I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 334: Yu Shao, 2-dan, vs. Li Congyou, 8-dan

The Tiger Cubs Battle had officially come to a close.

Because both Yu Shao and Su Yiming had made it into the main draw of a title tournament for the very first time, public interest in them was already sky-high. Even this Tiger Cubs exhibition match drew major attention online purely because of their participation.

So the moment the event ended, the game records from the Tiger Battle were uploaded online and—like wildfire—sparked an enormous uproar.

Why?

Because Yu Shao’s game record was absolutely staggering. The moment people laid eyes on it, they were utterly shaken.

Keep in mind—this was a handicap game!

Even if his opponent wasn’t a household name, he was still among the top young players vying for pro status. Under a two-stone handicap, even top-tier pros would expect a difficult battle.

But!

In this match, Yu Shao completely disregarded classical Go logic, playing bizarre jumps and flights above the fifth line—yet still dominated the game to the point where Black had no room to fight back.

From ancient times to now, there have been countless handicap games, and even some famous ones—but none have ever felt as eerie and soul-rattling as this.

It was like Yu Shao wasn’t playing Go as we know it—he was playing a different dimension of Go entirely.

And it wasn’t just Yu Shao.

Su Yiming’s match also drew widespread attention.

In his game, Su Yiming didn’t deliberately try to build a large framework—yet one still took shape seemingly on its own, slowly and imperceptibly forming into something massive.

This revealed the depth of his understanding of framework strategy. He had truly mastered the principle of "the high rules the center", applying it to perfection.

With both players now advancing to the main draw of their respective title tournaments, public anticipation surrounding their performances reached new heights.

To use the language of fantasy novels—

Before this, Yu Shao and Su Yiming were merely walking the path of prodigies.

But now that they had entered the main event of a title tournament, they had stepped onto the stage of kings.

Every player who reaches this level is not just talented—they are the chosen among the chosen.

Even a gifted genius might toil for years, face countless setbacks, and still fail to enter the hallowed grounds of a title match’s main bracket.

So—who are the kinds of players that inhabit the world of title tournaments?

Zhuang Weisheng, who has held the Ten-Dan title for twenty years, nicknamed the Iron Ten-Dan!

Li You, once considered a twin star alongside Zhu Huaian, who dominated in China-Korea-Japan team battles!

Chen Shan, 9-dan, who seized the Meijin title at 30 and is now fighting to reclaim his former glory!

Chang Yan, 9-dan, a former Base Saint titleholder, who withstood elite competition as a female player and carved her name into history!

Feng He, 9-dan, over fifty but still razor-sharp, known for his elegant, refined play—honored as the Gentleman of Go!

And many more…

A pantheon of players adorned with countless accolades, all gathered in the arena of title matches. Every single one—a name that echoes through the Go world.

Every time a newcomer breaks through into the main bracket, it draws immense public attention.

Because in the world of title tournaments—power is fragmented and fiercely contested.

Whatever results you may achieve elsewhere, they don’t matter as much. Only those who reach this battleground can be called the real contenders.

But even among these elite few, only one player will advance to the title challenger match.

And only by defeating the current titleholder in a head-to-head match—often a multi-game series—can a player finally seize the title itself!