Not just Zheng Qin, everyone in the broadcast room had realized this fact, staring at the television screen in shock.
In Go, there is no such thing as a draw. As long as both sides continue playing, there will inevitably be a winner and a loser.
However, there is one exception.
That is the multi-ko cycle!
The most well-known among these is the triple ko cycle, where three kos endlessly repeat without resolution. A quadruple ko cycle refers to an even rarer phenomenon where four simultaneous kos form an endlessly repeating pattern on the board!
Triple ko cycles are already extremely rare, but quadruple ko cycles? Throughout the history of Go records, there have only been... a handful of instances!
Everyone was completely dumbfounded.
In the soundproof Go room, Su Yiming's forehead was still covered in fine beads of sweat as he stared intently at the board before him, his gaze fierce and sharp!
As if containing a thousand unspoken words!
"No, it's not yet decided!"Yu Shao's expression was grave as he calmly studied the board, quickly picking up a stone and placing it down again.
Seeing the white stone land on the board, Su Yiming gritted his teeth, immediately picking up a stone and slamming it down in response.
He too knew that while the potential for a quadruple ko cycle was high, the outcome wasn't yet certain!
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
On the board, black and white stones were locked in desperate struggle. With each black stone placed, it seemed the entire black formation cried out in defiance, shaking the world!
Finally, under the gaze of the entire world, another black stone was held between Su Yiming's fingers and slowly placed onto the board.
Tap!
Column 18, row 6 - capture!
The entire world instantly fell into stunned silence.
Though the quadruple ko cycle hadn't fully manifested yet, everyone could already see the outcome written across the board.
In the broadcast room, everyone stared blankly at the two formations in the center and upper right of the board.
"White's advantage is too great, impossible to defeat. Black was already in a hopeless position and could have resigned long ago."
Le Haoqiang muttered numbly: "That's the objective truth."
"But Black found another way... to perform a miracle."
On the board.
After Black's capture here, White couldn't ignore it. If White instead captured the central black stones to form a "flower" shape, the value would be enormous - but huge problems would emerge in the upper area.
After Black gained sente with this move, Black could now connect White's ko. White connecting along the edge would be meaningless, as Black only needed to keep reducing liberties to live.
Certainly White would take the ko, then Black would take another, White would connect, White would atari, White would keep taking kos - superficially appearing as White surviving through kos, but in reality leading to White's dragon dying horribly!
In other words, for White to live, it couldn't move either, forced to return below to take the ko, Black would take, White would take, Black would take again, White would have no choice but to keep taking...
Neither side could possibly yield here!
Black and White could only endlessly cycle, taking and retaking the kos!
On the board, black and white stones continued falling with crisp taps.
Soon, after six more moves, both sides stopped playing...
Looking at the board now, in the upper right and central areas, two fiercely contested formations had clearly formed four astonishing kos!
"Two formations creating a quadruple ko cycle."
Xu Zijin beside them gazed at the screen with dazed, distant eyes, murmuring: "It's over."
A game that defied heaven.
Quadruple ko cycles were already world-shaking rarities, but ones formed by just two groups were far fewer than those formed by four groups - virtually unheard of throughout history!
"A draw..."
At this moment, the entire world sank into profound silence!
Everyone was shocked to their core, never imagining this game would reach its conclusion in such fashion!
From the opening, both sides had engaged in relentless battle. First Su Yiming played a series of brilliant novel moves to gain slight advantage, but before he could expand it, Yu Shao crushed him with one devastating atari across the board!
Next, Black burned its boats, determined to fight White to the death in the lower area. Yet White played godlike moves - even with Black exhausting every possible resource, it couldn't gain any ground!
Then, from this utterly hopeless position, Black's seemingly suicidal assault on White's large dragon somehow dragged the game back into uncertainty...
After fierce fighting, both sides had actually reached a quadruple ko cycle - battling to a draw!
This one game, with all its twists and turns, its magnificent waves, was truly like an art of black and white!
It was over!
Finally, after who knows how long, the internet exploded!
...
"It's nature's habit - when she molds one genius, she usually doesn't stop at one, but creates another simultaneously!"
Ding Huan was flushed with excitement, too overwhelmed to speak, pouring all his emotions onto paper:
"I never imagined - with White's enormous advantages in center, lower left and upper left, in what should have been an assured victory - that Black could stage such a breathtakingly gorgeous performance, ending the game through a quadruple ko cycle!"
"Too insane! Too amazing! Too beautiful!"
"This is like divine handiwork. I almost believe the gods wanted to watch Go, so they made Yu Shao and Su Yiming play this game."
"Those who know me know I'm Yu Shao's diehard fan. Many online have said things like 'why create Ming when Yu exists' or 'why create Yu when Ming exists' - I used to scoff at such talk."
"Because in my view, Yu Shao was the epoch-making player. Though Su Yiming was talented, he could never match Yu Shao - at best a mere opponent!"
"But after this game, my perspective has changed!"
"Now I'm certain."
"They're not opponents!"
"They are true lifetime rivals!"
...
...
In the broadcast studio.
"Quadruple ko cycle. A draw."
Zhuang Weisheng stared at the demonstration board for a long time before finally exhaling deeply, sighing with heartfelt admiration: "Truly a game that defies heaven."
"Why?"
Chang Yan beside him stared blankly at the screen, still deeply perplexed: "Why did White's enormous advantage end in a quadruple ko cycle?"
Hearing this, Zhuang Weisheng smiled faintly: "Because White played too well."
Chang Yan was instantly confused, turning to Zhuang Weisheng: "Teacher Zhuang, what do you mean by 'played too well'?"
Her first thought was that Zhuang was being sarcastic, but his earnest expression showed no hint of irony - he genuinely meant White had played superbly.
"Precisely because he played too well."
Zhuang seemed to notice Chang's confusion, smiling as he explained: "Every one of his moves pursued maximum efficiency, becoming so precise they left no room for retreat, each filled with coercive pressure."
"Isn't that... good?"
Chang Yan grew even more puzzled. Even as a title-holding 9-dan, she couldn't grasp Zhuang's meaning.
"It is good, but... Go is profound, embodying yin-yang principles."
Zhuang gazed at the board with dark eyes, continuing: "When you leave no retreat for your opponent, often you leave none for yourself."
"This can't even be called a weakness, but in this game, it became the key to the outcome."
"When White needed to live at the end, it discovered that while it could certainly live, the only living path was through the quadruple ko cycle."
"At the end, Black punished White's overly efficient precision... with the quadruple ko cycle."
Zhuang couldn't help adding jokingly: "Proving the universal truth that one should leave room for others."
After this explanation, Chang Yan finally understood, staring at the screen in awe: "Perhaps so."
Gazing at the game, she felt something like reverence well up within her.
"But to punish your opponent's excessive pursuit of efficiency... that's utterly... mind-blowing."
...
...
In the Go room.
Yu Shao finally looked up from the board, meeting Su Yiming's eyes: "A draw."
Hearing this, Su Yiming seemed to shrug off a hundred-pound burden, collapsing back into his chair, panting heavily, face pale as if he'd run a marathon.
"That was incredible play."
Just then, Yu Shao's voice sounded again.
Su Yiming blinked, then looked up at Yu Shao across the board.
Yu Shao's face still bore traces of sweat as he smiled at Su Yiming: "I really thought I had it won. Never expected this ending."
Su Yiming smiled back: "I thought for sure I'd lost too."
They shared a laugh, reaching out to clean up the board together - all previous enmities seemingly dissolved.
The two referees exchanged helpless glances beside them.
"A quadruple ko cycle draw... completely unexpected."
The left referee scratched his head helplessly.
Before the match, he'd considered every possibility - Yu Shao winning both games, Su Yamo evening the score 1-1. But he'd never imagined they'd produce this historic quadruple ko cycle. He had no protocols for this.
"An... extraordinary game."
Watching the two teens gather stones, he could still recall every move - each one still profoundly shocking him.
Seeing these two seventeen-year-olds, his heart swelled with complex emotions.
"According to professional rules, multi-ko cycle draws require a blitz playoff."
The right referee whispered: "I once saw a triple ko cycle in the Meijin title match - they held a playoff."
"Hmm..."
The left referee nodded thoughtfully, complaining softly: "Looks like overtime today."
But despite his words, he felt no resentment - only joy. If he could keep watching these two play, what was overtime?
It was just too magnificent.
He'd happily watch such games until the end of time.
Suddenly he understood the legend of the woodcutter watching immortals play Go for a hundred years.
A thought even struck him - perhaps those legendary immortals were Yu Shao and Su Yiming?
The idea made him chuckle.
"Referees, let's end it here."
Yu Shao's voice suddenly spoke up.
Hearing this, both referees and Su Yaming turned to him in surprise.
"The Twin Stars Cup was temporary - it has no draw rules. When Chairman Ma explained it, he said only two wins would count, never mentioning draws."
Yu Shao smiled, placing the last white stone back in its bowl: "Since I didn't win both games, I've no right to the title."
"Eh?"
The left referee was stunned: "But you won one game, drew this one - that should..."
Yu Shao cut him off: "Two wins were required. Besides, I'm tired."
"Moreover, the Twin Stars Cup isn't a title match. To claim a title, you need total victory - no draws allowed. There should be some difficulty, no?"
The referees exchanged helpless glances.
Though a formal event, the hastily arranged Twin Stars Cup's rules had indeed only specified that two wins would claim the opponent's title, with no provisions for draws.
As the player - and the advantaged one at that - if Yu Shao declined a playoff, the decision was his.
After silent communication, the right referee nodded: "Fair enough. No playoff then."
Just as Su Yiming opened his mouth to speak, Yu Shao shook his head smiling: "We'll have many more games."
Su Yiming looked at Yu Shao, then swallowed his words.
"Oh!"
The left referee suddenly remembered: "Don't rush to review. Since no playoff, you should go give interviews first."
"Right!"
The right referee belatedly agreed, smiling: "This event was created just for you two - completely unprecedented. The reporters are going crazy."
"Many begged me to send you for interviews after the match."
"You should go together! They'll have endless questions."
Yu Shao blinked, glancing at Su Yiming.
Su Yiming smiled, standing to wipe his sweat: "Let's go together then. Never done joint interviews with you before."
"Alright."
Yu Shao didn't mind, nodding with a smile: "Let's go."