LOL: Can’t I play other games professionally?

Chapter 445 1:0, First Victory in the Semifinals
The night flew by.

Early the next morning, Lin Ruo ate breakfast and arrived at the chess academy at the appointed time. After lingering in the competition hall for a while, she headed towards the chess rooms where the semi-final matches were held.

Since the current competition only has two tables, and considering that major media organizations can allocate personnel to record the games live in a separate room, the competition venue has also been changed accordingly.

It would be impolite to hold the match in the empty lobby at this point.

June in Beijing was already showing signs of heat, but in order to comply with the requirements for appearing on camera during the competition, Lin Ruo still wore a suit jacket over her inner coat.

In formal settings, wearing anything other than a suit might be considered amateurish.

Because in most people's view, wearing a suit is not only out of respect for the culture of Go, but also to maintain a professional image and meet the requirements of international competitions.

Whether this attire conforms to traditional Chinese etiquette is unknown, but it certainly meets the standardized requirements of modern competition and important occasions.

However, it's impossible for it not to be hot.

Therefore, before arriving at the chess room, Lin Ruo tried to slow down as much as possible to avoid sweating.

Coincidentally, while waiting for the elevator on the first floor, Lin Ruo ran into her opponent for the day, Liao Yuanhe, a rising star and 7-dan player.

"What a coincidence, running into you at this time feels ominous," Liao Yuanhe said before even getting close.

Although the two didn't know each other very well, they did exchange a few words during yesterday's lottery ceremony, so they could be considered as people who could chat with each other a little.

As for encountering trouble early on, it was probably because Liao Yuanhe felt a little nervous seeing Lin Ruo's relaxed and natural demeanor.

Although he was very young and had just come of age, having achieved professional status in 2013, he was certainly not a novice player.

The term "rising star" refers to someone who is young and has potential, not someone who is new to the competition and lacks experience.

The tension he felt under these circumstances stemmed entirely from the immense pressure Lin Ruo exerted on him.

If he worked his way up to 9-dan, then what does his 7-dan count for?

Liao Yuanhe believes he has defeated 9-dan players, but that doesn't stop him from feeling immense pressure in front of Lin Ruo.

Hearing this, Lin Ruo nodded and jokingly replied, "That's not good. It'll be even hotter if two people squeeze into the elevator."

Liao Yuanhe, disregarding the jokes, said helplessly, "I hope our match can be a high-level and exciting one."

He was quite worried that Lin Ruo would torture him to pieces. There was nothing he could do; even Shin Jinseo could be trampled to death like a stray dog ​​on the street.

Wouldn't he be even worse off, since his current strength is far inferior to Shin Jinseo's?

Of course, Go cannot be compared in this way, but anyone who has seen the game records knows that Lin Ruo is too strong.

It's not the result or speed that makes it strong, but rather the incredible thinking behind the moves. It's truly novel, unpredictable, and incredibly powerful and unique.

If you can't even predict your opponent's next move, then how terrifying it is can't be described in words alone.

"Will do."

After a brief response, Lin Ruo realized that he had overestimated the number of people.

There weren't just two people, there were clearly five, because the referee team from the game room also squeezed into the elevator.

The referee was supposed to arrive at the last minute, and since the two of them arrived right on time, it was both very lucky and unavoidable that they ran into each other.

Since the referees also knew each other, they inevitably chatted a bit. When people are crowded together, they talk a lot. When they got off the elevator, Lin Ruo unconsciously took out a tissue to wipe her sweat.

He has a tendency to sweat easily and can't stand the heat at all.

Later, when they arrived at the game room on the second floor, a group of media reporters were already in place, waiting for the two of them to provide news material.

The camera captured the two players settling into their respective leather sofas, tidying up the chessboards opposite them and making final preparations for the upcoming match.

"The first match of the best-of-three semifinals of the 2018 Mengbaihe Cup is about to begin. Non-staff members, please leave the venue in an orderly manner and wait outside."

As the referee's call to action sounded, the prelude to the first game officially began under the watchful eyes of the large camera lens.

Guess who goes first and exchange pieces.

Lin Ruo plays black, and Liao Yuanhe plays white.

The referee, who was responsible for recording the game, had just entered the title into the computer when Lin Ruo quickly made his first move without hesitation.

Sixteen columns, three rows, small eyes!

Liao Yuanhe kept a close eye on the empty chessboard as pieces were placed, and quickly followed suit with his own piece to create an ideal counter-attack opening.

Four columns and sixteen rows, stars.

Upon reaching the White 2nd hand, Liao Yuanhe unexpectedly played a 3-3, clearly indicating that he had come prepared with a well-thought-out plan.

Before the advent of AI, the 3-3 point move was generally looked down upon by professional players because it was traditionally believed that the 3-3 point would create a strong position for the opponent. However, AI proved that it could be resolved through subsequent split moves and leveraging of the opponent's strength, thus bringing the 3-3 point move to the forefront.

Subsequent complex variations have also fully demonstrated that the local efficiency of the 33 point is higher than that of the traditional corner-hanging pattern.

The reason why everyone agrees is due to the 2017 AlphaGo vs. Ke Jie match, where the two players used the 3-3 point in a row, and we all know what the result was.

So now in 2018, going for the 33rd is no longer a strange thing.

But moving so quickly indicates that there was definitely careful preparation with a grasp of the changes in the game.

Of course, one could also say that Liao Yuanhe wanted to secure a smooth start.

After all, there's a saying: when in doubt, consult the experts.

When two players meet on the board and the situation is not yet clear, the 3-3 point joseki is often a strategy acceptable to both sides.

This opening not only allows Black to expand its influence on the outer board, but also gives White the opportunity to gain territory in the corner.

In short, it's highly likely that no one loses out by coming out of this position. There's a reason why the 3-3 point has become so prevalent in both professional Go competitions and everyday games.

After about twenty moves, the two sides began an aggressive battle for supremacy in the upper left corner of the board.

Later, he stepped out of the "Mi Dao" stance in the lower left area.

From Dian San San to Mi Dao, Lin Ruo could see that Liao Yuanhe had a lot of ideas, and he was not the timid and submissive person he was at the elevator entrance.

If he doesn't handle this set pattern well, he could very well find himself in a completely passive situation.

Fortunately, neither side gained any advantage in the pressure-resistant situation without making any mistakes.

This resulted in a typical two-way result: White gained a corner and Black gained influence on the outside. Lin Ruo, who was very careful about the timing of sacrificing stones, managed to control the situation as much as possible and did not allow White to use its initiative to disrupt his shape during this period.

However, in terms of the overall situation, he was clearly being suppressed.

During the ongoing recording of the competition, the referee in charge of transcribing the scores made this discovery for the first time.

Lin Ruo was actually subjected to fierce suppression by Liao Yuanhe in the first fifty moves.

Where did he go? Is this still the same Lin Ruo who was always on the offensive and never gave anyone a chance to breathe?

Kind of outrageous.

Since the start of the Dream Lily tournament, Lin Ruoke has consistently maintained complete dominance against the three top Korean fighters, led by Park Young-hoon, leaving her opponents with no room to breathe.

Of course, the one who runs the fastest is an exception.

However, this does not affect his overall inability to retaliate against Lin Ruo.

So why was Lin Ru completely suppressed by Liao Yuanhe, who is only a seventh-dan player, today?
"Another break, Liao Yuanhe, 7th Dan, actually managed to break through. With more than 70 moves between the two sides, Lin Ruo, 1st Dan, seems to be having some trouble keeping up."

The commentators in the Wild Fox livestream were gaping in disbelief. Regardless, Liao Yuanhe's preparations today were indeed far too thorough.

[No way, no way, he can beat a 9th dan but can't beat a 7th dan.]

Although we're all on the same side, cough cough, I still prefer Lin Gou to advance. I don't have any particular reasons, I just want to see more fun.

[This Liao Yuanhe is indeed quite brave. If he can defeat Lin Ruo, then he truly deserves the title.]

[mlgbz, did Lin Gou not have enough control last night? Otherwise, why is he in such poor condition today?]

[I don't know, could it be that Lin Gou has been thoroughly studied?]

[Lin Gou can't keep going like this; he's already lost momentum. Maybe he should go to the bathroom first. If he can't win, he should lay low for a while.]

It's okay, it's best two out of three. Even if our Lin Shen loses the first game, it's fine for the sake of the show.

[I'm afraid it's not just for the show, but that they really can't beat them.]

...

The viewers' mentality changed quickly. Perhaps because they were eating too well, Lin Ruo was used to the early advantage and now that she was suddenly at a disadvantage in the early game, she felt that the situation was not good.

Actually, that's not the case. Lin Ruo didn't make many mistakes in the early stages, but the lack of significant offensive plays does indicate some problems, big or small.

So when he reached the 101st move, Lin Ruo fell into a brief period of thought.

It's still the older brother's two and a half minutes.

Then Lin Ruo reached into the chess box, picked up a chess piece, felt the cool touch on her fingertips, and threw it down onto the chessboard with great force.

The 103rd move, damn it.

Seeing Lin Ruo make her move, Liao Yuanhe, who was already somewhat confident, also quickly made his move without waiting for a reaction, eager to follow his predetermined path.

But then it was discovered that Lin Ruo's move was quite unusual.

How did they suddenly find a loophole for him?

Hey.

The 104th move: Block.

Lin Ruo, with her eyes fixed on the chessboard, calmly continued to place her pieces, her movements fluid and graceful, firmly rooted in the areas where they were needed.

Seven columns and seventeen rows, turn!
Nine columns and fifteen rows, sharp!
Five columns and fourteen rows, dig!
After three moves, the situation on the board was completely reversed, and with the continuous sound of metal hitting the ground, the referee responsible for recording slowly stopped typing on the keyboard.

Looking at the chessboard, he couldn't help but start thinking before even taking notes.

Nothing more than that, their move was simply brilliant.

Although he couldn't quite understand it, he could conclude through real-time AI analysis that Lin Ruo had made the best choice for three consecutive moves.

Moreover, these three methods each serve a different purpose.

With one hand, they turned the tide; with the other, they broke through; and with the other, they broke the deadlock.

It's unrealistic, but it must be said that the advantage that Liao Yuanhe built up with over fifty moves seems to have almost vanished.

It's not just a feeling, it's already true.

Completely overwhelmed, Liao Yuanhe then made a fatal mistake, completely destroying the imperial buildings he had created.

"What exactly did Lin Ruochu play?"

As the game progressed further, and after another ten moves, the commentator couldn't help but check the current game time.

Hmm, not long ago.

Why did White suddenly become disadvantaged when it clearly had the advantage?

Yes, a disadvantage.

It's not that White has no advantage; on the contrary, in just a few moves, it has been put at a disadvantage.

At this moment, Liao Yuanhe couldn't understand it at all. He was just thinking about how to attack and continue to expand the advantage, but now he was already struggling with defense.

It doesn't make sense; we're already standing on the opposite high ground.

As a result, the enemy teleported directly to their own base's crystal and stood there?
So you opened it here, right?

Liao Yuanhe was completely distraught. It wasn't that he couldn't accept the disadvantage, but rather that it had come so suddenly and bizarrely.

I don't even understand, how can you expect me to accept it?
Ignoring the turbulent thoughts swirling in her opponent's mind, Lin Ruo quietly observed the game and continued with her next stern attack.

This forces Liao Yuanhe to immediately move on from one unacceptable step to another.

It was also thanks to Liao Yuanhe's long period of reflection that the referees and commentators had room to think and accept the advice.

...

It's 12 a.m. sharp.

After finishing the match, Lin Ruo took the elevator to the first floor of the competition hall, where Li Weiqing, who had watched the entire match from the lounge, was waiting for him.

At that moment, he only had one question: "Were you acting the whole time?"

"Acting?" Lin Ruo had no idea where he got this idea from.

"If it wasn't an act, then why were you being dominated for the first hundred moves, but then you unleashed a barrage of attacks in the last thirty moves to end the game?"

Li Weiqing stroked his chin, and said this with a look of utter disbelief.

He didn't even know that these could actually be combined; the Chinese characters are indeed profound and extensive.

After all, in Go, if someone is under pressure for the first hundred moves, they can turn the tables and force the opponent to surrender in the next thirty moves.

Dude, are you sure you didn't steal your opponent's life? It's more likely that they forced you to surrender in the next thirty moves.

Hearing this, Lin Ruo smiled calmly and said, "Oh, this? Is that not allowed? Haven't you seen it before? Well, you've seen it now."

Li Weiqing was still not quite convinced and pressed further, "Were you planning all along, which is why you were able to suddenly turn the tide after a hundred moves?"

"You figured it out?" Lin Ruo asked in return, still thinking.

Li Weiqing obviously didn't notice, otherwise he wouldn't have asked that question.

Lin Ruo could only say, "You're a professional 7-dan player, and you didn't even realize I had set up an opening until the end of the match. How did I set it up?"

Are you kidding me?

Lin Ruo stopped talking, but asked where Zhang Ruo had gone. After learning that he had gone to a popular restaurant to find a table and order food, she quickened her pace and left.

He wasn't acting. In the first game today, Liao Yuanhe was indeed very well prepared and his playing style was very well countered, which is why he was suppressed in the early game.

As for what happened next, Lin Ruo had no choice but to accept it; when the feeling came, she won.

There's no way around it; his opponents have to rack their brains to beat him, while he only needs one mistake to defeat them.

This is efficiency.

(End of this chapter)