I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!
Chapter 88: A Gap in Understanding Go

As Su Yiming pondered his next move, the surrounding spectators also tried to grasp the subtle brilliance of these three moves. The more they analyzed, the more they felt a chill in their hearts.

The sequence of these three moves was so exquisite it sent shivers down their spines!

Earlier, Black had rashly attached to attack White, whose formation appeared to have plenty of counterattacks. This was why almost no one opted to use the attachment after White's small knight's move, choosing instead a two-space extension.

But!

After Black played these three moves, everyone was stunned to realize that within this local context, all the conventional countermeasures for White… had been entirely suppressed by these three stones!

At this moment, White had only two choices:

Either to cut or to push.

There was no third option.

However, neither choice seemed favorable.

If White cut, the two jumps Black had previously played acted like an unyielding dam. Should Black follow up with a resolute tiger’s mouth, White's formation would be shattered!

If White pushed, Black had a strong move with an atari through the cut at 4-3. White’s four stones on the left flank would be severed, and their formation on the top would become an empty triangle, plunging them into a bitter struggle!

It was clear that had this variation been known earlier, Black’s approach of attaching to the corner to attack White wouldn’t have been so easily dismissed!

However, Go has evolved over thousands of years, and no one had ever thought of such a playstyle before.

These three moves were too unorthodox, breaking away from the logic of Go and defying the patterns ingrained in human thought.

Only after all three moves had been played could one feel the clouds parting, revealing clarity!

Because of this, the shock brought by these three moves was unparalleled. It even carried a mix of bewilderment, fear, and helplessness!

Everyone waited.

They waited for Su Yiming to place his next stone and respond to these three godlike moves by Black.

After a long time...

Click.

The sound of a stone hitting the board broke the silence.

Su Yiming finally reached into the Go bowl and picked out a stone.

“If White cuts, Black’s tiger’s mouth—a move that leaves no room for retreat—will leave White struggling!”

“If White pushes, Black’s subsequent atari… Even though White can cut off four of Black’s stones, their overall formation will remain under heavy pressure.”

Su Yiming lowered his gaze to the board, his expression serious.

“In that case…”

“There’s only one option left!”

The next second.

Thud!

The stone landed!

Column 2, Row 8—Push!

“So, he chose to push…”

The crowd fell silent. Indeed, in this position, apart from pushing, White had very few viable moves. Even though pushing would lead to a difficult position for White...

At least White could cut off Black’s four stones, sacrificing some advantage but keeping the situation manageable.

Yu Shao immediately picked up a stone and placed it after White’s move.

Column 4, Row 3—Atari!

Su Yiming’s expression grew even more intense as he swiftly placed his next stone.

Thud!

White: Column 5, Row 4—Extend!

Black followed up immediately.

Column 4, Row 8—Retreat!

Seeing this move, Su Yiming’s eyes flickered, and he quickly placed another stone.

Thud!

White: Column 2, Row 9—Extend!

“Huh?”

The crowd gasped in astonishment. “White didn’t choose to cut off Black’s four stones?”

“Is White planning… a sacrifice?!”

The entire room erupted in disbelief!

White’s response caught everyone off guard, leaving them stunned.

After White’s push, the subsequent sequence seemed inevitable. But when Black retreated, White’s decision to extend instead of cutting off Black’s four stones completely defied expectations!

If White cut off Black’s four stones on the upper left, Black could secure a strong position locally and still hold the advantage. However, White would at least have the compensation of capturing those four stones.

Yet, White chose a far more aggressive path—a sacrifice!

Undoubtedly, this sacrificial play carried immense risk. A single misstep could lead to a complete loss. However, it could also disrupt the board position, creating attacking opportunities on the lower left, rather than being forced into a passive defense.

“Faced with this playstyle, Black must be equally surprised, right?”

He Yu couldn’t help but glance at Yu Shao, curious to see his reaction to White’s move.

But when He Yu saw Yu Shao’s expression, he froze in disbelief.

Yu Shao’s face remained utterly calm, unshaken. He simply gazed at the board, his demeanor tranquil.

This unwavering composure left He Yu in awe.

"Did he extend?"

Yu Shao observed the extending move with a calm expression.

In this era defined by AI-influenced patterns, any attempt by White to engage in direct skirmishes with Black in this position would inevitably have flaws, appearing too slow and lacking tempo. At this moment, the only correct move for White was to play tenuki—to ignore the upper-left corner entirely, leaving the variation unresolved, and shift focus elsewhere. This was the only honest play for White!

Tenuki was the proper response, but this might elude the understanding of many.

To a human player’s intuition, White’s position in this local area seemed at a disadvantage. Ignoring it would feel like conceding even more. However, in reality, this was not the case!

White was not truly at a loss. Even when encountering the AI-inspired attachment and double-hane joseki for the first time, White could still handle it flawlessly!

The single White stone on the 7th column and the pair of stones on the 6th column, though appearing constrained by Black’s pressure, actually retained significant vitality. They could work wonders in subsequent play.

Thus, White could confidently play tenuki. The board position would remain balanced, and both sides would still have a fighting chance.

However, it was often difficult for human players to realize this.

While Yu Shao didn’t see the extension move as ideal, he acknowledged that in this pre-AI world, it was still an exceptionally sharp and forceful response! Judging this move by his own standards wasn’t entirely fair. After all, the star-point attachment and hane joseki pioneered by AI hadn’t yet emerged in this world.

Even in the face of such a groundbreaking pattern, White’s choice in this position—though not optimal—still shone brilliantly.

It was a brilliance that belonged uniquely to the era before AI.

"Even though he didn’t play tenuki, the boldness to attempt a sacrificial attack at this juncture is already… remarkable!"

After a brief pause, Yu Shao glanced at Su Yiming across the board, then reached into his Go bowl.

Click!

He picked out a black stone and swiftly placed it on the board.

Thud!

Column 2, Row 6—Connect!

“He connected.”

Seeing Black’s defensive connection, Su Yiming wasn’t surprised. He reached into his bowl once more, selecting a white stone.

"After sacrificing those stones, I’ll launch an offensive on the lower-left!"

His sharp gaze fixed on the board, Su Yiming’s fingers released the stone with determination.

"The upper-left sacrifice was significant, but now I’ll unleash a fierce attack on Black in the lower-left. We’ll fight to the death!"

Thud!

Column 3, Row 9—Push!

The next second, Black immediately responded.

Column 4, Row 9—Block!

Thud, thud!

After a few more moves, Yu Shao captured White’s four sacrificed stones one by one, placing them in the lid of his Go bowl.

"He really sacrificed them."

The crowd felt their mouths go dry. Even though they had anticipated this move, witnessing Black capture the four White stones still left them incredulous.

Those four White stones were incredibly valuable, yet Su Yiming discarded them without hesitation.

“This is still just the opening…” someone murmured in a hushed tone.

The room fell into silence.

Though this was merely the opening phase, the depth of strategy and intensity of exchanges had already far exceeded their imaginations.

After White’s sacrifice, it was certain: this game would escalate into a fierce, all-out battle!