Go: Is the portable old man the nine-time champion?

Chapter 224 Yi Zheng's Advantageous Start
"You got the black pieces! It really is."

When Miao Jun saw the black and white pieces assigned on the platform, he couldn't help but scratch his head. No matter what, Yi Zheng's white pieces were definitely stronger, but he ended up getting black pieces in this game.

This is bad news, as the win rate is going to be adjusted downwards at the start of the season.

"It's alright. This competition uses the World League rules, which is six and a half points. Black isn't actually that bad, but White is definitely better."

"That's what we say, but the feelings of black and white are different. We all think that playing white will definitely be more comfortable."

The two players began to make their moves. A-Zheng had already prepared his opening moves, both black and white. He, playing black, chose to open with a small objective, and judging from these first dozen or so moves, he intended to gain an advantage first and then consolidate his position.

This is indeed one of Yi Zheng's most basic strategies in this game: first occupy the corner, and then gradually take control.

So in the upper right corner, Yi Zheng directly took over all the land, allowing Ethan to form a formation outside, and then eliminated the last three-three in the lower right corner.

On move 30, White makes a sharp, risky corner attack.

This is a typical "AlphaGo move," and it's a move that's becoming increasingly common in professional Go.

Ethan has consistently avoided playing against AlphaGo, believing that there is no hope of winning and that he would only humiliate himself, so he chooses to simply avoid the game.

However, he did not slack off at all in learning AlphaGo; in fact, he was one of the most in-depth learners.

He has read and studied all of AlphaGo's game records, and experimented with all sorts of novel ideas and innovative moves.

While it's not to say that it accepts everything wholesale, its in-depth research already ranks among the top in the world.

It could even be said that Ethan is the top Go player who is most accepting of AlphaGo.

But the more you understand, the more fearful you become.

"How did humans become such monsters? And how can humans defeat such monsters?"

Ethan is still somewhat reluctant to acknowledge the existence of AlphaGo, feeling that it is virtually impossible for humans to reach that level.

I was the most talented, resourceful, and hardworking person in the world, and I never dared to imagine reaching this level before AlphaGo appeared. How could the opponent reach such an unbelievable level without anyone knowing?

To be the first in the world is simply the most unbelievable thing imaginable.

This isn't human at all, it's a complete monster!

If Ethan hadn't been rational enough to tell him that it was impossible for a collective study of accounts to reach this level, and that technological advancements hadn't reached the point where they could crack Go, he would have seriously doubted that AlphaGo was even a person.

Although in fact AlphaGo is not human, regardless of which AlphaGo it is.

"Do you want to run a large-scale operation?"

Yi Zheng looked at the situation on the chessboard and began to ponder the opponent's intentions. Ethan made a shoulder strike to the corner and then jumped again. The two white stones on the left echoed the external influence previously formed on the right, and the formation looked quite impressive.

Yi Zheng didn't hesitate at all and immediately went to the lower right corner to play a move that was a large area visible on the board.

Ethan wasn't a fan of the "cosmic style" of the previous era, otherwise, according to the ideas of those old-timers in the cosmic style, he would probably still be walking on the Sixth Road, trying to completely surround the center.

Ethan chose to move directly between the two black pieces in the lower left corner of Yi Zheng's game, and started causing trouble.

"It broke off."

Seeing Ethan break through the defenses immediately after his initial charge, Yi Zheng knew that the opponent's first battle had begun.

Ethan: I'm furious right now! Yi Zheng didn't hesitate at all, and immediately switched positions from the second lane to press Ethan's anger.

"Both of them seem to have done research on this particular area; they don't choose the simplest approach at all, but instead go in the most complex direction."

Inside the research lab, Miao Jun couldn't help but complain as he looked at the changes forming in the lower right corner.

Both sides had many ideas for a peaceful resolution at every step, but neither of them had any intention of maintaining stability, and both steered the situation in a more complex and unpredictable direction.

These two seem a bit extreme and carried away, aren't they? Aren't they afraid they won't be able to stop?
Miao Jun himself didn't like this approach. He definitely wanted to simplify the situation. He had already thought of nine ways for both sides to conduct a peaceful search.

"Neither of them is willing to back down, and they're probably having a contest of momentum right now."

Qi Ling actually quite likes this situation, since the more complex the situation, the greater the chance of slaying the dragon, while the more stable the situation, the less of this opportunity there is.

Move 55, Black, stand!

Looking at Yi Zheng standing there, Ethan couldn't help but frown. He had intended to use complex variations to make his opponent back down and overwhelm him with his momentum, but why did his opponent make the variations even more complicated?

Is this guy crazy? He's walking like this, nobody can keep up with him at all!

Ethan silently began to calculate as he observed the situation on the field. He had many options available, but the future they led to were completely different.

You can't stop eating, or you'll get killed by the opponent.

Ethan felt that the best option he could think of was to pry from below, but the choice of point was too complicated, and the changes at the corners were impossible to calculate.

Ethan couldn't help but start calculating. After Yi Zheng was pulled away, he would definitely run outside. If he pulled away again, the other party would stick to him.

The changes at the corner are too complex, and even if it's not clear, the risk is very high. Ethan himself could very well die at the corner.

Ethan was really unsure about this complicated change; the road ahead was too unclear, and he didn't want to take this path.

Yi Zheng's strength and competition experience are not as good as mine. It is actually what Yi Zheng wanted to see that he has taken this uncertain path. I need to be more rational!
I am stronger than him, so I need to be more cautious!
With this in mind, Ethan chose to attack from above, making the change of situation relatively straightforward.

"So you really chickened out?"

Looking at Ethan, who hadn't switched lanes from the second lane, Yi Zheng seemed to have confirmed his guess.

Ethan always seems to lack the ability to handle unexpected situations, always trying to keep everything firmly under his control and hoping that everything will go according to his plan.

But in reality, how can everything possibly go according to plan?

No one would have thought that after becoming invincible, an enemy would come from the sky.

The real world is full of unexpected changes, and everyone must learn to cope with these changes.

In the bottom left corner, both sides were originally going to fight to the death, but in the end, it turned into a situation that seemed to be a win-win situation for both sides.

Yi Zheng takes the angle, Ethan takes the initiative.

In this way, Yi Zheng essentially secured all four corners, achieving his initial strategic goal.

P.S.: Please vote for me, dear readers!

(End of this chapter)