“He’s attacking this early? So aggressively?”
One of the young men behind Zheng Qin frowned in surprise upon seeing the move.
Attacking at this stage wasn’t necessarily wrong, but with the game still in its early stages and the positions not yet developed, launching an Atari felt less like calculated aggression and more like reckless overreach.
Zheng Qin silently observed the board before glancing at the boy sitting across from Yu Shao.
After Yu Shao’s opening move, Zheng Qin had keenly noticed a fleeting look of irritation flash across the boy’s face—a mix of embarrassment and anger.
Connecting this to the current move, the reasoning became clear to him.
“Perhaps even he hasn’t realized…”
“After Black’s first move, he lost his confidence. This early attack is merely a way to mask his insecurity.”
“It looks like a move born of deep thought, but in reality, it’s anything but.”
The sound of alternating moves filled the air.
Just then, a young man in his twenties with short, casual hair and a hoodie walked into the competition venue.
The referee at the table blinked in surprise, his eyes widening as recognition dawned on him.
“What is he doing here?”
This was, after all, just a city-level high school Go league. Yet, here stood He Yu, a rising star in the professional Go world.
He Yu scanned the venue and quickly locked onto the area where Guangzhou Affiliated High was seated. Making his way there, he stopped beside Coach Jin.
Coach Jin turned and, seeing He Yu, appeared only mildly surprised.
The two knew each other, and Coach Jin had previously shared one of Su Yiming’s games with He Yu. That He Yu showed up here was unexpected but not shocking.
He Yu nodded slightly, signaling Coach Jin to keep quiet, then directed his attention to the game in progress.
The match had just begun and was still in the opening stage. Su Yiming was playing White against an opponent playing Black.
Though only a few moves had been made, He Yu could already reconstruct the sequence that led to the current position.
“So Black played elsewhere to defend the lower-right corner, and White responded by flying into the upper-right and stabilizing before approaching the lower-right with a Small Knight’s move?”
He Yu watched as the players continued exchanging moves.
In just a few moments, another dozen moves were played.
“Quick reactions, sharp instincts for the ebb and flow, and a good eye for key points,” He Yu thought, frowning slightly as he analyzed the board.
“But other than that... not much to see yet. Black’s skill level is average, with a few slack moves that have already allowed White to take an advantage.”
Su Yiming placed another stone.
Without missing a beat, Su Yiming hit the timer.
“Clamp? Is he sacrificing stones here?”
He Yu was momentarily startled, his expression shifting.
White’s opponent was also caught off guard, clearly unprepared for the move. After a long deliberation, the boy hesitantly placed a stone and pressed the timer.
Su Yiming responded swiftly, continuing to place stones at a rapid pace, while his opponent’s face grew increasingly grim.
Meanwhile, He Yu’s expression grew more serious as he observed the game.
“Even with an advantage, he’s willing to take risks, sacrificing stones to expand his lead further.”
“And that Flying Press earlier was brilliant—it balanced offense and defense perfectly, neutralizing Black’s counterattack while invading his central territory.”
“Black’s skill isn’t strong, but White’s deep understanding is undeniable.”
“This high schooler, Su Yiming…”
At that moment, Su Yiming made another move.
He Yu instinctively narrowed his eyes at the move.
Though White had steadily built an overwhelming influence, avoiding direct confrontation for much of the game, this was the signal for an all-out attack.
White’s move was fierce, turning the game into a torrential storm poised to engulf and tear Black apart.
Sitting across from Su Yiming, Black’s player gritted his teeth, visibly wilting under the mounting pressure.
The sound of falling stones continued as the battle intensified.
He Yu’s expression grew heavier as he watched.
While Black was unlikely to withstand White’s assault, what stunned He Yu was the precision of White’s moves and the sharpness of the attack.
Even more shocking, Black’s defenses began to crumble. Weak shapes appeared one after another, and his formation fell apart.
He Yu couldn’t fault Black entirely—some of White’s maneuvers were so crafty and ruthless that even he would have struggled to anticipate them.
“Black’s position is collapsing.”
“Not only that, but it looks like a total defeat—complete annihilation.”
“This game will probably end the quickest.”
He Yu raised his head to glance at Su Yiming, his expression tinged with amazement.
Just then, a commotion arose nearby.
He Yu turned toward the source of the disturbance, only to freeze in astonishment.
A high schooler—around 16 years old—stood up from the board. Across from him, his opponent slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the board, utterly defeated.
“That game’s already over?”
He Yu was momentarily at a loss for words.
Even if he had played Su Yiming’s match, the result would likely look similar to this—but how could the other game have ended even faster?
“Just how bad was his opponent to lose so quickly?”
That was the only explanation He Yu could come up with.