Inside the Go room.
Although the game had already ended, Su Yiming and Yu Shao still sat in their original seats, staring at the Go board before them, filled with the intricately intertwined black and white stones.
Sweat beads still clung to the corners of Yu Shao’s forehead, silently gazing at the board. Even though he had won, there was no trace of joy on his face.
Despite the mid-game dragon slaying victory, this was far from an easy battle.
One could even say this was the toughest match he had ever played in this world so far, even though he had the advantage throughout and eventually captured the White player’s great dragon.
In the previous match against Jiang Changdong, although he lost, Yu Shao had never felt it was difficult because it was a clear loss due to a judgment error.
But in this game, he made no mistakes.
Every move was meticulously calculated, every step deeply pondered, playing what he believed was the best move.
It had been a very long time since he had played such a serious game.
The last time he had been this serious was in his previous life.Even so, every move from Su Yiming still put immense pressure on him. Each of Su Yiming’s imaginative, almost otherworldly moves filled him with an unprecedented sense of oppression.
For a long time, Yu Shao had harbored a certain pride because he was a player who had lived through the AI era of Go and had stood at the pinnacle of the Go world even during that time!
After all, there was a gulf called "era" standing between him and the players of this world, a chasm that was almost impossible to cross!
He naturally held a sense of superiority over the players of this world.
But.
Old does not necessarily mean worse!
In terms of vision and understanding, players who had not experienced the AI era were indeed at a disadvantage compared to those who had.
However, in mid-game attack and defense, in capturing tactical opportunities, and in the intuition under a fuzzy board situation, the older players were not necessarily weaker than those who had experienced the AI era!
Some stunning brilliant moves could even impress AI-era players!
Yu Shao believed that even if this game had been played in his previous life, Su Yiming’s countless brilliant moves would have deeply shocked many players of that era, making them feel ashamed of themselves!
Ultimately, in this game filled with a breathtaking three hundred point killing sequence, every black and white step was soaked with blood and tears, the entire board a battlefield, deciding the victor…
Even in defeat, every move by Su Yiming still shone with astonishing brilliance. Every miraculous move on such a complex board moved people to their core.
This was a game that even many top AI-era players of the previous life might not have been able to produce.
“He has already learned much of the AI Go philosophy but has not yet fully comprehended it, meaning he hasn’t fully matured, and yet he has already played such a game.”
“If one day he completely masters AI Go…”
Yu Shao finally withdrew his gaze from the board and looked up at Su Yiming opposite him.
“What heights will I grow to then?”
On the other side, Min Quancai stared at the board, his eyes somewhat dim.
He had lost again.
Since last facing Yu Shao at the China-Korea-Japan Team Competition, he had been continuously sharpening his skills, waiting for a rematch.
He had prepared well for this duel.
At one point, he even thought the gap between him and Yu Shao was not very large.
But…
After this game finished, the difference between the two was clear at a glance!
Thickness and thinness had been reversed, yet he was completely unaware, failing to realize White was deeply trapped in a losing position, even once believing White had the advantage!
Although he got the answer he wanted and witnessed a higher level of skill, after the initial joy, he now felt confused…
Yes, confused.
Even a bit powerless.
He had exhausted all his efforts to reach the heavens, thinking he had reached the top, but once he looked up, he saw the vast universe. He was but a speck in the ocean.
Facing the boundless cosmic star river, even he felt a trace of helplessness in his heart…
This was no longer a famous game. Famous games were where both players had many brilliant moves and ended as classic matches. There were many famous games.
But this overturning and understanding of thickness and thinness was unprecedented and unparalleled!
“Where do you think the turning point that decided the outcome of this game was…?”
Just as Su Yiming was staring blankly at the board, Yu Shao’s voice suddenly rang out.
Su Yiming slightly refocused, gathering his composure and pointed at the board, saying, “It lies in thickness and thinness. I was overly confident in my thickness and failed to notice your thin shape had more potential than my thickness.”
Su Yiming moved the stones and said, “If I had realized this earlier and used thickness to surround the empty space, things might have been much better.”
Tap, tap, tap…
In the silent Go room, Su Yiming kept moving stones. The sound of the stones hitting the board was crisp and clear.
Yu Shao watched the sequence of changes Su Yiming demonstrated on the board, paused silently for a moment, then finally spoke, “Indeed, surrounding empty space would have been much better, but… thickness and thinness are not actually the key factors that decided the outcome of this game.”
Upon hearing this, the hand Su Yiming used to move the stones instantly froze.
“Not the key?”
Su Yiming raised his head, somewhat confused, looking at Yu Shao opposite him.
“Yes.”
Yu Shao nodded and said, “It seems the mid-game misjudgment of thickness and thinness decided the outcome, but in reality, that is only part of the reason. The fundamental cause of victory or defeat is not that.”
Su Yiming’s mind buzzed as he stared blankly at Yu Shao.
Yu Shao locked eyes on Su Yiming, took a deep breath, and continued, “You are too obsessed with the center.”
“Though the center is elevated, many players think the center’s value is not great, considering the saying of ‘grass belly,’ but regarding the value of the center, you and I should share the same judgment—”
“The center’s value is very, very high!”
Su Yiming said nothing.
Indeed, despite the sayings about golden corners, silver edges, and grass belly, he placed great value on the center, sometimes even more than the corners!
Because of this, his playstyle often leaned towards shapes, placing stones in high positions, and more than once, he had played the three-star formation!
“Though the center’s value is great and more than just ‘grass belly,’ your intention to surround a large shape was too obvious, or rather, too violent.”
Yu Shao paused, then continued, “I had already established a shape in the center, but you forcibly entered the central sky, ultimately sacrificing many stones, violently surrounding a shape.”
Su Yiming remained silent, quietly listening to Yu Shao’s words.
Indeed, his intention to surround a large shape had never been concealed from the start, but in the end, he succeeded. Although it was a violent surrounding of a shape, on the board at that time, both sides should have been roughly equal!
Then, since the center’s value was not poor and he did not become disadvantaged from forcibly surrounding empty space, how could obsession with the center be the key to deciding victory?
“Have you ever thought—”
Yu Shao fixed his gaze on Su Yiming and spoke again, “Not to pursue surrounding a large shape, but to unknowingly surround a large shape?”
This sentence fell like a thunderclap, stunning Su Yiming into stillness, as if frozen in place!
Not pursuing surrounding a large shape?
Unknowingly surrounding a large shape?
At this moment, a brand-new door seemed to slowly open before Su Yiming!
“I am not good at this style of play, but I know it must be possible.”
In Yu Shao’s mind flashed countless AI self-play matches from his previous life. He said, “Every move is unrelated to forming shapes, still placing stones in low positions, not secretly surrounding a shape, but truly having no intention to form a shape—”
“Yet eventually, looking back, unknowingly, an incredibly magnificent shape has been formed!”
“This, perhaps, can be called no move beating a move.”
Hearing this, Su Yiming’s eyes glazed over, deeply absorbed in Yu Shao’s words.
Yu Shao took a deep breath and continued, “Your play treats large shapes as potential territory, using thickness to pressure the opponent.”
“But I believe the risk of aggressively surrounding shapes often outweighs the benefits. Even if you have the shape, it is better to give up expanding the shape and instead take another area.”
“In other words, allow your opponent to reduce the territory slightly, but seize a larger area across the board!”
Yu Shao cast his gaze at the board before him. After a moment, he spoke again, “In the past, everyone thought thickness did not surround empty space because thickness already formed potential territory.”
Yu Shao paused, then added, “But—”
“The true value of thickness lies not in potential territory, but in attack!”
“Sometimes, you even deliberately keep the shape incomplete to lure your opponent into a tangled attack!”
“The potential of thirty points does not mean you must form thirty points of territory, but use the shape to force your opponent to fill in low positions, gaining initiative elsewhere!”
“Traditional large shapes are progressive, but perhaps large shapes can also be fluid. Maybe the expansion at the top halfway through suddenly turns to the bottom to start!”
“In other words, it’s not that you shouldn’t surround large shapes, but that you must be prepared to turn at any moment.”
“To surround a large shape is not about how much you surround, but about preventing your opponent from surrounding!”
“I think… this is the true way to play large shapes!”
After Yu Shao finished speaking, the entire Go room fell into utter silence.
Nearby, the two referees and the recorder stared at Yu Shao in stunned amazement, their brains momentarily frozen by the powerful impact!
Every sentence Yu Shao said overturned established ideas. Every sentence could be called heretical. Every sentence challenged the very foundations of traditional Go.
Their first reaction was to think it ridiculous, but upon deeper reflection, a cold sweat began to break out on their foreheads.
If any other player said this, they would have thought them mad. But Yu Shao now held titles and had accomplished countless unprecedented feats!
So, hearing Yu Shao’s words, their scalps tingled. Their first reaction was disbelief, but no longer an instinctive rebuttal!
Old and new!
Tradition and reform!
“Perhaps the way Go is played really is about to change completely!”
The referee seated on the left could not calm his heart, sweat streaming uncontrollably down his cheeks!
“Not just thickness, order, terrain, speed! Now even the very concept of ‘shape’ must be redefined!”
He did not know what kind of upheaval Yu Shao’s words would cause once spread outside the Go room, but he knew it would shake the entire Go world!
Though no one knew if Yu Shao was right, because these words came from Yu Shao, everyone would think deeply about this topic!
“But…”
The referee shifted his gaze, looking at Yu Shao with some apprehension.
“Even if Yu Shao is correct, why would he tell Su Yiming?”
“They still have one more game!”
“They are… opponents who want to kill each other!”
Inside the Go room, a long silence followed.
“Thank you.”
Finally, Su Yiming’s voice broke the long silence.
He quietly looked at Yu Shao. The confusion and powerlessness he felt after losing had now vanished.
“I… have benefited greatly.”
Su Yiming shifted his gaze away from Yu Shao and looked at the board in front of him, sincerely saying,
“No need to thank me.”
Yu Shao shook his head and said, “What I said is just my personal opinion. How you judge it is still up to you.”
After speaking, Yu Shao slowly stood, fixed his gaze on Su Yiming, and said, “I look forward to our second match!”
Su Yiming also stood, looked at Yu Shao, light flickering like flames in his eyes, and replied, “I look forward to it too!”
Hearing this, Yu Shao finally turned and left the Go room.
Su Yiming did not follow but sat back in his chair, gazing at the board before him.
Before his eyes, another board seemed to appear, based on this game’s layout, with stones continuously placed in sequence.
Yu Shao’s words echoed in his ears:
“No move beats a move!”
“The true value of thickness lies not in potential territory but in attack!”
“Traditional large shapes are progressive, but large shapes can also be fluid!”
“It’s not that you shouldn’t surround large shapes, but you must be prepared to turn at any moment.”
“To surround a large shape is not about how much you surround, but about preventing your opponent from surrounding!”
Every sentence brought unprecedented shock to Su Yiming’s heart!
That door leading to the Go hall seemed to have been violently blasted open right before him!
Though he had not stepped inside, standing on the threshold and looking into the hall, what he saw was—
Empty! Not a single person!
Su Yiming stared at the board, his eyes shining ever brighter.
He slowly reached into the Go bowl and picked up a stone.
The next moment, the stone fell!
“As a return…”
“The next game will not disappoint you!”
Tap!
On the twelfth column, fourteenth row, a hane!
The sound of the stone hitting the board was crisp and pleasant, like metal striking stone. Although slight, it was incredibly stirring!