I really don’t want to play Go!

Just how difficult is Chapter 485 to deal with?
Upon seeing this result, Zhao Zhengyang on stage was also stunned for a moment, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.

He was An Hongshi and Araki's senior, having retired before they rose to prominence. He witnessed firsthand how they rose to power and eventually became rivals.

Now, ten years later, are the two about to face off again?
For a moment, even Zhao Zhengyang felt a lot of emotions.

Zhao Zhengyang snapped out of his thoughts. Although he had already guessed the result through the process of elimination, he still coughed lightly and continued, "The two players who drew number two, please raise your hands."

You may have guessed it, but rules are rules. There's no reason why the draw numbers shouldn't be determined just because there are only two people left.

As everyone expected, An Hongshi frowned slightly, glanced at Araki, and then raised his hand. Araki then slowly raised his hand as well.

Table number two, An Hongshi, yes, Araki No!
Seeing this, the crowd could no longer contain themselves and immediately erupted into a heated discussion.

"I never imagined that I would live to see Araki-sensei and Yasuhiro-sensei face off again!"

"Indeed, it feels like a lifetime ago. I still remember that final peak match between Araki-sensei and Yasuhiro-sensei before Araki-sensei retired from the Go world. It's a pity that Araki-sensei lost that crucial game in the end."

"Today, Araki-sensei and Yasuhiro-sensei are facing off again. I wonder if Araki-sensei will make a comeback and get his revenge, or if Yasuhiro-sensei will still be the better one."

"..."

For a moment, everyone felt a mix of anticipation and emotion, and couldn't help but recall those glorious years from ten years ago.

Soon, Zhao Zhengyang looked at the other players and said, "The losers, come up and draw lots."

Upon hearing this, the remaining players in the losers' bracket also went up on stage to draw lots.

Not long after the losers' bracket players finished drawing lots, Zhao Zhengyang asked again, "Could the two players who drew number one please raise their hands?"

Among the crowd, Zhang Dongchen glanced at his own signature again, then raised his hand, and then Jing Zhongqin on the other side also raised her hand in response.

This scene immediately sparked a lot of discussion.

One is Zhang Dongchen, a rising star in Go who has gained fame in recent years, and the other is Inoue Sin, a veteran who has been through many battles and holds two major titles. It is a match that is worth looking forward to.

Soon after the matches for the top three tables in the losers' bracket were finalized, Zhao Zhengyang spoke again: "What about the two players who drew number four?"

As Zhao Zhengyang's voice fell, Su Yiming slowly raised his hand in the crowd, followed by Zhuang Weisheng. The two then looked at each other simultaneously, their gazes meeting briefly in the air.

Losers' Bracket, Number Four.

Zhuang Weisheng, yes, Su Yiming!
"Professor Zhuang Weisheng's opponent is Su Yiming!"

"I've been looking forward to this game for a long time. Although Su Yiming is currently in great form, he hasn't played against Master Zhuang Weisheng yet!"

"As expected, at this stage of the competition, every game is a peak showdown, and no matter how the draw is done, it never disappoints."

The crowd erupted in whispers again, and everyone unconsciously glanced at Su Yiming and Zhuang Weisheng, sensing the high level of competition that had progressed to this point.

The two games in the winners' bracket are, needless to say, a clash between Yu Shao and Jiang Han'en, and Araki Nobuo and Ahn Hong-seok. The losers' bracket is equally impressive, with matches between Inoue and Zhang Dongchen, and Zhuang Weisheng and Su Yiming, all of which are highly anticipated.

It can be said that there were no disappointing matches, whether in the winners' bracket or the losers' bracket. Every match was worth watching. They only regretted that they only had one pair of eyes and could not watch all the games at the same time.

Not long after, all the matches for today's game were finally finalized, and it was 8:40 PM, with only 20 minutes left before the game started.

"Alright, the draw is over. All participating players, please get ready. The competition will start promptly at nine o'clock."

After Zhao Zhengyang finished speaking, he turned and walked off the stage. As the draw ended, the atmosphere in the competition venue suddenly became solemn and tense, so much so that everyone felt as if a stone was pressing on their hearts.

Yu Shao walked straight to table number one in the winners' bracket, pulled out a chair, sat down, and waited for the match to begin.

Not far away, Jiang Han'en glanced at Yu Shao, then turned and went outside the competition venue. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took one out and put it in his mouth, then took out a lighter and lit it.

"Han En, your opponent is Yu Shao, which is no easy opponent. Are you confident you can win?"

Suddenly, a voice rang in Jiang Han'en's ear.

Jiang Han'en glanced at the newcomer and saw a tall, handsome young man holding a cigarette case in his left hand. He took out a cigarette, put the case back, and extended his hand to Jiang Han'en: "Light."

Jiang Han'en pursed his lips, handed the lighter to the young man, and then said, "After fighting for so long, do you think there are any easy opponents left to deal with?"

The young man was taken aback for a moment, then grinned and said with a hint of schadenfreude, "That's true. None of them are easy to deal with. They're all as strong as monsters. Luckily, I was eliminated in the single-elimination tournament."

"So, it's not a question of whether or not we are confident of winning."

Jiang Han'en slowly exhaled a smoke ring: "You should know how much I've sacrificed for this World Championship, right?"

The young man took a deep drag of his cigarette and remained silent.

He and Jiang Han'en have known each other since childhood. Jiang Han'en has always aimed to become a world champion since he was young, while the goal of the others in the same training class was simply to become professional Go players.

Therefore, Jiang Han'en, who ranked only in the middle of the training program at that time, was ridiculed a lot.

But in the end, those who mocked him didn't even become professional Go players, while Jiang Han'en did, and continued to strive towards the goal of becoming a world champion.

Nowadays, many people in the chess world don't like Jiang Han'en, feeling that he is arrogant and disrespectful.

This statement is true in a sense, because once Jiang Han'en sets his sights on a goal, he only has eyes for that goal and doesn't care about anything else.

Jiang Han'en has sacrificed a lot for this World Championship. In previous World Championships, although Jiang Han'en achieved good results, he ultimately failed to win.

In order to conserve his energy for this World Championship, Jiang Han'en has stopped playing some regular matches and focused all his efforts on advancing to the World Championship. Fortunately, the results are encouraging, and he has now made it into the semifinals of the winners' bracket.

They're not far from the championship; they're just one step away.

If I can win this round, and if I win one more game, I will be the winner of the upper bracket. If I win two more games, I will be the world champion!

Jiang Han'en's eyes sharpened slightly as he continued, "Therefore, I must win."

"Whether it's Professor An Hongshi or Professor Araki—"

"Yu Shao is no exception."

After saying that, Jiang Han'en stubbed out his cigarette on the trash can and walked into the competition venue without looking back.

……

……

Inside the competition venue, all the participating chess players were already in place, sitting facing each other, as if they were already in a standoff, with an undercurrent of confrontation.

All the chess tables were surrounded by a huge crowd of onlookers. Countless gazes were cast at the still empty chessboard and the two players, creating an immense sense of pressure.

Higashiyama Xun, Zheng Qin, Han Si... were also among the crowd nearby.

Yu Shao, yes, Jiang Han'en!

An Hongshi, yes, Araki!
Su Yiming, yes, Zhuang Weisheng!
Zhang Dongchen, yes, Jing Zhongqin!
...Each name represents a legend, a legend of the past, a legend of the present, or a legend of the future. At this moment, they sit upright, facing each other, about to settle their differences.

Although there were many people in the competition venue, it gradually quieted down as time went by, and an invisible undercurrent seemed to begin to permeate the air.

finally--

"Time's up!"

As soon as the clock struck nine, Zhao Zhengyang said in a deep voice, "The match time is two and a half hours for each side, with one minute of overtime. Black has a seven and a half komi. Now we can start guessing who goes first!"

Click!

The moment Zhao Zhengyang finished speaking, the sound of clicking claws echoed throughout the competition venue.

Eight.

Soon, Jiang Han'en raised his head, looked at his opponent who still looked somewhat immature, and spoke.

Yu Shao looked at a black piece on his side of the chessboard and nodded.

He guessed wrong and took the white card.

Soon, the two had packed up the chess pieces and then exchanged chess boxes.

Jiang Han'en gave Yu Shao a deep look, then bowed to him.

Upon seeing this, Yu Shao immediately bowed his head in return.

The game of chess has begun.

Seeing this, the expressions of the people surrounding table number two became more serious, and some even subconsciously held their breath slightly.

One is Yu Shao, who has been in the limelight for the past two years, causing a sensation in the world of Go, and who just defeated Honinbo Shinho!
Another player is Kang Han-eun, who is known as the "Tiger of North and South Korea" because he has not lost a single game in international competitions in the past two years and is considered a top favorite to win the championship with an undefeated record in international competitions!

As Jiang Han'en gazed at the chessboard, he couldn't help but recall the words his friend had spoken to him while he was smoking outside the competition venue earlier—

"Your opponent is Yu Shao, that's no easy opponent. Are you confident you can win?"

Jiang Han'en took a deep breath, glanced at Yu Shao, and then reached into the chess box, slowly picking out a chess piece amidst the clicking sound of the pieces colliding.

"Difficult to deal with?"

The next moment, the chess piece is placed on the board!

Hey!
Seventeen columns, four rows, small eyes!

"Then let me see just how difficult you are to deal with!"

Seeing the black piece fall, Yu Shao also reached into the chess box and picked out a white piece.

Hey.

Four columns and sixteen rows, a star!
As soon as Yu Shao made his move, Jiang Han'en immediately placed a black piece on the board, his expression somewhat cold. He followed closely behind the white piece.

Sixteen columns, seventeen rows, small eyes!
"Is it a small mistake?"

To everyone's slight surprise, nowadays, when playing black and having the first move, most players prefer to use the star point opening rather than the small eye opening.

The "mistaken small eye" opening is solid and can easily break up the board, creating a close game. Although it is a good move, Black has komi, and most players still prefer to take the initiative.

Therefore, the Star-Small Formation, which is versatile and complex, is the most common formation in today's competitions, as evidenced by its frequent appearances in this World Championship.

Yu Shao looked at the chessboard, pondered for two or three seconds, and then picked up a chess piece again and gently placed it on the chessboard.

Hey.

Four columns and four rows, stars.

White's second move also landed on the star point, forming a double star. Using a double star to counter the small eye is a sharp and confrontational move.

There are gains and losses. Although the small eye is solid, it is slightly slow. The protection of the two stars at the corner is not reliable enough. In the future, it may face the opponent's attack at the corner. However, it has the advantage of speed and easy to gain the initiative!

If you choose to respond with a minor star, the chart will be much more balanced. However, if you respond with a double star, the two are like a shield and a spear, and they are already incompatible!

Seeing Yu Shao play a double star formation, Jiang Han'en showed no surprise, picked up another piece, and quickly placed it on the board.

Hey!
Fifteen columns, three rows, Little Fly!

"Calmness Corner?"

Upon seeing this move, everyone's expressions finally changed uncontrollably, and they couldn't help but exchange glances!
Yesterday, after the game between Yu Shao and Honinbo Shinho, the discussion about "worry-free corner" and "small eye big jump corner defense" was still raging, with almost everyone saying that small eye big jump corner defense will replace worry-free corner as the mainstream in the future!
Jiang Han'en couldn't possibly be unaware of this!
However, Jiang Han'en still chose the "no worries corner" method!

"Wrong in small eyes, no worries?"

Upon seeing this move, Yu Shao lowered his eyes and looked at the chessboard, appearing quite calm.

The "wrong small eye corner" opening was rare in the past, and fewer people play it nowadays because it is too slow, while modern Go theory emphasizes speed.

This layout certainly has its shortcomings, but that doesn't mean that the "wrong angle" is wrong. Although it's not perfect, it can still be played and has its own complex variations.

With the increasing prevalence of small-angle and large-jump defenses, Jiang Han'en's decision to not follow the trend and instead play a safe corner is actually quite wise!
Because the variations of small eye and large jump to defend the corner are too complex, probably no one has truly summarized the fixed patterns yet.

"Perhaps... there are new changes waiting for me at Cape of No Worries?"

Yu Shao looked up at Jiang Han'en, as if trying to see through his body and into his heart.

After a moment, Yu Shao looked away from the chessboard, pondered for a moment, picked up a chess piece, and placed it on the board.

Hey!
The chess pieces landed on the board with a crisp sound like the ringing of metal!
Seventeen columns and fifteen rows, a small flying hanger!

The next second, Jiang Han'en picked up a chess piece without hesitation and placed it on the chessboard!
Hey!
Fourteen columns and sixteen rows, Xiao Fei!
"It seems it really is true."

Yu Shao looked at the chessboard, hesitated for a couple of seconds, and then picked up a chess piece again.

His wrist was suspended in the air, his fingers hanging down gently.

Hey!
The chess pieces landed on the board, making a crisp sound that echoed throughout the competition venue!

"Then bring it on!"

Fourteen columns and four rows!
Shoulder thrust!

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)