Beside Zhuang Weisheng, Chang Yan stared blankly at the large screen after hearing his comment about the "ruthless move." She murmured in disbelief, "This..."
She swallowed hard before continuing, "This is truly unimaginable..."
Even as a former Holy Sage title holder and current 9-dan professional, she was profoundly shocked by this atari move.
The current board position showed Black and White locked in fierce combat, with the key question being how White should handle Black's large but low-positioned group that threatened to sever White's vital stones! Black had actually set a dilemma trap for White here!
If White directly captured the upper Black stones, Black would connect, White would then make a capturing move, Black would kill White's central stones, White would continue capturing... Eventually, Black would connect to fix the cut, and when White played atari again, Black would extend out!
But here, White chose this atari move!
A truly ruthless move, living up to its name!
If Black captured now, White would play another capturing move, Black would connect above, White would capture... ultimately leading to Black being captured!
If Black didn't capture but chose to take White's upper stones instead, White had the unexpected tactic of making a single squeeze after the capturing move! Black couldn't capture now either, or White would "roll up" Black - using consecutive sacrifices and capturing moves to compress Black's stones into inefficient, clumsy shapes before finally annihilating them!
Since Black couldn't capture, if they connected instead, White then had the powerful tactic of making a second-line capturing move, forcing Black to capture while White could safely cross over!Thus, White not only completely escaped Black's attack but also left Black's large upper group incompletely alive, suddenly putting Black in grave danger!
What if Black stood firm when White made the capturing move?
No good either.
White had the brilliant counter of a counter-capturing move here!
After Black captured, White seemed in extreme danger but could continue making capturing moves against Black. Black would have to connect to escape, White would capture again, Black would flee again...
Though Black had numerous stones in the lower board that seemed capable of breaking out, calculations showed that even with this massive Black group, it contributed nothing to the ladder!
If this continued, Black would be shockingly laddered to death under the despairing gaze of all their reinforcements!
Yes!
Even with thousands of troops, Black couldn't utilize them and couldn't escape this fatal predicament!
White could actually ladder Black to death here!
This was the most shocking aspect, something no one had dared imagine before.
Only when the stone actually hit the board, with no turning back, did everyone forced to calculate further discover this astonishing, mind-blowing tactic!
This atari move transcended ordinary play.
A single stone move left Black without a shred of living space, erasing half the Black stones from existence, making even struggle impossible. The sound of the stone hitting the board carried whispers of blood and death!
This is what's called—
Ruthless!
...
In the Go room.
Su Yiming stared down at the board, his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
His expression had grown so intense it bordered on frightening, sending chills down the spines of the recorder and referee nearby who could palpably feel the oppressive atmosphere!
"Completely unexpected..."
"Originally it was White in a dilemma, but after this atari move, it's me who's caught between a rock and a hard place with no way out!"
"All possible living paths have been completely severed by this single move!"
Gritting his teeth, Su Yiming reached into his bowl again, picked up a Black stone, and placed it on the board!
Click!
Column 17, row 9 - capture!
As the stone hit the board, Su Yiming picked up the White stone killed by Black and placed it on his bowl's lid.
Black had chosen to capture after all!
Though he'd taken a White stone, Su Yiming's expression darkened further.
Because this stone wasn't one he'd killed - it was one White had abandoned, one Black was forced to kill!
Yu Shao quickly followed, picking up and placing another stone.
Click!
Column 14, row 7 - capture!
With Black capturing, White's immediate follow-up capture was the expected continuation after the atari!
"No choice now!"
Su Yiming clenched his jaw as sweat trickled down his cheeks, quickly picking up and placing another stone.
Click!
Column 15, row 8 - connect!
"Su Yiming didn't dare connect above and ultimately compromised by connecting below!"
The female recorder was deeply moved watching this move:
"Black has yielded for the first time in the entire game!"
This was Black's only concession in the whole game, but a necessary one - had Black persisted stubbornly here, complete annihilation would have followed!
Though this retreat saved Black from immediate death, all the painstaking advantages accumulated in the first half were not just gone - Black had suddenly fallen into severe disadvantage!
Faced with certain death versus probable death, Black chose the latter!
This also showed Black still hoped for a counterattack, a desperate gamble in the second half!
Though the chances were slim...
The possibility existed!
Black wanted to win - wanted it desperately at all costs!
Everyone could clearly sense this burning desire, so intense it moved them deeply!
Click!
Click!
Click!
Stones alternated across the board.
"I'm at a disadvantage in the upper battle, but I can make life!"
Ignoring the sweat streaming down his face, Su Yiming swiftly picked up and placed another stone.
"The lower board is still open - this will be the focus of coming battles. If I can gain fifteen points here, I can still win!"
Meanwhile, though having turned danger into safety and gained considerable advantage, Yu Shao remained equally focused and serious.
After a moment, Yu Shao reached into his bowl again and swiftly placed a stone!
Click!
Column 9, row 14 - hane!
"Gaining fifteen points back will be extremely difficult."
Seeing Yu Shao's move, Su Yiming reached into his bowl again, feeling the stone's chilling coldness.
"My opponent isn't just some ordinary strong player!"
"He's the strongest opponent I've faced in both lifetimes - except for that one online match!"
"But I must do it!"
"Only by gaining fifteen points can I have any chance of winning!"
Su Yiming's eyes showed stubbornness, determination, and a trace of... madness in knowingly attempting the impossible!
"Then let's try it!"
Click!
With the sound of stones, Su Yiming boldly placed another stone!
"Jumping out?"
Yu Shao calmly assessed the board, instantly understanding Su Yiming's intention, then quickly placed a stone firmly on the board!
"He ignores my threat and stubbornly cuts there, continuing to destroy my eye shape!"
Su Yiming's pupils contracted as he felt the move's aggressive intent, sweat pouring uncontrollably from his brow.
"But Black has cutting points too. If he attacks my left, I'll attack his right to reduce his territory!"
Click!
The crisp sound of stones echoed again.
Taking a deep breath, Su Yiming quickly placed another stone.
Click!
Column 16, row 12 - knight's move!
Black chose to attack strongly on the right flank!
Facing White's powerful moves, Su Yiming's knight's move was practically a suicidal assault - this deep Black invasion would most likely be captured!
Su Yiming surely knew this!
He wasn't hoping to actually crush White this way, but taking an alternative approach - even if the invading Black stones were captured, they could still serve as sacrificial stones!
Making dead stones useful, turning desperation into survival!
This is called - finding life in death!
"The use of sacrificial stones..."
Yu Shao's expression grew serious again, sensing the killing intent emanating from the board - even he felt danger now!
In this situation, to immediately consider a suicidal assault using dead stones for violent demolition, stirring rebellion in White's stronghold - just having this idea was terrifying enough!
He did hold the advantage, a considerable one, but the board was too chaotic - so chaotic that control was impossible. Even with his past life's style, he couldn't guarantee a steady conclusion!
This was precisely the type of position he'd hated most in his past life - most of his losses had come from such messy situations. In calmer games where he gained advantage, he'd never lost!
Not once!
But this game had become unimaginably chaotic!
This meant he couldn't compromise either - he had to attack relentlessly, leaving no retreat for either side - either a glorious victory or crushing defeat!
"In such a vague, intense position, even with my advantage, the slightest mistake would be fatal!"
After a moment, Yu Shao stared at the board, eyes flashing sharply as he quickly placed another stone.
"I must use my advantage to compress Black's living space, leaving no chance for a comeback!"
Click!
Column 10, row 14 - central pressure!
"Central pressure... trying to seal me in the upper area, even willing to let me definitely make ten points of territory!"
Sweat poured down Su Yiming's face as he gritted his teeth and reached for another stone.
His eyes burned with murderous intent.
He couldn't accept this guaranteed territory!
Because it was White's poisoned bait - though taking it would narrow the gap, surpassing White would become even harder!
And in the lower battle, he needed to gain fifteen points on White!
"I'll sacrifice stones for him to capture, forcibly taking sente in the lower left, then use that sente to dominate territory-making!"
Click!
The Black stone landed on the intersecting lines again!
The atmosphere grew increasingly deadly, the battle so intense everyone watched unblinkingly, breathless, deeply shaken!
"I know what Black intends."
"But can he really do it?"
"To reverse the situation, he must gain fifteen points in the lower board!"
"That should... probably... perhaps... be impossible?"
Black's intentions were obvious, but what he attempted seemed nearly impossible!
Su Yiming was indeed a monstrous genius, but Yu Shao was an unprecedented prodigy - gaining fifteen points would be incredibly difficult, practically impossible!
Or rather, what Su Yiming attempted was itself unprecedented!
Yet seeing Su Yiming's fierce fighting spirit in this desperate situation, every brilliant move flashing with genius, everyone found themselves hesitating about this "impossible" outcome!
Then another Black stone hit the board!
"Diagonal move?!"
"What a strong move!"
Everyone was electrified by this move, both awed and uncontrollably excited!
"Black has staked everything on this, creating a broken shape all players avoid, just to attack White!"
"White will have trouble responding here if—"
The live chat had just started discussing when the next Black stone landed, silencing all comments!
White!
Column 17, row 7 - poke!
"Completely... seen through!"
Someone exclaimed in shock:
"This move lands above but punishes Black's broken shape from afar, even threatening Black's dragon - an exquisite response! No better counter exists!"
Click!
Click!
Click!
Stones kept landing!
Everyone was utterly mesmerized, emotions rising and falling with each move.
They frequently thought Black had no chance left, only for Black to surprise them with unimaginably brilliant moves that revived the game!
Just when they thought Black might have a chance, White would ruthlessly sever Black's hard-won lifeline with precise tactics.
Seeing Black's tenacious fighting spirit in utter desperation moved everyone deeply, even stirring uncontrollable emotion.
Watching White mercilessly strangle Black's hopes with superior skill, they felt the cruelty yet... couldn't help but applaud!
For a moment, they didn't know whom to root for.
Perhaps this was Go's true charm.
Not in victory or defeat, but in every single move.
Soon another White stone landed.
Click!
Column 7, row 12 - shoulder hit!
"A direct shoulder hit - my left-side White stones are suddenly damaged."
In the Go room, Su Yiming seemed to see nothing but the board before him. After some thought, he gritted his teeth and placed another stone.
"Now I have no choice but to stubbornly attack the lower left!"
On the board, Black and White stones cascaded like an avalanche across half the board.
Click!
Click!
Click!
Time passed quietly.
At some point, the entire world had fallen silent.
Even the Twin Stars Cup official live stream had few comments scrolling by.
Everyone stared blankly at the game, hearts heavy.
The lower board was growing increasingly cramped, with few places left to play.
For Black to win, he needed to gain fifteen points in what was originally open territory.
Now with clear Black-White boundaries forming below, even after exhausting all possibilities, calculations showed White had at most gained only eight or nine points there.
Far short of the needed fifteen...
This meant Black's dream of gaining fifteen points below would likely be shattered.
"It seems impossible after all..."
"Yu Shao is too strong... just too incredibly strong."
"Even after reaching this point, it's still not enough."
"If he can't gain fifteen points below, Black is surely lost."
"No chance left..."