I really don’t want to play Go!

Chapter 456 It seems I really am getting old.
Soon after, the other players also finished their games one after another. About an hour later, all the games finally came to an end, and the third round of the single-elimination tournament in the World Championship came to a close.

The losers were pale and dejected, and the winners were not happy either, their expressions were heavy. The atmosphere in the competition venue was somewhat bleak.

Another half of the players have sadly withdrawn from the world championship stage, and there are not many left who can still stand on the stage.

Now, there are only three rounds left, and then this cruel and merciless single-elimination tournament will come to an end.

However, after the single-elimination tournament, the format changed to a double-elimination tournament. Although there is an extra margin for error, the opponents will be stronger, and the competition may become more intense and brutal.

"The following are the players who advanced from the third round: Araki, Yu Shao, Su Yiming..."

After Zhao Zhengyang stood on the stage and announced the list of qualified players, he waited for the players to draw lots again before projecting the match schedule onto the large screen behind him.

Yu Shao quickly found his name on the match schedule. His opponent tomorrow was a French player with a 9-dan rank.

Although he didn't have any recollection of his opponent's name, someone who could win three consecutive games in a world championship and get this far must be no ordinary opponent.

Upon seeing the newly released match schedule, the crowd in the competition venue couldn't help but engage in heated discussions.

"Teacher Zhuang Weisheng will be having an internal battle with 9-dan Cui Junzhe tomorrow. It's Cui Junzhe's first time participating in the World Championship, and he has won three consecutive matches to get this far. I really didn't expect it."

"Won't Choi Jun-cheol 9-dan beat Zhuang Wei-sheng again tomorrow? If so, Choi Jun-cheol 9-dan would be a dark horse!"

"Huh? Tomorrow, Zhu Huai'an's opponent is Japan's Takeru Satoh! I can't wait!"

"Arakino-sensei's opponent is American master Ma Dong!"

"Higashiyama Kaoru has faced off against Fu Shunan, a master player... 9-dan!"

After the brutal elimination of the first three rounds, there were not many players left. In the fourth round, the competition suddenly became more intense, with many strong matches.

Amidst the heated discussions about predicting the outcome of tomorrow's competition, the contestants began to turn and leave one after another.

……

……

The next day, the fourth round of the single-elimination tournament kicked off again at 9:00 AM sharp!

The sound of pieces being placed echoed once again throughout the competition venue.

Unlike the past few days, the sound of pieces being placed today has become extremely sparse.

After a long time.

"I lost……"

The French player sitting opposite Yu Shao covered his face with his hands, looking dejected, and finally lowered his head and chose to resign.

"Thanks for the advice."

Yu Shao bowed his head, exchanged greetings with his opponent, tidied up the chess pieces, and then slowly stood up to go to other tables to watch the games.

Seeing that the game had been decided, the female notary finally looked away from the chessboard, took a deep breath, composed herself, tapped the keyboard, and wrote a few large characters—

Yu Shao, playing white, wins!

On the other side, while Yu Shao was playing his game, Zhuang Weisheng slowly stood up. Opposite Zhuang Weisheng, Cui Junzhe looked pale and his face was full of resentment.

This was his first time participating in the World Championship. He made it all the way to the penultimate round of the single-elimination tournament and was about to have a chance to become one of the sixty-four players to participate in the double-elimination tournament. In the end... he was defeated by Zhuang Weisheng!
Although considering his previous achievements, this year's record of not only reaching the World Championships but also making it this far is already a remarkable achievement and enough to be satisfied with, he still felt endless resentment when he was eliminated.

But the outcome is destined to remain unchanged.

Zhuang Weisheng, playing white, wins!
On the other side, at table number three.

This match between Araki and Mato naturally attracted a lot of attention.

One is Araki, who dominated the Go world ten years ago and was considered the best player after An Hongshi, while the other is Ma Dong, who has been active in the world Go scene and has a very good record.

But the final result of this game was—

"I……"

Looking down at the intricate chessboard before him, Ma Dong managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: "We lost."

The onlookers stared blankly at the chessboard, as if they had been startled.

Among the crowd, Yuki Mita, who was eliminated in the second round, stared intently at the chessboard with her beautiful eyes, and for a moment her vision seemed to blur.

"Araki-sensei..."

A bead of sweat slowly slid down Yuki Mita's fair face as she murmured softly.

On the other side, the game between Dongshan Xun and Fu Shunan also attracted a lot of attention, with the chess table surrounded by a huge crowd.

Many people still find it unbelievable that Higashiyama Kaoru defeated his teacher Kimura Go in the first round.

This game of chess has now entered the middle stage.

On the chessboard, the pieces are densely packed, and the situation is intricate and complex. Black has influence on the outside, while White has territory. The two sides are constantly entangled, and for a time it is difficult to determine the winner.

"They're biting so hard, yet they're still evenly matched..."

Seeing this, many people were somewhat surprised. They didn't expect that Fu Shunan wouldn't have gained much advantage against Higashiyama Kaoru, and they couldn't help but subconsciously glance at Kimura Go in the crowd.

Kimura Go stood with his hands behind his back, his expression very calm, seemingly not surprised at all.

Fu Shunan looked at the chessboard and frowned slightly. After thinking for a long time, he looked up at Dongshan Xun on the opposite side before finally picking up a chess piece again and gently placing it down!

Hey!
Four columns and seven rows, block!

Higashiyama Kaoru quietly watched the white stone that had just been placed on the board. After a moment, she finally reached into the chess box again, slowly picked up the stone, and gently placed it down!
Snapped!
One column, eleven rows, plop!
Seeing the position where the black piece was placed, everyone who had been focused on watching the game was stunned. Fu Shunan obviously hadn't expected this move either, and his eyes widened slightly. Then everyone was suddenly shocked!
"flutter?"

"He actually went deep into enemy territory, that's insane!"

Some people stared intently at the black stone located in the tiger's mouth of the white stones on the edge of the chessboard, finding it hard to believe!

Fu Shunan stared at the chessboard. After a moment, he couldn't help but grit his teeth, and his face turned slightly red. This was keenly observed by Jiang Changdong in the crowd.

"Black's attack gave White no chance to breathe; it was a very powerful move."

Jiang Changdong stared at the chessboard, calculating the subsequent changes in the game.

"White's response here will change the course of the entire game, and it is indeed... quite difficult to respond to."

He quickly calculated the subsequent changes on the chessboard, and his gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at the game.

"If White cuts off Black's stones, the entire game will become extremely complex and intense. Black will be in danger, but White will also face enormous risks!"

Finally, after a long period of deliberation, Fu Shunan picked up a chess piece and quickly placed it down!

Hey!
One column, twelve rows, lift!

Upon seeing this, everyone craned their necks, their expressions filled with disbelief. Even Jiang Changdong was stunned.

"Teacher Fu Shunan didn't choose to cut it off, but instead picked it up!"

Here, White's capture is definitely not a bad move, but most players probably wouldn't consider this option, because after capturing, White essentially gives up the restraint on Black's left flank!

However, Fu Shunan still chose grapes. In other words—

"White got scared, so it compromised!"

Everyone found this answer unbelievable!
Higashiyama Kaoru's gaze was sharp as a sword. She quickly picked up another chess piece and placed it down.

Fu Shunan's expression darkened slightly. He glanced at the chessboard and quickly gave his response.

Hey!
The sound of a piece being placed rang out once more!
Upon seeing Higashiyama Kaoru's move, the expressions of those around her changed drastically, and Fu Shunan's face instantly turned extremely ugly!

"It's infiltrated?"

Fu Shunan gritted her teeth, quickly reached into the chess box, picked out a chess piece, and placed it on the board with a snap!
"Are you kidding me? Does he think Black can survive here?!"

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
Both sides made moves in a flurry of speed, and the situation on the chessboard was already dazzling!

Soon after, Jiang Changdong stared at the chessboard, his expression changing uncontrollably. A moment later, everyone around him was also stunned, and then their pupils contracted slightly!

"Black didn't cut off just now, but instead turned and maneuvered, initially seeming to be trying to secure their group and find a way out, but now it seems—"

Wu Lai stood frozen in the crowd, his eyes filled with deep shock.

"That was actually a major sacrifice planned long in advance to attack White's key stones!"

This tactic is absolutely terrifying, because under normal circumstances, White's invasion is definitely aimed at breaking into White's territory, so the subsequent move to secure White's isolated group is the obvious course of action.

To everyone's astonishment, Higashiyama Kaoru did the opposite of what was expected. He took advantage of the surrounding piece configuration, and after entering the territory, he suddenly turned around and treated the piece that everyone thought was meant to be eliminated as a sacrifice!

And all of this is actually related to Higashiyama Kaoru's move before!

Fu Shunan clearly realized this as well, and his expression immediately turned extremely ugly, his face flushed.

After a long while, Fu Shunan finally picked up a chess piece and placed it down. The instant Fu Shunan placed her piece, Dongshan Xun placed another piece. This relentless speed of placing pieces created an invisible pressure!

Hey!
Hey!
Hey!
I don’t know how long it has been...

Fu Shunan stared at the chessboard, his fists clenched, his teeth clenched, his eyes twitching uncontrollably. Finally, he closed his eyes and said with difficulty, "I lost."

Upon hearing Fu Shunan's words, the surroundings fell silent.

"Oh my God……"

After a long while, someone in the crowd couldn't help but speak in a low voice.

Everyone was stunned. They had thought that Dongshan Xun might be able to beat Fu Shunan, but they never expected that Dongshan Xun would win so beautifully.

That initial move, and the subsequent invasion, ultimately resulted in a massive sacrifice that was part of the overall plan. It was so astonishing, so amazing, that it could be said to have defied the laws of nature.

This game of chess!

Dongshan Xun, playing black, wins!
"It seems I really am... getting old."

Fu Shunan looked at the chessboard for a long time, then suddenly smiled and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

Upon hearing Fu Shunan's words, the people around him were slightly taken aback.

Kimura Go opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately couldn't.

"It's not because I'm old."

Kimura Go stared at Fu Shunan. He had seen him lose his Grand Master title before, and now he saw him eliminated by Higashiyama Kaoru. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

"Teacher Fu Shunan is still very strong."

"But Teacher Fu Shunan would rather say that he has become weaker than admit that his opponent is very strong..."

……

……

Finally, after a while...

As time went by, the matches at the other tables also began to end one after another.

In the middle game between Zhu Huai'an and Sato Takeru, Zhu Huai'an launched a fierce attack with his strong position, breaking down Sato Takeru's shape. However, Sato Takeru then launched a sudden attack with the initiative in the lower right corner, making the situation difficult to determine again.

In the endgame, the two players fought to the end, where Zhu Huai'an's handling of the game was more refined. Ultimately, Sato Takeru was defeated in the endgame, and the game ended with Zhu Huai'an winning by one and a half points.

Sato Takeru, who had been hoping to face Yu Shao again at the World Championships and avenge his previous defeat, was ultimately eliminated in the single-elimination round.

Wishing you peace and victory!
After a long while, when the sound of pieces being placed ceased in the competition venue, this round of single-elimination tournament finally came to an end.

An Hongshi, Su Yiming, Zhang Dongchen, Honinbo Shinwa, and others, as expected, all defeated their opponents, whose strength was clearly not a good match for their own, and successfully advanced to the next round.

Of course, there were some surprises. For example, American player Shire, who was originally receiving a lot of attention, suffered a shock defeat in this round to Lucius 9-dan from France, thus missing out on the final match of the single-elimination tournament.

The fourth round of the competition is over!

"The following are the players who have advanced to the fifth round: Sho Misaki, Araki, Honinbo Shinwa, Higashiyama Kaoru..."

After the competition ended, Zhao Zhengyang returned to the stage and began announcing the list of players who advanced to the fifth round.

Unlike before, when the amateur chess players below the stage would be engaged in lively discussions about each game at this time every day a few days ago, today the entire competition venue was unusually quiet.

It's not because today's game wasn't exciting.

In fact, quite the opposite.

It was precisely because of this that so many games in this round were incredibly exciting, with not a single game going cold, that both the winners and losers displayed an exceptionally high level of skill.

On the chessboard—

Each seed is stained with blood, each one is filled with tears.

For example, in the fight between Zhu Huai'an and Sato Takeru, both sides displayed a variety of brilliant moves, going back and forth until the very end, which was thrilling and exciting. However, because it was so exciting, Sato Takeru's departure seemed all the more tragic.

After watching these chess games, they were all affected, feeling somewhat depressed and unable to calm down for a while.

Others are still deeply shocked, such as those who watched the game between Higashiyama Kaoru and Fu Shunan. Even now, they still find the game unbelievable.

Everyone has their own thoughts.

After today, another half of the chess players will have to leave the game in disappointment.

With only one round left in the single-elimination tournament, it will then enter the final double-elimination tournament until the champion is determined!

Ultimately, who will emerge victorious in this world championship?
No one was sure anymore.

…………

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(End of this chapter)