Chapter 393: Crowned as the Great Go Player - I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go! - NovelsTime

I Really Didn’t Mean to Play Go!

Chapter 393: Crowned as the Great Go Player

Author: Clod Of Earth In The Mountain
updatedAt: 2025-09-21

"How is this possible..."

Upon reviewing the game again, everyone gradually realized the significance of this ko fight emerging, staring at the board in shock. This ko was enormous, with numerous ko threats, and the board situation was more complex than imagined. White had to respond to the ko, but Black had the means to ignore all threats!

"If this ko is resolved, the board will become unpredictable—both sides will have chances!"

"A path to life has appeared for Black!"

A prolonged silence ensued.

Seeing Su Yiming's move, Fu Shunan fell into deep contemplation, hesitating to place his stone. No one knew exactly what was going through Fu Shunan's mind at this moment, but from this extended deliberation, one could make an educated guess.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity under the world's gaze, Fu Shunan finally picked up a stone and gently placed it.

Though Black's path to life had appeared, this didn't mean Black had immediately turned the tables. Judging purely from the position, White still held the initiative.

The game wasn't over yet. The battle between both sides continued relentlessly—they would fight to the death before yielding!

The point gap wasn't large, but White still held the advantage with numerous sente moves. For Black to truly reverse the situation remained extremely difficult. If White employed every means to convert these sente moves into territory, Black would likely struggle to cope.

But recalling Black's previous performance and that probing move spanning half the board earlier, the spectators could only remain silent—utterly silent. In that situation, Black had secretly laid traps, engaged White in mid-game skirmishes for over thirty moves, then used the ko fight to escape—this had already surpassed their wildest imaginations!

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Black and white stones landed on the board in succession.

......

Inside the Go room.

"He's ignoring here?!"

Seeing Su Yiming place another black stone on an unexpected point, the referee and recorder both gasped in surprise—they hadn't anticipated Black playing at this location at all.

"In this position, anyone would reinforce. Yet unbelievably, Black ignores the weakness below to play elsewhere and cut!"

The female recorder stared intently at the distant board, profoundly moved: "This move... is too strong!"

Opposite Su Yiming, beads of sweat had densely covered Fu Shunan's forehead. After a long while, he finally took a deep breath, reached into his bowl, and placed his stone.

Tap!

Column 14, Row 10—bend!

Fu Shunan scanned the board—Su Yiming's response was clearly within his expectations—and immediately placed another stone.

Seeing Su Yiming's countermove, Fu Shunan couldn't help but grit his teeth.

"Stay calm!"

Fu Shunan stared intensely at the board as if trying to see through all possible variations.

"Though the situation is becoming unclear, I still have many sente moves!"

No sooner had this thought surfaced than Fu Shunan dismissed it:

"No, using these sente moves to contain Black... won't be easy!"

"While there seem many sente opportunities, Black has responses to all. Relying solely on these to attack would merely be setting problems for Black!"

"If Black answers incorrectly, White wins. If Black answers perfectly, White loses!"

"Don't hope for your opponent to err—opportunities... must be created yourself!"

"Then... this is the only way!"

A glint of determination flashed in Fu Shunan's eyes as sweat trickled down his cheeks unnoticed. Before him, like a revolving lantern, every significant game of his life played out.

"I've come this far by defeating countless strong opponents!"

"To lose my title without winning a single game..."

"Don't make me laugh!"

Fu Shunan's right hand dove into his bowl, grabbed a stone, and swiftly placed it!

Tap!

Column 5, Row 12—seal!

"This..."

Seeing this move, the referee and female recorder froze momentarily before showing deep admiration: "White... sacrificed stones?!"

Su Yiming, seeing Fu Shunan's move, also paused in surprise. His expression then turned grave.

"Unexpected. Instead of using his sente moves to attack, he sacrificed directly, invading the weak points in my formation as if those sente moves didn't exist."

"He's preserving those sente options, sacrificing to attack my weaknesses. Once new developments emerge on the board, those sente moves... may become devastatingly powerful!"

Su Yiming calmly analyzed the board, calculating countless variations in his mind to unravel the game's mysteries.

"So... an all-out brawl then?"

Su Yiming immediately picked up another stone and placed it with lightning speed!

"As you wish!"

Tap!

The crisp sound of stone meeting wood!

Column 10, Row 13—poke! Updates are released by Nove1Fire.net

Opposite, Fu Shunan also rapidly placed his stone.

Column 14, Row 15—extend!

"If he extends, I must cut off all potential uses of his sacrifices!"

Su Yiming instantly grabbed another stone, placing it adjacent to White's.

"Since he sacrificed, as long as I suppress White's stones and diminish the value of his preserved sente, I can seize the initiative!"

Tap!

Column 10, Row 14—press!

"Pressing up?"

This move puzzled the spectators initially, but upon closer examination, their scalps tingled!

This move appeared too passive—after White extends, Black has a strong atari move, but only if White has no follow-up. Almost no one noticed that White's sacrificed stones still concealed potential uses—this was White's hidden weapon. If Black carelessly played the atari without realizing this, the consequences would be dire!

And Su Yiming had seen through this!

Facing Su Yiming's press, Fu Shunan looked displeased but unsurprised, quickly placing another stone!

Tap!

Column 6, Row 11—hane!

This move made the spectators gasp, their minds reeling. Su Yiming's press had neutralized the threat of White's dead stones, but Fu Shunan's brilliant hane simultaneously threatened to invade and attack Black's dragon—a classic "relieve the besieged by besieging the base" strategy!

More astonishingly, Fu Shunan had played this move almost immediately after White's placement, with little thought. This meant Su Yiming's unexpected press had been within Fu Shunan's calculations—he hadn't hoped to deceive but had other plans!

Just then, Su Yiming also swiftly grabbed another stone and placed it!

Tap!

Column 15, Row 7—jump!

This move left the spectators dry-mouthed, their eyes filled with awe.

"Logically, this should be reinforcement. Jumping... aims to cut White's vital stones! Since White threatens Black's dragon, Black counters by cutting White's key stones—giving no quarter!"

Soon, Fu Shunan placed another white stone. The moment Black landed, Su Yiming raced against time to place his next move!

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

Amidst crisp placement sounds, black and white stones alternated rapidly across the board.

Now, everyone watched the game transfixed, stunned beyond words to describe their emotions. Each move was exquisite—every stone placement like flashing blades, every tap like clashing steel!

Even as spectators, they felt each move's lethal intent, their hearts pounding, breath catching at this brutal clash!

"Brilliant! Neither yields an inch—it's not just one side attacking while the other defends. Each defense simultaneously counterattacks!"

"If it were me, playing either color, I'd have resigned long ago. Here, a single misstep is irreversible!"

"Yet unbelievably, in this intensely complex position, they've battled this far, still mutually constrained!"

"I can't even follow their thinking!"

The world held its breath in astonishing silence.

All eyes remained glued to the board, the air thick with tension and killing intent!

Each stone bled, each move wept!

Watching this game was like witnessing a grand battlefield—strewn with wreckage and limbs, horrifyingly brutal.

"Still, currently, Great Player Fu Shnan retains sente. Though this skirmish is even, once it reaches endgame..."

A young man stared intently at his computer screen, phone in hand discussing the game with a friend, when his voice suddenly cut off!

On screen, Black had moved again!

Tap!

Column 12, Row 15—cut!

"Here... a cut?"

The young man's eyelids twitched as if nailed to his chair, gaping at the screen.

This move wasn't obscure—its variations weren't complex. After brief calculation, he instantly understood Su Yiming's intent!

"Black... to fight for sente..."

"He's..."

Staring at the screen in shock, his throat dry, he finally rasped: "Also sacrificing stones!"

Not just him—the entire world was stunned by Su Yiming's bold cut, watching with cold sweat. White indeed held sente—Black's greatest concern!

Now, to contest this sente, Black was sacrificing nearly all the stones painstakingly saved through the earlier ko fight—abandoning them without hesitation!

Those very stones Black had fought so hard to rescue through the ko were now being discarded, all previous effort wasted—all for sente!

Black believed that gaining sente would compensate for these losses later. Whether this sacrifice would pay off, most couldn't say. But even if it would, who in the world had the courage to play such a move?

Emotionally attached to stones saved through herculean effort, few would consider sacrificing them!

Everyone recalled an eternal Go proverb:

"Better sacrifice many stones than lose sente!"

Easier said than done—who could actually do it?

After all, to "gain," one must first "sacrifice"!

Stones continued falling, the rhythmic taps seeming to echo worldwide. All stared speechless at the board. Though the point gap remained small, positionally, Black had begun overtaking.

Facing Black's formidable moves, they now felt only confusion.

In the official broadcast's chat, discussions dwindled—the world sank into deep silence, just watching stones land.

"Endgame has arrived..."

After an eternity, a comment slowly drifted across the official stream. Previously, this would spark heated endgame debates. Now, only sparse comments floated by.

Tap!

Tap!

Tap!

The sounds from the Go room seemed to resonate in everyone's ears, each tap profoundly stirring.

As more stones filled the board, available points dwindled, territories and life/death situations clarifying. All watched with inexplicably complex emotions.

Finally.

After one last white stone, Fu Shunan moved no more.

The game had ended.

The match had its victor.

With this conclusion, the Great Go Player Tournament drew its curtain!

All stared dazedly at the board, unable to look away even after the end. A profound sense of loss welled within them.

Stones exhausted, ko resolved—like a bubble bursting, all clashes between Black and White reached their finale.

Though Black had once teetered on collapse, after battling to endgame, the final result was:

"White has lost!"

"Black wins by 3.5 points!"

"Phew..."

Yu Shao slowly exhaled, finally looking away from his screen to the board before him.

"The Great Go Player Tournament is over."

"In the final third match... he won after all."

Yu Shao gazed at the board, at every shining black stone. All his past games with Su Yiming replayed in his mind—from their high school league to the China-Korea-Japan team tournament's main match.

"Our last match was long ago."

"Now that he's claimed the Great Go Player title... our rematch will come soon..."

His eyes unfathomable, Yu Shao slowly reached into his bowl, picked up a stone, and placed it on the board.

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