and placed it on the board.

Tap!

Column 15, Row 15—Jump!

Seeing that move, Le Haoqiang couldn’t help the trace of disappointment that crossed his face.

“No... no new move?”

He could hardly believe his eyes. “Just a jump? Escaping from Black’s encirclement? Then Black’s next move would be a knight’s move—what does White do then? Just grind it out in a bitter battle?”

The next second, Zhuang Weisheng immediately picked up a stone and dropped it without hesitation.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 16—Small Knight’s Move!

Clack!

The sound of pinched stones rang again.

Then, under the attentive gazes of Le Haoqiang and the others, Yu Shao played his move.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 15—Press!

“Press?!”

Seeing that move, Le Haoqiang, Qin Lang, and Gu Chuan all showed expressions of astonishment and disbelief as they stared at the board!

Even Zhuang Weisheng’s eyes flickered with the slightest surprise at that move.

But since it was a blitz game, he quickly pinched out another stone and responded.

Tap!

Column 13, Row 16—Crawl!

Yu Shao also immediately pinched out another stone and placed it again.

Tap!

Column 13, Row 15—Press!

“Pressing again?”

Le Haoqiang and the others were already a bit stunned.

There’s a saying in Go: press the third, not the fourth. Pressing on the fourth line allows the opponent to gain massive territory.

You have to remember—Go is ultimately decided by how much territory you enclose.

If you press on the second line, the opponent gains very little, and it usually favors the one doing the pressing.

Pressing on the third line means the opponent still gains a decent amount, but you gain thickness and influence—it’s a fair trade.

But… pressing the fourth? That gives up way too much territory!

That kind of loss isn’t something a bit of outside influence can make up for.

Honestly, if anyone but Yu Shao had played these two moves, they would’ve seriously questioned whether that person even knew how to play Go.

Zhuang Weisheng’s eyes narrowed slightly. After six or seven seconds, he finally picked out a stone and placed it swiftly.

Tap!

Column 12, Row 16—Crawl!

As Black’s move landed, Yu Shao immediately played his next move without hesitation.

Tap!

Column 17, Row 10—Clamp!

This move—White no longer continued pressing, but instead switched to encircle the pincer stone from the Two-Space High Pincer, baring its fangs.

Zhuang Weisheng once again picked out a stone and played with lightning speed.

Tap!

Column 15, Row 11—Diagonal!

Almost the moment Black landed, Yu Shao also responded instantly.

Tap!

Column 17, Row 6—Small Knight’s Move!

The two players started playing at a blistering pace, the constant tap tap of stones ringing through the review room.

On the board, Black and White began interweaving rapidly, spreading from all four corners toward the center, clashing for dominance!

......

.......

No one knew how much time passed. Around the board, Le Haoqiang and the others stared at the game, their expressions growing blank.

The development of this match had completely exceeded their expectations.

After White’s repeated fourth-line presses, Black had secured massive territory. But for some reason, Black’s overall development just didn’t pan out as expected!

Once Zhuang Weisheng realized this, Black immediately launched a fierce attack on White, sparking a chaotic and intense fight in the upper left.

That battle was tangled and vicious—neither side could gain the upper hand, and the situation grew incredibly complex.

Because each move only had ten seconds, both players inevitably made some slack moves, even outright mistakes.

Even the observers could tell some of those moves weren’t ideal.

At one point, Black seemed to reverse a losing game. At another, White managed to hold up a crumbling wall—leaving everyone in awe.

But although both sides made mistakes and slack moves, when it came to critical moments, they still managed to play moves that even long contemplation might not have produced—moves of brilliance.

Blitz games usually end in the midgame—but this one...

actually dragged all the way into the endgame!

Soon, after Yu Shao played another move, Zhuang Weisheng didn’t continue.

He... had already seen the path to the finish.

Staring at the board, Zhuang Weisheng slowly spoke:

“I lost… by one and a half points.”

At those words, the room stirred—Le Haoqiang and the others snapped out of their daze, their faces showing pure disbelief.

“What... not continuing?”

“That’s it?”

“Lost by one and a half?”

They exchanged glances, each seeing the same shock in the others’ eyes.

They hadn’t even figured out who was winning—let alone by how much.

For Zhuang Weisheng to say he lost by one and a half meant…

he had already calculated through all the remaining small endgame moves, where the margin for error is razor-thin.

Hearing this, Yu Shao also slowly let out a long breath.

He couldn’t help glancing at Zhuang Weisheng, his heart momentarily unsettled.

In blitz, everything rides on instinct and intuition.

From beginning to end, playing against Zhuang Weisheng, he had felt overwhelming pressure.

When he realized midgame that he’d played a misstep, he truly thought he was going to lose.

But then Zhuang Weisheng made a blunder as well, and Yu Shao spotted it—grasping the opportunity.

Just then, Zhuang Weisheng stared at the board and suddenly muttered softly:

“Territory and Influence...”

Yu Shao froze for a moment, then looked up at him.

“Yu Shao, 2-dan.”

In the dead silence, Zhuang Weisheng pulled his gaze away from the board, lifted his head slowly, and looked at Yu Shao—then turned to Su Yiming.

“And Su Yiming, 2-dan.”

Hearing his name, Su Yiming finally returned from the depths of the game, looking toward Zhuang Weisheng.

Zhuang Weisheng once again looked at the board before him.

As he began to gather up the stones, he spoke slowly:

“I look forward to the day I face you both again—on the official tournament stage.”

His tone had never been more serious.