I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 78: But How Could I Run Away?!

"He actually played the move I wanted to make..."

Yu Shao took a deep look at Su Yiming.

Though he saw the Jump, to be honest, he hadn’t believed an amateur player could truly produce such a move.

The vision behind that move was one even many low-dan professional players might lack.

Indeed, “majestic” was the perfect word for it.

When Su Yiming’s stone finally landed, Yu Shao was both shocked and impressed.

"Xu Zijin said he was strong, and it seems she wasn’t exaggerating. She might not even be his match..."

Yu Shao glanced at the timer on the table, his expression sharpening.

"Xu Zijin is playing too slowly. She’s already used up a lot of time, while her opponent has barely used any. He holds the advantage in timing as well."

Xu Zijin stood frozen, staring at the white stone that had just jumped. She didn’t make another move immediately.

This was no brilliant "Divine Move," nor did it appear to immediately threaten Black's position. At first glance, it even seemed to reduce Black's pressure.

But that single stone carried more weight and pressure than any miraculous sequence could.

It was a pressure of vision—a pressure of an elevated perspective.

After a brief silence, Xu Zijin bit her lip, finally picking a stone and placing it on the board.

Tap!

Row 9, Column 15—Flying Press!

Su Yiming studied the board briefly before following with his own move.

Row 7, Column 12—Block!

Tap, tap, tap...

The crisp sound of alternating stones reverberated through the competition venue, the only sound in the room.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the board, their minds completely immersed in the game.

"Very strong."

Yu Shao stared at the board intently, running through countless possible continuations in his mind.

"His calculative depth is impressive, his positional judgment accurate, and his sense of timing impeccable. But none of those are his true strengths. Those aspects, while important, aren’t the core of his skill."

"What really makes him formidable is his overall strategy—his grand framework of play."

"When Black invaded to initiate a ko fight for balance, the tension was palpable. Yet he ignored it entirely and played Row 12, Column 7 to claim the central area."

"Basic Go principles dictate that urgent points take priority over large moves, yet he broke free of conventional wisdom entirely!"

Yu Shao’s gaze grew more serious.

"It’s hard to believe these moves came from an amateur. In these past dozen exchanges, his choices are nearly identical to what I would’ve played."

"There are slight differences in a few moves, but those reflect differences in thought, not quality."

As time ticked down, Black began struggling to keep up. White’s incremental gains through invasions and exchanges were undeniable, and the gap steadily widened.

Xu Zijin stared silently at the board.

Eventually, she placed another stone, swiftly.

Tap!

Row 10, Column 15—Tiger’s Mouth!

"A Tiger’s Mouth... It’s a clever move," Yu Shao thought, his eyes narrowing.

"But White could ignore it. There’s probably a strong Clamp in the lower-left corner..."

White’s stone fell.

Tap!

Row 8, Column 17—Clamp!

"He actually played it there…" Yu Shao couldn’t help but look up at Su Yiming, who remained focused on the board, seemingly oblivious to Yu Shao’s gaze.

"A Clamp?!"

The spectators were stunned, their faces filled with confusion.

"Isn’t this Clamp a loss-making move?"

Though it appeared weak at first glance, no one openly questioned it. The confidence behind Su Yiming’s moves silenced all doubts.

"Could there be a follow-up?"

The complexity of the board stymied their attempts to decipher the purpose of the Clamp.

Yu Shao, however, understood.

"This Clamp… If the calculations are unclear, it’s definitely a losing move. But if calculated properly, it’s a powerful ‘passive move leading to initiative’!"

"But…"

"The depth of calculation required to make this work is immense. More importantly, it requires a deep sense of intuition. Without both, no one could solve it in such a short time!"

Yu Shao instinctively glanced at Xu Zijin.

"If she can’t respond with a Peep, Black’s formation will collapse rapidly!"

Xu Zijin stared at the board, biting her lip unconsciously, her hand hesitating.

"I can’t move…"

"This Clamp looks weak, but the follow-up is riddled with hidden dangers..."

"I can’t win. The gap is too wide. It’s not even close."

Her body began trembling slightly as she gazed at the board, searching in vain for a path for Black to survive.

In her mind, she recalled her previous match against Yu Shao—a game where her struggles, pride, and efforts had all been rendered powerless.

She had seemed fine afterward, but she knew deep down that she wasn’t. That game had shattered her pride and self-esteem, leaving her lost.

Since then, she had avoided playing Yu Shao entirely.

This wasn’t like her.

If she had truly recovered, she would’ve sought a rematch—again and again. But she hadn’t.

Her avoidance wasn’t cowardice; it was survival. To demand someone face overwhelming odds with courage is to demand defiance of human nature itself.

"I..."

"I can’t come back from this. The gap is insurmountable."

Xu Zijin clenched her fists as the tremor in her body intensified.

The room fell into silence.

Suddenly, she bit down hard, her teeth clenching audibly.

Clack!

Reaching into her bowl, her dark eyes sharpened with resolve as she focused on a specific point on the board.

She placed her next stone.

Tap!

Row 2, Column 11—Push!

"But how could I run away? How could I concede just like that?!"