I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 44: A Move That Turns the Tide

Yu Shao quickly lost interest in his own game and turned his attention to Xu Zijin's match. However, when he took a closer look at the board, he was momentarily stunned.

Looking at the current situation on the board, Yu Shao felt a subtle sense of familiarity.

The pieces of both sides were tightly entangled, seemingly on the verge of direct confrontation. Yet, the black pieces remained passive, exerting pressure without launching an attack.

This kind of playstyle was all too familiar to him because it epitomized the strategy he had mastered in his previous life—using a comprehensive perspective and deep calculative depth to ensnare opponents without showing any weakness.

As he watched a few more moves unfold, Yu Shao’s expression shifted slightly in surprise.

“Xu Zijin can actually play like this?”

“Although some moves are still immature and lack thorough consideration, many of her moves are ingenious, light, and accurate in calculation.”

“At this moment, the black pieces have surrounded the white pieces from all directions, creating a pincer formation. The white pieces are teetering on the brink of disaster.”

“But…”

Yu Shao glanced at the boy sitting across from Xu Zijin, whose expression had turned increasingly grim.

“This game isn’t entirely hopeless for White.”

“Can he find the opportunity and seize it tightly?”

Soon, the two players each made five or six more moves.

“What a pity. He’s completely oblivious to it… As long as Black doesn’t make any major mistakes now, White won’t have the slightest chance.”

Yu Shao sighed with some regret.

Still, he wasn’t surprised. After all, the skill required to play a move capable of overturning the game was far beyond the reach of an amateur Go player.

Even some low-ranked professional players might not spot such a move. And even if they did, they might not calculate its implications clearly.

Without precise calculations, such a move might backfire, failing to exploit the opportunity and ultimately resulting in White’s pieces being eliminated entirely, leading to a swift collapse.

After another seven or eight minutes, the boy sitting across from Xu Zijin finally lowered his hands in defeat and said weakly, “I… I lost.”

“Thank you for the game.”

Xu Zijin nodded lightly at her opponent, her expression calm, showing no excitement from the victory.

“Thank you… for the game,” the boy said through gritted teeth, clearly reluctant to accept the outcome.

It wasn’t until now that he noticed Yu Shao standing nearby.

He blinked in surprise before quickly turning to look at the table where Yu Shao and Wang Rui had been playing earlier.

“Is it… over already?”

His eyes widened in disbelief.

He had assumed losing after just 30 minutes would make him the fastest loser. But he hadn’t expected Wang Rui’s game to finish even faster!

Who won?

He immediately stood up and walked over to the table where Yu Shao and Wang Rui had played.

The board hadn’t been cleared yet, and when he saw the final position, his pupils shrank to pinpricks.

“This…”

“What the heck?!”

It felt like a heavy blow to his head, leaving him staring at the board in utter shock.

“Black’s formation is completely fractured, with vulnerabilities everywhere!”

“Even… even Black’s formations are under attack, almost entirely wiped out by White!”

“From the lower-right corner, it seems the game started with the Great Avalanche joseki. But… how did Black end up being the one swept away?!”

His mouth felt dry. Black’s defeat was so catastrophic it could almost be described as a complete annihilation.

“I can’t even comprehend how this game ended up like this.”

He might not understand the specifics, but one thing was clear—this game had ended so quickly because Black had absolutely no chance of recovery.

The advantage White held was insurmountable, creating an absolute crushing defeat!

Meanwhile, Yu Shao was about to leave to check on the final match when Xu Zijin suddenly spoke.

“Were you disappointed earlier?”

“Hm?”

Yu Shao froze, not expecting Xu Zijin to notice his expression while she was immersed in her own game.

“Did I make a mistake somewhere?”

Xu Zijin’s amber-like eyes gazed at Yu Shao intently as she asked.

“No, you played very well.”

Yu Shao shook his head, hesitated for a moment, and then pointed at the board. “It was White who made a mistake.”

“White?”

Xu Zijin frowned slightly, puzzled by the answer.

She knew White had made many mistakes, but by the time Yu Shao started observing, White had already fallen into a massive disadvantage.

Even if White played flawlessly, the outcome should have been decided, right?

“Here.”

Yu Shao pointed to a spot on the board.

“Here?”

Xu Zijin lowered her head, staring at the location Yu Shao indicated, still confused.

But soon, her amber eyes widened in realization, and she unconsciously leaned forward.

“This…”

“This move… At first glance, it’s incomprehensible.”

“But on closer consideration, it’s terrifyingly brilliant.”

Xu Zijin stared at the board in a daze.

“If White had ignored the vast territory below and played here, directly attacking and fighting for survival within my influence…”

“At first, it wouldn’t be noticeable. But on careful analysis, there are subtle weaknesses in Black’s large formation here—hidden but crucial.”

“If White had seized the opportunity to exploit this, the outcome… could have been entirely unpredictable.”

In Go, fighting for survival in your opponent’s sphere of influence is called 治孤 (Zhìgū)—a strategy used to break the balance of power and turn the tide of the game.

However, 治孤 is the most challenging aspect of Go, without exception.

It requires raw fighting skill and judgment, relying entirely on a player’s strength to determine the winner!

Although White was at a significant disadvantage, a brilliant move to fight for survival could have overturned the entire situation.

But spotting such a move is beyond most players.

White’s formation was already cut off, and the usual approach would be to try to make it live. The hidden flaws in Black’s formation were so subtle that without deep calculation, they wouldn’t be apparent. Naturally, the idea of fighting for survival wouldn’t even arise.

But…

Yu Shao saw it.

Xu Zijin opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words.