I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 85: The First Four Moves of Black

The game began.

Yu Shao lowered his gaze, focusing on the board as he pulled out a black stone from the Go bowl. His wrist hovered midair, fingers relaxed, and the stone fell onto the board with a crisp sound.

Tap!

Column 16, Row 3—Small Point!

As the stone landed, Yu Shao quickly pressed the timer.

“Thirty minutes. If time runs out, it’s an automatic loss.”

Su Yiming’s eyes reflected the board as he watched Yu Shao’s move.

“Over a century ago, it wasn’t unusual for a single game to last days. Playing at such a fast pace is a major challenge for me.”

In his mind, he recalled the match between Yu Shao and the captain of South China Third High.

“In that game, his skill was breathtaking. Those three tenuki moves were so extraordinary that even I couldn’t help but feel awed.”

“With only thirty minutes to think, the less time you have, the easier it is to make mistakes in complex situations.”

“But if he wants to finish the game within such a short time, he’ll steer the board toward the most intense, chaotic situations!”

“Then, with the ferocity of a tiger, he’ll use the sharpest, fastest, most aggressive moves to clamp down on Black!”

Su Yiming reached into his Go bowl, pinching a white stone between his fingers.

“Only by doing so can he swiftly widen the gap, building unstoppable momentum to relieve the pressure of time!”

“In this battle, it’s a fight to the death!”

His wrist hovered, fingers steady like falling stars, and the stone landed on the board with precision.

“To play the strongest moves in the shortest time…”

“This is… an indescribable thrill!”

Tap!

Column 4, Row 4—Star Point!

Seeing this move, Yu Shao didn’t immediately respond. He stared at the board, seemingly lost in thought.

The spectators were stunned.

“He’s thinking?”

“This is blitz Go with a thirty-minute limit. Does the second move really need such consideration?”

“Yeah, Small Point, Star Point, High Point, anything would work—even a direct diagonal approach to the corner wouldn’t be wrong!”

“What’s there to think about?”

Yu Shao didn’t ponder for long. After a brief moment, he reached into the Go bowl and picked up another black stone amidst the clinking sounds of stones colliding.

In his mind, a vivid memory resurfaced of Su Yiming’s match against Xu Zijin.

That single jump, unconcerned with minor gains, boldly striking toward the center, had left a deep impression.

“Disregarding small gains, focusing on the vast central area—it truly was grand.”

“But—”

“What about my move that clings tightly to every small gain?”

The next second, the stone landed.

Tap!

Column 17, Row 17—3-3 Point!

As the stone settled, the entire audience froze in shock.

“3-3 Point!?”

Even He Yu and Zheng Qin, who had seen Yu Shao’s previous 3-3 move, were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief!

Xu Zijin subconsciously bit her lip, her gaze fixed on the board.

Moments later, the crowd erupted into murmurs.

“Third move, directly at 3-3?”

“This, this, this…”

“Playing 3-3 from the Star Point was already unconventional. But the third move directly on 3-3? That’s absurd!”

“I used to think he played 3-3 because his opponent was weaker, to feign vulnerability and bide his time. Now that his opponent is clearly strong, does he really just love 3-3 that much?”

“If a kid played this move while learning Go, they’d be scolded by their teacher! If I hadn’t seen his previous games, I’d think he didn’t know how to play…”

“Not Small Point, not Star Point, not High Point—I think I understand why he had to think so hard for his second move. This… I don’t get it at all.”

Though the crowd tried to keep their voices low, the shocking nature of the 3-3 move led some to speak louder than intended. However, no one complained, as the move had upended their understanding of Go.

“3-3…”

Across the board, Su Yiming stared at the position, equally stunned.

He had anticipated that Yu Shao might, as in the previous game with the three tenuki moves, play something unexpected. In fact, he had been looking forward to it, hoping Yu Shao would surprise him.

But he never imagined that the second move with Black would completely defy his expectations.

This 3-3 placement was the polar opposite of Xu Zijin’s bold jump in their previous match.

One was grand and expansive, embracing the center.

The other clung to minor gains, focused on the edges.

From the perspective of any player, the difference in scope was apparent, which was why 3-3 was often considered a suboptimal move.

“With 3-3, Black gains strong control over the lower-right corner territory, but sacrifices potential for central development!”

Su Yiming, however, didn’t let his guard down. He analyzed the pros and cons of the 3-3 placement and quickly devised his strategy.

He reached into the Go bowl, pulled out a white stone, and played swiftly.

Tap!

Column 4, Row 17—Small Point!

As White’s stone landed, Yu Shao immediately followed with Black, pressing the timer as he placed his stone.

Tap!

Column 3, Row 15—Small Knight’s Approach!

“He’s approached.”

Su Yiming glanced at the board, then quickly placed another white stone.

Tap!

Column 17, Row 5—Small Knight’s Approach!

He immediately pressed the timer!

Instead of clashing directly in the lower-left corner with a block, peep, or clamp, White responded to Black’s Small Knight’s Approach with a matching Small Knight’s Approach in the upper-right corner.

The atmosphere grew tense as the crowd instinctively held their breath. Everyone knew that Black was about to confront the invading White stones with entanglement and attacks.

But Yu Shao’s next move once again defied everyone’s expectations!

Maintaining a calm expression, Yu Shao swiftly placed another stone.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 4—Small Knight’s Extension!

“Small Knight’s Extension?”

“Facing White’s Small Knight’s Approach, he didn’t counterattack… He chose to ignore it…”

The shocked audience, still reeling from the 3-3 move, felt another jolt of disbelief.

“A passive Small Knight’s Extension?!”

“With a 7.5-point komi, choosing such a leisurely move?”

“I don’t get it. What is Black thinking?”

Unlike the 3-3 move, the Small Knight’s Extension was easier to comprehend. But it was precisely this understanding that made it even harder to grasp Yu Shao’s intent.

This move was too calm, too slow.

Without komi, it would have been reasonable. But with Black carrying the heavy burden of a 7.5-point komi, this move felt overly restrained and insufficiently aggressive!

So far, Black had only played four stones.

Yet, of these four, two had already left the audience utterly baffled.