“What is it?”
Shindo Hikaru scratched his head, it was too profound, he couldn’t understand it at all.
“Shrinking the empty space.”
Sai said slowly, his tone grave.
“Xiao Guang, the Go board has nineteen horizontal and vertical lines, a total of 361 intersection points, and the total number of territories is fixed.”
“If one side feels they have an advantage, they can choose to split the remaining empty space with their opponent later.”
“When every local territory is split equally, who will win in the end?”
“I know, I know.” Shindo Hikaru said urgently, “The side with the advantage will win.”
“That’s right.”
Sai closed his folding fan, “Ao Ying, this young man, is splitting every local area. There’s a Chinese idiom, ‘boiling a frog in warm water.’”
“If you put a frog directly into boiling water, it will jump out. But if you put it into cool water first and then slowly heat it up, by the time it realizes the danger, it’s already too late.”
Shindo Hikaru nodded, deep in thought.
“Ao Ying seized the upper right corner, deliberately giving up the center, making white feel like they gained an advantage, and thus settling according to common sense.”
“If this continues, all the empty space will be divided up cleanly, and the side with the advantage will still be at an advantage.”
“But… has he really calculated the potential of white’s center clearly?”
Sai floated in front of Ao Ying, staring at him.
“What an interesting young man. After I get familiar with modern Go, I will definitely challenge you to a match.”
Just as the man and the ghost were chatting happily.
Ogata’s eyes lit up, and he reached into the Go box.
“Ao Ying, do you think the actual territory converted from the potential in the center is inferior to the upper right corner?”
“If I even capture the move at the Tengen, how will you respond?”
As his thoughts raced, Ogata’s eyes grew brighter, and he slowly placed a white stone.
Smack!
A strike that pierced the soul.
Row eleven, column six, pressing down.
“Playing elsewhere with one move led to black stone’s left side being soft.”
“I’ll just squeeze the soft persimmon first. Do you dare to fight hard?!”
Ao Ying felt a surge of combat desire wash over him. He straightened his body and slammed down a black stone stone.
Row twelve, column six, connecting and counter-attacking.
If you want to fight, I will fight!
“Connecting and counter-attacking?”
The Middle-aged Man with the beer belly exclaimed, then quickly covered his mouth halfway through his surprise.
“Young people are full of vigor. They don’t understand the principle of ‘taking a step back and the world opens up.’”
“Haha, that’s why he’s sitting there playing the game, and you can only stand and watch.”
“Hmph, Ao Ying Teacher’s situation isn’t good. If I played, I’d also lose, no difference.”
“Honestly, the Wrapped-Head Man’s territory in the center is magnificent. Both sides seem… about even?”
“No, white has a slight advantage. The middle is about to become white’s sphere of influence. black stone and white’s actual territories are similar, but black stone’s move at the Tengen is in danger.”
Toya Akira explained in a low voice.
As a professional, he could see the existing results clearly.
“Since Xiao Liang Teacher said so, white undoubtedly has the advantage.”
“As expected of the opponent chosen by Toya Meijin, Ao Ying Teacher really couldn’t hold on.”
“Playing elsewhere in a fierce battle, Ao Ying Teacher was too careless.”
Toya Akira was silent, staring intently at the Go board.
Was he really careless?
“He could have simply extended. Ao Ying couldn’t possibly have failed to calculate that.”
“Playing elsewhere to seize the upper right corner gained him a dozen or twenty points, but white’s center has nearly thirty points of potential. The difference is about ten points.”
“black stone had some advantage in the opening, but now he’s barely breaking even.”
“That move of playing elsewhere, I always feel it’s strange.”
“I must have miscalculated. Where is it? Where exactly is black stone’s calculation?”
Toya Akira sighed deeply.
He had to admit, Ao Ying was two years older than him, but his Go strength was not something that could be caught up to in two years.
Perhaps twenty years wouldn’t be enough?
An ominous thought spontaneously arose.
“Is Ao Ying going to lose?”
Shindo Hikaru looked regretful. The Wrapped-Head Man was sneaky, not like a good person.
“No!”
The folding fan pointed again, “Actually, white doesn’t have many moves; the next moves will Go all the way to the end.”
“Xiao Guang, do you feel any dejected emotion from Ao Ying?”
Shindo Hikaru calmed his mind and focused on Ao Ying.
A moment later.
“Sai, you’re right, he’s very calm.”
“Xiao Guang, remember Ao Ying’s demeanor: composed, calm, profound. This is what a professional Go player should possess.”
Watching the black stone and white stones alternate, Sai’s eyes seemed to hold a reflection.
“In the old days of the Castle Games, masters from various regions flocked to the imperial city to challenge me, all for the title of ‘Number One Under Heaven.’”
“Like towering mountains and flowing rivers, like an army of a thousand horses, I faced them all with equanimity.”
At this moment, the whispers grew denser.
“What’s wrong with Ao Ying Teacher? After connecting and counter-attacking, he didn’t shore up his position. Isn’t he afraid all the black stone stones on the left will die?”
“After playing elsewhere to seize the upper right corner, he specifically added another move. black stone’s right side is showing a tendency to become territory.”
“He keeps playing elsewhere without a care, tsk tsk, Ao Ying Teacher is really…”
“Wrapped-Head Man, don’t be a coward, this is your chance, give this young punk a good beating.”
Toya Koyo, observing from above, frowned with his arms crossed.
“Playing elsewhere again?”
Master and disciple are, to a certain extent, of one mind.
“With black stone’s left side lacking one move as a prerequisite, not only did he not try to shore up his position, but he even intensified his investment in the right side?”
Ogata mumbled, hidden in his scarf, his gaze fixed on the board as if no one else was present.
“The territory changes are a bit fast. Who has more?”
“Very close, can’t calculate.”
Ogata took a deep breath.
“I can’t even calculate the changes, a young kid couldn’t possibly calculate them.”
white placed a stone on the seventh line of the right side, at a higher point on the fourth line of influence.
“You enclose your right side, I expand my center.”
“And by the way… capture the black stone stone at the Tengen.”
Ogata’s abacus clicked loudly. After making this move, he leaned back in his chair, quietly waiting for a response.
A great battle was about to begin.
According to the current development of the situation, the win or loss would be within one or two points; either side winning would be very reasonable.
He believed that a young man who could overturn the 3-3 Point joseki would never accept an arrangement by his opponent.
As he wished.
The stone at the Tengen jumped towards the center.
Not only did black stone not give up the Tengen, but he also intended to invade white’s vast influence in the center.
Jump!
Even the uncle couldn’t bear it, and the aunt couldn’t either.
Seeing a move that was both aggressive and difficult to handle, Ogata tensed up and leaned forward.
“Playing elsewhere to seize the upper right corner isn’t enough; he doesn’t even want to leave me any territory in the middle.”
“You’re playing very actively, even overly actively. A person of this age shouldn’t have such profound calculation ability.”
“Ao Ying, who is your teacher?”
Innumerable thoughts flashed through Ogata’s mind. He put on a serious face and fell into a long contemplation.
Feeling the language of the Go board, Ao Ying’s thoughts raced.
Every move by white wrote out a standard answer, as clear and organized as a textbook.
Within the calm lurked killing intent; poisonous snakes lay dormant, and a slight misstep could lead to great terror.
After analyzing the situation once, Ao Ying silently watched the Go board; his opponent was very strong.
He had initially thought he could win this game by gaining an advantage with variations in the opening, but he didn’t expect an opportunity to be seized from a move that wasn’t even considered slow.
The opponent’s professional tenacity greatly opened his eyes.
“Even with the calculation ability of a basic AI, one cannot be careless.”
Ao Ying deeply imprinted this game in his heart.
The path to the highest level of Go is long and arduous; he encouraged himself.
Time passed by minute by minute.
Ogata remained motionless, like an ice sculpture.
A suppressive atmosphere filled the surroundings, and the onlookers collectively slowed their breathing.