I really don’t want to play Go!

Chapter 479 Compromise
If everyone had previously only speculated that small-eye-large-jump corner defense would become the mainstream, and they were not certain, seeing this scene has made many people completely certain of it!
The "worry-free corner" move is destined not to be eliminated because it is a reasonable approach. However, the "small eye, big jump" corner defense will still become the mainstream.

After all, what could be more convincing than the moves made by two quarter-finalists in a life-or-death battle at the World Championship?

"They're using a big jump to defend the corner too?"

Inside the competition venue, Honinbo Shingo's eyes turned colder as he reached into the Go box again, grabbed a Go stone, and swiftly placed it down!
Hey!
Three columns and fourteen rows, a small flying bird hanging at the corner!

Honinbo Shin'o did not continue to defend the black stone in the upper left corner, but instead chose to move to the corner where the changes were more dramatic.

If White defends the corner, the board will be quite stable, because White will also have to defend the corner in the same way. In this way, Black will manage the upper side and White will manage the lower side, and the two sides will form a mutual encirclement pattern.

Clearly, Honinbo Shingo did not want the board to be too stable, but rather wanted to maintain a certain degree of complexity so that he could launch a sudden attack at some point in the future and fight White to the death!

Yu Shao immediately took a chess piece from the chess box and gently placed it down!
Hey!
Three columns and six rows, a small flying bird hanging at the corner!
This move, the small knight's move, is also a strong counterattack. Instead of defending the corner, Black aims to seize the lower right corner. White does not respond to the risk in the lower right corner and instead hangs over the corner in the upper right corner, creating a situation of mutual destruction!
Now, the problem is back in Black's hands!
Black can now play a defensive move, which would mean both sides would back down, but the game would still be an extremely complex and lengthy battle. Alternatively, Black has another option: since White is taking a hard line, Black should take an even harder line than White!

Thus, the two sides will engage in a fierce battle right from the start, which may even determine the course of the game!
Everyone realized this and unconsciously held their breath slightly.

Honinbo Shingo gazed at the Go board in front of him, and after a moment, he slowly picked up a Go stone and placed it on the board under the watchful eyes of the world!

Hey!
Fourteen columns, fifteen rows, Xiao Fei!
"Two swallows flying together!"

Upon seeing this move, everyone's expressions tightened slightly, as if they had already foreseen a major battle.

With this black stone placed, the white stones at the star point are now surrounded and attacked from both sides by black, forming a dangerous double-wing situation. This is why almost everyone responds without hesitation when the white stones at the star point are attacked by a small knight's move.

Admittedly, the Double Swallow is a dangerous situation rather than a dead end. Even if White is surrounded and attacked from both sides, White can still survive. However, White is still at the mercy of the opponent, and the variations are somewhat intense and too risky.

However, no one was surprised to see Yu Shao allow the black pieces to form a double swallow formation. After all, leading the board to the most dangerous and complex situation at the cost of a slight loss was very much in line with Yu Shao's style!
What was truly surprising was that Honinbo Shinga was completely unfazed by this and still placed a double swallow bet!
Yu Shao lowered his eyes and stared quietly at the chessboard, his mind constantly conjuring up the subsequent changes on the board.

Allowing the opponent to form a double-flying swallow formation has always been considered a slightly disadvantageous move, because being surrounded and attacked from both sides is never a good strategy. This is indeed a fact, and Yu Shao could not deny it.

However, in Yu Shao's view, the double swallow move is not only not a loss, but can even be said to be a very good move, which coincides with the view of Go AI!

Before the advent of Go AI, in traditional Go theory, when facing a "double swallow" formation, the side being attacked would usually choose to move out to one side, separating the opponent's two stones and forming a complex battle pattern.

Moreover, while the double swallow formation gains external influence, the value of this influence is "virtual." The amount of territory it can eventually enclose is uncertain, requiring many subsequent moves to solidify and realize it. In contrast, the territory the opponent gains in the corner is "real," tangible, and readily available.

People are always afraid of risks and prefer balance and stability. It may not be worthwhile to let the other party take away a corner piece of land for an uncertain future external force.

Therefore, most players will not actively try to form the Double Swallow shape.

but……

The emergence of Go AI has changed everything. AI is not afraid of complexity, but only of inefficiency. The "double swallow" strategy, although complex, is an efficient method!
Because the Double Swallow is a move that quickly seizes an important position on the board, that is, near the star point. From the very beginning, it draws the focus of the game to a corner and quickly spreads its influence to one side of the entire board.

Another important point is that AI possesses incredibly powerful mid-to-late game calculation capabilities. It can clearly understand how much power a seemingly "illusory" external force can actually exert in future battles.

Ultimately, AI determined that the external influence gained through the "Double Swallow" strategy, in terms of its potential value in attack, expansion, and overall control, far exceeded previous human estimates.

Yu Shao looked at the chessboard, and finally reached into the chess box again, picked out a white chess piece, and quickly placed it down.

Hey!
Fourteen columns and sixteen rows, wow!

This is a move that White must make, and it is also the most aggressive move. While pushing outwards, it also damages the Black stones on the left side, subtly threatening Black's position!
Honinbo Shingo's eyes grew increasingly cold as he once again picked up a black stone from the go box and placed it down, as if with murderous intent!
Hey!
Thirteen columns, sixteen rows, turn!

Yu Shao also picked up a white piece again and placed it on the chessboard.

Fourteen columns and fifteen rows, so long!

clatter! clatter! clatter!
Both sides placed their pieces one after another, and a fierce battle that was dazzling to behold immediately unfolded in the lower right corner of the board at the very beginning of the opening. As more pieces were placed on the board, there was even a hint that the entire board would be overturned!

Click!

Inside the quiet chess room, the sound of chess pieces clashing echoed once more!

The next moment, Yu Shao took a chess piece from the chess box and quickly placed it down!
Hey!
Ten columns, four rows, jump!

White pieces—

Take off first!

"Take off and jump in first, infiltrating...no, penetrating?!"

Upon seeing this move, everyone was startled. There weren't many pieces on the board, but they were already locked in close combat, and the whole board was filled with a tense and ominous atmosphere!

Bai Zi's move was less of an invasion and elimination, but more like an invasion!

The so-called invasion and reduction refers to placing pieces on the periphery of the opponent's territory to compress the opponent's shape. This is a lower risk, safer, and less intense approach, but the benefits will also be reduced.

Invading means penetrating deep into the opponent's territory to completely destroy and revitalize their pieces. Naturally, the risks are great, but it is also a ruthless tactic of "nothing ventured, nothing gained."
White's move of invading and eliminating is normal, but choosing to do so here is too subtle. It goes too deep and feels like an invasion. If it were just an invasion, it would be fine, but if it were an invasion, it would be very unsettling!
"Jumped this far in?"

Seeing this move, Honinbo Shingo's gaze turned somewhat cold: "Is he planning to infiltrate and then directly eliminate the orphan?"

This jump, seemingly close yet distant, should theoretically be considered an invasion. If it were, Black's response would be simple: capture and escape, while White could easily maneuver.

However, White's position is too deep, which already subtly suggests that if Black captures the white stones on the outside, White will abandon the stones to survive in Black's territory!
Honinbo Shingo gazed at the Go board, hesitant to make a move, lost in thought. After a moment, Honinbo Shingo finally reached into the Go box again, picked up a Go stone, and swiftly placed it down!
"Then let's see how to treat orphans!"

Hey!
Eight columns and three rows, Little Fly!
The black stone lands on the board, not only responding to the outer influence in the upper left corner and cutting off the high-reaching white stone to form a net-like formation, but also putting heavy pressure on the white stone that has penetrated deep into the board, revealing its intention to surround and kill from all sides!

Yu Shao's expression also became more serious. He quickly picked up another piece and placed it on the board. Seeing the white piece fall, Honinbo Shingo was not to be outdone. He quickly picked up a piece from the box and placed it on the board as well!

clatter! clatter! clatter!
The sound of pieces being placed echoed continuously!
"That's only a few moves..."

Beside her, the female notary, responsible for recording the game, kept moving the mouse to note the positions of both sides' moves. Looking at the chessboard, she was somewhat apprehensive.

The opening moves were only ten, but the two sides launched a fierce battle with double swallows, engaging in close combat. Even now, only about thirty moves have been played on the board.

In many chess games, even after more than fifty moves, the two sides may not have clashed even once. They are just facing each other from a distance, setting up formations and encircling each other. It is quite rare for them to be so entangled in a battle so early on!
Although neither side has officially launched a full-scale attack yet, given that neither side has sufficient resources, this is more like a probing attack before a real battle. However, she finds it hard to imagine what the outcome will be if the probing has gone this far.

"However, the Double Swallows were putting up a bit of a struggle. Master Yu Shao's every move was beautiful, but Master Honinbo Shinga's responses were also flawless. But in this localized exchange, it seemed that Master Honinbo Shinga had the upper hand..."

The female music notary wrote down the score while silently thinking to herself.

clatter! clatter! clatter!
Soon, it was Yu Shao's turn to play again.

Yu Shao took a white piece from the chess box, looked at the chessboard, and gently placed it down!
Hey!
Five rows and five elements, Tiger!

"Hurry up?"

Upon seeing this move, Honinbo Shingo's expression changed drastically!
On the chessboard, the killing intent that had been suppressed for so long surged up completely with the fall of this piece, and the whole board was in turmoil, with everyone on edge!
……

.....
Chess players' discussion room.

"Yu Shao—"

"Attack!"

Seeing where Bai Zi landed, Wu Zhixuan was stunned for a moment, then her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the TV screen, exclaiming in shock, "Although I knew Yu Shao was going to launch a strong attack when the Double Swallow formation was formed, I was shocked that it happened so early!"

"After the Double Swallow attack, White has a large influence on the outside, but its territory is unstable. Moreover, White's surrounding stones are not well-positioned, putting it at a slight disadvantage. Is Yu Shao not worried that he will not be able to continue attacking so early?"

"I originally thought that the previous fighting was just a bluff, and the real attack would not come until much later!"

The others in the seminar room also looked incredulous.

The competition venue only allowed eliminated professional players and some invited renowned amateur players. Other professional players who came with their teams could only review and analyze their games in the discussion room.

During this period, Wu Zhixuan and her team naturally stayed in the discussion room to watch the game and review it via live stream.

Amidst the crowd, Xu Zijing stared intently at the television screen, unable to help but murmur softly, "What...is Yu Shao planning to do?"

Faced with White's tiger-like move, Honinbo Shin'o did not make a move immediately, but instead fell into deep thought.

This move is indeed a crucial decision point for the Black team, and may even be the deciding factor in the game. It is worth spending a lot of time thinking about it carefully.

White's tiger-shaped move may seem like a simple defensive move, but it actually has profound implications. It suggests that after completing this move, the opponent will be unable to retaliate and will launch a full-scale attack. Therefore, how the game unfolds next depends entirely on Black's response!

If Black ignores White's tiger's mouth and cuts off White's key stones, the board will instantly become extremely intense, with both sides in a difficult position, fighting each other to the death, and both will be in danger!
About ten minutes later, under everyone's watchful eyes, Honinbo Shingo finally picked up a Go stone and slowly placed it down.

Hey!
Thirteen columns and fourteen rows, paste!

"The black pieces have agreed! The black pieces have chosen to stick to the spot and secure solid ground!"

Many people were taken aback when they saw Honinbo Shinho's move.

Someone asked incredulously, "Honinbo Shingo-sensei... actually... compromised?"

This move is not difficult to understand; in fact, many people's first thought would be to connect. It is a very solid move, which would make Black's shape very strong.

However, on the other hand, everyone can see at the same time that the strongest move for Black in this local situation is definitely not to connect, but to ignore White's tiger's mouth, cut off White's key stones, divide White's stones, and fight White to the death!

This is certainly extremely dangerous, but once successful, Black will be unstoppable!
More importantly, the player playing black is Shin-ho, the current Honinbo, and the goal of all professional Go players!

Therefore, everyone originally thought that the Honinbo Shingokai would forcefully cut off the white stones, divide the white stones, and fight each other, and finally decide the winner based on judgment and calculation!

However, the reality was completely different from what everyone expected!
No matter what achievements Yu Shao has made, no matter how talented he is, he is still a junior. Honinbo Shingo is a world-renowned top player and a towering figure in the Japanese Go world. For many years, few have been able to surpass him!

Faced with the white tiger, Honinbo Shingo chose... the most stable move of connecting and reinforcing, which was a threat to the white stones. Facing Yu Shao, the black stones sensed the danger, dared not take the risk, and compromised instead!
"What's wrong? It's nothing serious, isn't it? Sticking is a normal and easy thing to do, isn't it?"

Among the crowd, a boy of about fourteen years old seemed puzzled: "Maybe they're so confident that they don't want a direct confrontation?"

"No, it's not."

A middle-aged man in his forties with a stubble beard shook his head and said in a deep voice, "The only reason that Master Honinbo Shingo would make such a move against a rising star like Yu Shao is because..."

"He sensed the danger of dying a violent death and simply dared not take the risk!"

(End of this chapter)