Don't underestimate the poor and elderly; I was thrilled to refuse the class beauty's adva

Zhang Yifan quickly agreed.

"It is my honor to play chess with the old man."

Lu Tingzhou's eyes lit up.

He hasn't played chess with young people for a long time, and even his old chess friends in the city have either fallen ill or moved in recent years, so he has to make appointments several days in advance if he wants to find an opponent.

At this moment, he was already wondering if he should loosen his grip on the water.

After all, he was the first boy her precious granddaughter liked. What if she made the little girl cry and Yiyi got angry and ignored him?

The two sat facing each other in front of the chessboard, and Shen Zhiyi moved a small stool to sit next to her and watch.

Lu Tingzhou picked up a white piece, his tone carrying a hint of elder's kindness: "This old man won't bully you, little kid, I'll give you a three-piece handicap."

Zhang Yifan quickly praised, "Grandpa, you're so generous! Then this junior won't stand on ceremony."

He picked up a black piece and placed it directly on the center point of the board.

Lu Tingzhou paused slightly in his teacup, the rim of the cup resting on his lips, but he forgot to drink.

He has played Go for many years and has seen countless openings: star point, small eye, 3-3 point, outside eye...

However, very few people place the center point as their first move in the game.

The center of the board is far from all four corners and not close to any of the four sides, making it the least valuable point in the opening phase.

There are usually only two types of people who will play the tengen (center point) at the beginning of the game: one is a complete novice who knows nothing about Go, and the other is a high-level player who deliberately tries to overwhelm their opponent with momentum.

Which type is this little kid?

Before Lu Tingzhou could figure it out, Zhang Yifan had already placed two more pieces.

These two stones were placed in the lower left and upper right corners of the center point, forming a diagonal line with the black stone at the center point.

Lu Tingzhou frowned, the white chess piece in his hand hovering in mid-air for a long time without falling.

Weird!Weird!

He has played Go for so many years and has never seen anyone set up their opening like this.

With the center point and two diagonal corners, these three pieces form neither a strategic position nor an empty space. They are far apart from each other, making it seem like a layout but not quite, and an attack but not yet penetrating the opponent's territory.

He pondered for a while and decided not to waste time with this kid, so he steadily placed the white piece in the lower right corner of the star position.

No matter what the opponent does, take the corner first.

Shen Zhiyi sat beside him, looking at the three black pieces arranged diagonally in a row on the chessboard, and then at Zhang Yifan's serious and focused expression.

The more she looked, the more something seemed off, and the more familiar the face appeared.

This idiot's formation, his expression, and the way he's been holding back laughter ever since he sat down...

This idiot wouldn't be me...

She suddenly covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling silently.

She decided not to tell her grandfather because she was really looking forward to his expression when he found out the truth—it was going to be quite a sight!

Zhang Yifan looked at the white piece that Lu Tingzhou had placed, and his expression suddenly became serious.

He stared at the chessboard for a long while, then looked up and asked in an extremely serious tone, "Grandpa, are you really going to play here?"

Lu Tingzhou was taken aback.

He looked down at the white piece he had just placed.

The star point in the lower right corner is the most standard, orthodox, and least likely to go wrong starting move in the world of Go.

What does this kid mean by asking that question?

Could it be that the three black pieces he placed really concealed some secret?

Having retired from the chess world for so many years, has a younger generation really discovered new opening strategies?

He unconsciously put the white piece back into the chess box and carefully examined the three black pieces arranged diagonally in a row on the chessboard.

Tengen, bottom left, top right...

These three pieces pose absolutely no threat in Go.

But since this kid dared to ask him in that tone, "Are you really going to land here?", it means that this kid definitely has a backup plan.

Is it because I'm getting old and can no longer see the subtleties of the new chess manual?

Lu Tingzhou racked his brains countless times, but ultimately stuck to his own judgment.

He picked up the white piece again and placed it on the lower right corner star position, his tone resolute: "The old man will place it here."

"Are you really not going to change?"

"They really won't change!"

Lu Tingzhou spoke with great force, each word resounding with conviction.

He wanted to see if his old-fashioned style of play was outdated, and more importantly, to examine the flaws and advantages of this new approach.

Zhang Yifan nodded, picked up a black piece from the chess box, and placed it steadily on the upper right extension line.

This black stone, along with the one at the center, the one in the lower left, and the one in the upper right, form a straight diagonal line.

Four black stones, not one missing, are arranged diagonally in a row.

"A divine move! The Long Snake Formation truly lived up to its name! I concede to you, sir! You have lost this game."

Lu Tingzhou was completely stunned.

He looked at the four black pieces arranged diagonally in a row on the chessboard.

Then I looked at Zhang Yifan's sincere face, which was filled with the words "I won".

She glanced at Shen Zhiyi, who was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight.

He looked down at the chessboard, examining it repeatedly, but still couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong.

"I lost? Where did I go wrong? In Go, you can't win if you connect four stones in a row? Is this kid crazy?"

Shen Zhiyi was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight, her shoulders shaking as she leaned on the chessboard: "Grandpa, he's playing Connect Four with you!"

Lu Tingzhou paused for a moment, then looked down and re-examined the chessboard.

The four black pieces extend diagonally from the upper left to the lower right, each connected to the other, forming a winning formation in Gomoku.

It's just one more stone away from being a perfect five-in-a-row.

He had been analyzing this kid's every move using the mindset of Go, thinking about things like star points, small eyes, three points, and three points, making it all incredibly complicated. But it turned out that this kid had been playing Gomoku from beginning to end!

Lu Tingzhou's face turned as black as a line at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Little brat, this old man is playing Go with you! Who's playing Connect Four with you?!"

Zhang Yifan then revealed a look of sudden realization:

"Oh dear! Grandpa! It's my fault for not asking clearly, but why didn't you say so sooner!"

I always thought you were going to play Connect Four with me! So how do we score this round?

Lu Tingzhou's face darkened, and he remained silent for several seconds.

He looked down at the four black pieces lined up on the chessboard, then looked up at his granddaughter's face, which was still beaming with smiles.

Finally, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Consider this a win for you in this game of Connect Four!"

The familiar electronic voice in Zhang Yifan's mind rang out right on time.

[Ding—Congratulations, host, for completing the mission: Defeat the Go Master AI!]

[Task Evaluation: Good heavens!!! The host actually beat the Go master AI!!!]

Although you won using Gomoku...

However, the system does not specify how to defeat the Go master AI!

You, a 68-year-old scavenger who can't even count how many squares are on a Go board, actually defeated a Go master in this way!

The system's admiration for you is as boundless as a flowing river!

[Task reward being distributed: All of the Chess Master's chess skills.]

Zhang Yifan felt a warm current flow into his brain, and countless Go game records, joseki, tesuji, and life-and-death problems flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

The thickness of the star positions, the changes in small points, the offense and defense of the three-three formation, and the conclusion of the endgame.

Every famous game Lu Tingzhou played against the eight masters when he was young was broken down into countless scenes in his mind, each step as clear as if he had played them himself.

Lu Tingzhou carefully collected the black and white stones on the chessboard: "This time we're playing Go, Go! Did you hear me?"

Zhang Yifan raised his head and said in an extremely frank tone, "Go? I don't know how to play Go."