I really don’t want to play Go!

Chapter 458 Kings Aspire to Power
The single-elimination tournament has finally come to an end.

Everyone felt incredibly conflicted.

The single-elimination tournament only lasted a few days, but so much happened in those few days.

On the first day of the single-elimination tournament, Kimura Go 10-dan was eliminated in the first round, which was completely unexpected for them.

Then there was the epic showdown between An Hongshi and Kong Zi, which was absolutely thrilling; and the half-point victory between Jiang Han'en and Han Si was equally breathtaking.

Higashiyama Kaoru's decision to sacrifice a large piece and launch a strong attack on Fu Shunan shocked them; today's bloody battle between Lu Xiu and Yu Shao also added a tragic undertone to the single-elimination tournament.

It can be said that this single-elimination tournament, which was not broadcast live and whose game records were only kept, produced no fewer than five famous games.

The endless games made them feel as if time had stretched on forever.

Now, the single-elimination tournament has finally come to an end.

But this is not the end; for the Phoenix Cup World Championship, this is just the beginning.

Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but look at the sixty-four chess players who had survived this extremely brutal battle.

Ahn Hong-seok has dominated the Go world for over two decades. There's even a saying in the Go world that "winning a game against Ahn Hong-seok makes you a top player." He is the lifelong goal of every Go player. His performance in this single-elimination tournament is truly astonishing!

Zhu Huai'an, a rising star who swept the titles of "Chess Saint" and "10-dan" in just one year, shattering Zhuang Weisheng's nickname of "Ironclad 10-dan", is finally making his mark in the world championships!

Yu Shao, after only one year of professional status, defeated countless players and won the title of "National Master". He single-handedly overturned the chess world like never before, and his fame was unparalleled.

Su Yiming, who also won the title of "Grand Chess Player" in just one year, has a magnificent and unique playing style, amazing fighting power, and unimaginable resilience in the endgame. He even has the style of Shen Yizhi, who once dominated the chess world. He is also in the limelight.

Araki was not favored by most people before the match, after all, Araki was strong ten years ago.

Moreover, even ten years ago, Araki, who single-handedly pushed Go from a balanced game to an era of competition based on "strength and calculation," was ultimately the loser!
However, after watching Araki's games over the past few rounds, everyone's thoughts underwent a complete change...

Then there's Higashiyama Kaoru. Higashiyama Kaoru's luck has actually been quite bad in these rounds. He encountered Kimura Go and Fu Shunan one after another, but he managed to fight his way out of the encirclement in a bloody battle, which is enough to make everyone take notice.

Of course, there are also Jiang Han'en, Zhang Dongchen, Jing Zhongqin, Honinbo Shinho...

It can be said that after the single-elimination tournament, none of the remaining sixty-four players were mediocre; each one was a living legend, and their names will surely be recorded in future chess books.

Next, the 64 players will face a double-elimination tournament, which will increase the margin for error, but the competition is destined to be even fiercer.

If the single-elimination tournament has already turned out like this, what about the upcoming double-elimination tournament?

What will be the final outcome of the competition among the 64 strongest players?

They didn't know, but as their gaze swept over the last sixty-four players, they couldn't help but feel immense anticipation.

The single-elimination tournament can be seen as a battle of many heroes, and after the single-elimination tournament, the remaining 64 people can be regarded as kings!

The land is beautiful, and kings vied for the throne, but with the winds of change blowing, who can shoot down the deer?
"The single-elimination stage of the Phoenix Cup World Championship has come to an end here."

Finally, after a short while, Zhao Zhengyang walked onto the stage, looked around the competition venue, and slowly began to speak.

"If we were to compare this world championship to a game of chess, the opening moves would already be completed."

Soon, applause erupted from the audience!
Zhao Zhengyang paused for a moment, then continued, "It is an honor that I have witnessed your wonderful competition on the chessboard and your hard work and struggle in this short week, which has moved me deeply."

"certainly--"

Zhao Zhengyang changed the subject: "Things in this world can't always go as planned. Some people gain glory on the chessboard, while others inevitably shed tears."

Upon hearing this, many of the eliminated players in the audience looked rather dejected, and some even took a deep breath and clenched their fists tightly.

Or rather, only a very few can keep going with a smile; the vast majority become nothing more than withered bones along the way!

The saying goes, "One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand," and this is certainly true in every case.

"However, regardless of the outcome, you all shone brightly on the chessboard and performed to your best ability."

"I have also seen your indomitable fighting spirit, and I believe that this defeat will not break you!"

Zhao Zhengyang declared firmly, "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!"

"The World Championship is not just one event, and the pursuit of the answer to Go will never stop. I hope to see your brilliant performance again in the next World Championship!"

A thunderous applause erupted from the audience!

Zhao Zhengyang's words undoubtedly struck a chord with the losers, who desperately needed this kind of affirmation and encouragement after their defeat on the field.

"Of course, for the remaining sixty-four players, your battlefield has only just begun."

After the applause subsided, Zhao Zhengyang spoke again: "You are all top-notch chess players, so you naturally know that after the opening is over, the most difficult part is the middle game and endgame."

"I've always felt that comparing this World Championship to a chess game is very apt. The single-elimination tournament is like the opening stage, the beginning of the game, and there's no room for error at this stage."

"Because the opening determines the direction of the game, if the opening collapses, then it is almost impossible to catch up in the middle game and endgame."

At this point, Yu Shao suddenly felt that Zhao Zhengyang seemed to be giving him a meaningful look.

However, he does have the right to speak on this matter.

When he first became a professional Go player, almost all of his opponents fell behind in the opening stage, and Su Yiming was no exception. This meant that no matter how hard he tried in the middle and late game, he could not catch up.

Before this, the difference in opening moves between professional Go players was actually minimal. Even between a 9-dan and a 1-dan player, there wouldn't be a significant difference in the first 40 or 50 moves, and they would often be evenly matched as they entered the middle game.

However, everything changed after he turned professional.

On stage, Zhao Zhengyang quickly turned his gaze away from Yu Shao and continued, "After the single-elimination tournament ends, there will be a double-elimination tournament, just like the middle game of Go."

"Because the middle game is so complex that no one can see it clearly, it is extremely dangerous. One wrong move and the whole game is lost. But at the same time, it also has a certain margin for error." "Even if you fall behind in the middle game, you can fight back and even achieve a comeback through a brilliant move, turning defense into offense and ultimately achieving a stunning reversal. But this also shows how intense and fierce the middle game is."

Zhao Zhengyang smiled and said, "Now, the chess box is yours. It's your turn to play the middle game!"

"The pieces are in your hands, you are the ones who wield the pieces, and the outcome of this game is entirely up to you!"

"I anticipate that this mid-game battle will be unforgettable, and therefore I am incredibly excited!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience once again, and the players who had been eliminated in the single-elimination stage seemed to have emerged from the shadow of defeat.

The defeat is a foregone conclusion, and there's no point in thinking about it anymore. All they can do now is look forward. All they want to know now is the final outcome of this World Championship.

Thinking of the names of the remaining 64 players, one can only say that no matter the outcome, the process will certainly not disappoint anyone.

Can Ahn Hong-seok continue his legendary run of twenty years? Can Kang Han-eun, who has performed brilliantly in recent years, maintain his undefeated record in international battles, or even go further, sweep away all rivals, and successfully reach the top?

Will Su Yiming face Yu Shao again, and will he be able to avenge his previous defeat? Zhuang Weisheng and Zhu Huai'an have not played against each other since the 10-dan tournament. If they face each other again, will Zhuang Weisheng be able to avenge his 10-dan loss?
Araki has finally made a comeback after a ten-year hiatus. What kind of game will it be if he fights Yasuhiro again?

There are just too many highlights to list.

"After the single-elimination tournament, there will be a day of rest. All players can take good care of themselves tomorrow and prepare for the double-elimination tournament the day after tomorrow."

Zhao Zhengyang looked around again and said, "The day after tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, after the draw, the matches will begin at nine o'clock. The winners will advance to the next round, and the losers will fall into the losers' bracket."

"The final game of the Phoenix Cup is not a best-of-three series. In the end, the winner of the winners' bracket and the winner of the losers' bracket will fight to determine the winner!"

"In short, the game will begin at nine o'clock the day after tomorrow!"

"At that time, every game you play will be watched by the whole world, broadcast live simultaneously by television stations around the world. It is estimated that nearly one billion viewers around the world will see every move you make!"

"Gentlemen, I squander my days singing wildly, arrogant and domineering, for whom do I seek glory!"

"Now is the time to make a name for yourself!"

May you all have a triumphant and victorious journey ahead!

The moment Zhao Zhengyang finished speaking, he successfully stirred up the emotions, and the audience erupted in applause once again. The single-elimination stage of the Phoenix Cup World Championship had finally come to an official end.

As the applause gradually subsided, Zhao Zhengyang stepped down from the stage, and the professional chess players, with varying feelings, finally began to leave the competition venue one after another.

Seeing that everyone else was leaving, Yu Shao also let out a sigh of relief, composed himself, and turned to walk out of the competition venue.

Regardless of what these five rounds of single-elimination tournament mean for other players, for the sixty-four players who have already qualified, the real journey has only just begun.

……

……

The Phoenix Cup World Championship single-elimination tournament has concluded, and the list of the top 64 has finally been revealed. Less than an hour after the official announcement of the list, it immediately caused an uproar across the internet.

Because the single-elimination tournament involves too many matches, it's impractical to broadcast them live. Therefore, only the round of 64 will be broadcast globally.

However, due to the high level of attention garnered by the World Championship, the list of qualifying players had been leaked after each round of the competition in the preceding days, and netizens from various countries had been discussing it.

However, the list of players who qualified had not been officially confirmed. Although it was likely true, it was still uncertain until the official list was released, which finally confirmed it.

The entire internet erupted in uproar after seeing the list of the top 64 players.

"Really? Araki-sensei has been away from the professional scene for ten years, and with five consecutive wins, he's made it into the top 64? This is bringing back so many memories!"

"Higashiyama Kaoruma beat Kimura Go 10-dan in the first round, and then defeated Fu Shunan in the fourth round? I'm stunned, what happened? Where's the game record? Give me a game record!"

"Is he really undefeated in international battles? Jiang Han'en, a 10th dan, even beat Teacher Han Si?"

"Norio Ishida, Seri Inaka, and Shinwa Honinbo have all made it to the round of 64. Hmm, this is not good. Why are there so many Japanese players in the round of 64 in this World Championship?"

"Teacher Kong Zi! Teacher Kong Zi! You died such a tragic death!"

The entire internet was in an uproar, and posts discussing the list of the top 64 teams in the Phoenix Cup World Championship sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

Major news media outlets also followed the trend closely, publishing reports such as "Araki returns like lightning" and "Kong Ziming narrowly loses to An Hongshi." It can be said that the entire internet was flooded with information related to the World Championship.

To create suspense and to boost viewership when the World Championship is broadcast live, the game records for the single-elimination stage were recorded but not made public.

Although many game records of single-elimination tournaments have been leaked online, they lack official verification and are difficult to verify. Based on past experience, some of them are likely genuine, but most are fake, and netizens don't seem to care to distinguish between them.

Therefore, everyone was shocked when they saw the final list, and their hearts were filled with anxiety, wishing that the round of 64 would start immediately tomorrow and that they would have to wait another day.

Many people even suspect that the reason why the round of 64 started the day after tomorrow instead of tomorrow was not to give the players a day off, but to give them an extra day to warm up.

Regardless of the truth, the announcement of the top 64 teams for the Phoenix Cup World Championship certainly caused a sensation across the internet, and its popularity has only increased.

Less than three hours after the list of the top 64 players was announced, almost eight out of ten trending topics on major search lists around the world were related to the World Championship!
Moreover, this popularity is still skyrocketing at an astonishing rate!

Under a post discussing the Phoenix Cup World Championship, comments were seen in seven or eight different languages, and even presidents from some countries posted messages expressing their anticipation for the live broadcast of the World Championship the day after tomorrow.

The ancient town of Fenghuang, the venue for the competition, saw another surge in visitors. Although they could not attend the competition in person, the stadium and several chess halls set up by the event organizers provided enough for the audience to enjoy the same enthusiastic atmosphere as if they were watching the competition live!
It can be said that it has attracted worldwide attention!

…………

P.S.: I feel like I'm going to die... Yesterday my left arm was so sore that I couldn't sleep, and today my arm is still hurting while I'm typing. I cried.

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)