“Is there really a way to kill white in the lower left corner?”
“Wow, the Huaxia auditor has some skills.”
“Hey, hey, you’ve got the wrong direction. Killing white in the lower left corner is useless. If black stone dies in the middle, the territory is worth one and a half of the lower left corner.”
“Alas, you’re right, but it’s still impressive. None of us saw anything there.”
“No, you didn’t see it. I just didn’t calculate it for a small territory. After all, the center is the key to victory.”
Muttering, muttering...
“Auditor, I admit you have the qualification to audit, being able to find a move that these idiots couldn’t see.”
Mashiba laughed loudly, “But your skill is only at this level. You didn’t even figure out that black stone in the center is dead.”
Glancing at him, Ao Ying shook his head, “You just said that black stone can initiate a ko fight, right?”
Hmm?
Mashiba blinked, “It can be a ko fight, but the problem is where to find the two missing ko threats? Without ko threats, even if black stone stubbornly fights the ko, it still can’t win.”
“black stone and white both extend to the second line in the center. What if black stone plays a ‘stand’ on the first line on the right side?”
Ao Ying pointed to another spot. This was something he learned from Sai.
During the last game, the ‘stand’ move on the edge of the board shone brightly.
After that, he refined this type of Go shape algorithm, trying to make it a regular move.
“What stand? black stone stands, white sticks.”
An Insei blurted out.
“No...” Honda’s eyes lit up, “Through black stone’s first-line stand, an extra breath is created, which is equivalent to offsetting one ko threat.”
“white’s ko threats...”
“Only one more.”
Having said that, he immediately became energized. Two more ko threats and one more are worlds apart.
Maybe he can find it?
Regarding Honda’s explanation, Mashiba frowned, “If black stone stands on the first line, white can’t immediately capture the liberties on one side and needs to make an extra move to self-fill, so black stone indeed gets an extra breath.”
“Then, where do we find the other ko threat?”
All the Insei concentrated in thought.
Kishimoto turned to look at Ao Ying, a sharp glint in his eyes.
For a moment, the scene became quiet.
“Ding, the system has detected special energy. Please, host, proceed to obtain it.”
???
A map exploded in his mind, with a red dot flashing.
“Fifth floor?”
Ao Ying looked at his watch and tiptoed towards the door.
A few minutes later.
A counter on the second floor.
“Excuse me... what procedures are required to visit the Yugen Ki-in?”
“Ah? Sorry, the Yugen Ki-in is not open to the public today.”
Just now, Ao Ying bravely ventured to the fifth floor, but was stopped on the fourth floor. The staff told him that he could handle visiting matters on the second floor.
“I am an Insei auditor, Shirakawa Michio is my recommender, and I am from Huaxia. I really want to visit the Yugen Ki-in.”
“Sister, can you help me realize this wish?”
Ao Ying showed a pitiful little gaze, his reasons coming out effortlessly.
The young lady at the counter was stunned, “You’re from Huaxia? Recommended by Shirakawa, professional 7-dan?”
She originally wanted to refuse, but only a very small number of people have auditor qualifications, mostly foreign young talents recommended by high-dan professionals.
Besides their potential, these young talents have another characteristic: they are rich!
Creating extra wealth for the Ki-in.
Seeing that there was a chance, Ao Ying smiled, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Teacher Shinoda. I just reported to him.”
“Alright, follow me.”
The young lady at the counter didn’t go to verify. The Yugen Ki-in is semi-open to the public, and the child in front of her spoke so convincingly, so arranging a visit was no big deal.
Returning to the fourth floor, Ao Ying friendly waved to the staff, receiving a nod in response.
Soon, they arrived at their destination, the fifth floor.
“There are five Go rooms here in total. Yugen is the most famous, and the others are Xingyun, Liushui, Jiguang, and Qingfeng.”
“Opposite the Liushui Go room, there’s another lounge where Go players can rest, and simultaneous game reviews also take place there.”
The young lady at the counter, accustomed to tourists, habitually began her introduction.
Ao Ying smiled and nodded slightly.
In his mind, the system map pointed directly to the Yugen Ki-in.
Gently pushing open the door, the calligraphy of ‘Profound Yugen’ came into view.
“Ding, detected Go principle regret. Absorb?”
“Absorb.”
Ao Ying remained outwardly calm.
Immediately, he felt a desolate sensation surge over him. He knew the system wouldn’t harm him, so he simply acted as if nothing had happened.
“Ding, absorption complete. System is upgrading.”
“This upgrade will take three days.”
!!!
“Major title matches will be held in the Yugen Ki-in.”
“Oh, and if you pass the professional Go player examination, your debut game as a new professional 1-dan will also be held here.”
“Little friend, you must work hard!”
The young lady at the counter diligently performed her tour guide duties.
...
Insei game room.
“Mashiba, why are so many of you spacing out?”
“Where’s Ao Ying?”
Teacher Shinoda walked in from outside.
Mashiba stood up, “Teacher Shinoda, the auditor is playing hard to get with us, believing that black stone still has a chance.”
“Hmm?”
Shinoda walked to the Go board, his gaze quickly sweeping over it, “What did he say?”
“black stone first plays a first-line stand, then finds a breakthrough in the lower left corner. That’s what I gathered from his words.”
Mashiba played out a few variations, scoffing, “We calculated several times and always thought black stone was one ko threat short, so it couldn’t win.”
“He has some skill to see that white in the lower left corner isn’t completely alive.”
“And then there’s this move, which also shows a lot of thought.”
Mashiba placed a stone, the first-line stand.
The dying black stone dragon seemed to have a brief resurgence, struggling and roaring, gaining a bit of vitality.
“But what’s the use? It can’t reverse black stone’s fate of death.”
Honda agreed, “We don’t understand, or he’s pretending to be profound, casually pointing out complex variations...”
Teacher Shinoda remained silent for a moment, concentrating on the Go board.
“A first-line stand, gaining one more breath—a professional 2-dan or 3-dan could see that.”
“Killing white in the lower left corner...”
Shinoda’s pupils suddenly contracted. He vaguely guessed something and unconsciously took off his glasses to wipe them.
“Teacher Shinoda?”
Mashiba wasn’t stupid. He saw the unusual expression on the teacher’s face and immediately stared at the Go board.
As expected of a professional 3-dan, Shinoda sat down and swept aside a few stones.
Clack, clack...
New variations appeared before everyone’s eyes.
“He... he sacrificed the black stone dragon in the center to gain sente and capture white in the lower left corner.”
Teacher Shinoda’s voice trembled slightly.
“And after capturing the lower left corner, white’s territory on the left side is not firm. The second line is leaky, allowing for invasion.”
“A ‘rat stealing oil’ move can steal territory.”
“Look, this jump from the second line, doesn’t it look like a burrowing rat? white’s territory is the oil the rat wants to steal.”
Clack, clack—
Several stones were placed.
Teacher Shinoda murmured, “Through this sequence of exchanges, black stone is not bad, and the territory counts are close.”
“The subsequent endgame will determine the winner.”
“His... his vision is actually so broad!”
“Sacrifice tactics heavily test calculation ability. Even one point off is unacceptable. I can’t do it.”
These words stunned everyone present. Mashiba gasped, his eyes wide open.