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

Chapter 334 The First to Strike Suffers

Unlike the playground outside the chess academy, the chess academy square was unusually quiet, and even the cicadas chirping around seemed unusually noisy.

A stick of sandalwood incense quietly rose from the table next to the arena. This method was often used to keep time in ancient Go matches, but now it is more for entertainment purposes.

Seeing Yi Zheng making his move right there, Jiang Mobai couldn't help but shift his body and look forward at the chessboard.

He could already sense that the situation was not good, but Yi Zheng made a move here. His instincts, honed through countless matches, seemed to activate instantly like a radar, making Jiang Mobai realize that an opportunity had come.

If Yi Zheng gains an advantage here, it can be said that he will have sealed the victory and completely gained the upper hand in this game.

But Jiang Mobai knew that the battle here might also give him a chance to turn the tide.

It's a crisis, but it's also an opportunity!
Young man, you're too hasty! You've given yourself a chance!
Jiang Mobai did not hesitate at all and directly twisted the cross to one side, while Yi Zheng acted according to the pre-arranged plan, because in his opinion, no matter which side Jiang Mobai twisted, he would have another place to attack.

that's the truth.

"Yi Zheng's moves here can be described as a series of brilliant tactical strikes, he basically cut off the three white stones on top with the first move."

Jiang Mobai would not let the three white pieces die so easily; there was no surprise that he would launch a counterattack.

Yi Zheng did not rush to escape. Instead, he first pulled out from the center and then leaned in, completely separating the two groups of white stones and threatening both groups at the same time.

Jiang Mobai, a ninth-dan player, tried to capture the two black stones in the middle.

However, Black's next move, the 99th, was still very beautiful. Now White cannot directly capture the two Black stones; otherwise, Yi Zheng could continue to press forward, and from any point, he would surely gain one of the two large groups of stones.

Upon hearing this, An Jing awkwardly touched his nose subconsciously. His first thought was that he should capture two black stones, but thankfully he didn't say that.

However, Jiang Mobai could see it very clearly at this moment.

Yi Zheng's methods here look particularly ingenious, even very intimidating!
However, if you calm down, you'll find that overly flashy moves often lack substance.

Sometimes, returning to simplicity is the true way to live!
Move 100, White plays a move called "Ban"!
Jiang Mobai simply added a finishing touch, and all the changes were resolved.

Yi Zheng realized something at this moment. He had acted hastily and seemingly made a series of brilliant moves, but in reality, he had not achieved much of value.

Because the next move requires two small black pieces to escape, otherwise the losses here will be heavy.

"It's careless!"

Almost instinctively, Yi Zheng slapped his forehead hard with a "smack," causing his entire body to shudder.

"overtake!"

They were in a hurry to leave, but they didn't get to anything; instead, their efforts became completely ineffective!

Seeing Yi Zheng's frustrated expression, and even feeling that he was a little "broken down," Jiang Mobai, whose expression was originally serious, couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He began to silently consider: "After all, I'm still young! I haven't accumulated enough experience, and leveling up too quickly also has its drawbacks."

Standing on the highest stage too early without paying tuition, and always lacking in grounding oneself, one might not be able to maintain composure when problems arise.

The current situation is still about 50/50, but if his mentality changes, I'll have this game in the bag!

Jiang Mobai's thoughts inevitably drifted back to several years ago, to the scene of his first stepping onto the final stage of the "Chess Saint Tournament," a dream come true that was so dazzling it was breathtaking.

Jiang Mobai fought all the way to the last game against the defending champion, Gu Jianhun. In the crucial final game, Jiang Mobai had maintained the advantage from the start, and he even felt that the game was already in his grasp! The Chess Saint was already beckoning to him!

However, under such circumstances, a mistake was made in the middle game. What he thought was the most efficient and stable move turned into a major unexpected turn of events.

Although that mistake wasn't fatal, looking back now, the situation was actually slightly advantageous for Jiang Mobai.

If Jiang Mobai can maintain his composure, he can probably win by another two or three points in the end.

However, the seemingly certain victory was suddenly reversed, which was too exciting for the young man. Jiang Mobai then suffered a mental breakdown and lost the crucial final match.

In his view, it was inevitable that such problems would arise.

"Especially now! It's time to see how I perform my hand tricks!"

Jiang Mobai pouted into the shape of a Nike logo, took out a white piece, adjusted his posture, and assumed the placement pose that he had practiced countless times.

102nd move, White, point!
Jiang Mobai placed a white stone directly into the upper left corner of the black territory, but the power of that single stone was immense.

Shen Guhong's voice couldn't help but carry a hint of solemnity: "This white stone has directly made the Xiu Ce point in the upper left corner thinner. If it were just a simple press, the black stones above would be completely captured."

"What if we wear an elephant eye?"

Shen Guhong shook his head and simply moved the mouse around a few times: "The result is pretty much the same. If you can't handle both breakpoints, you'll inevitably get eaten up."

Yi Zheng also realized this, staring at the chessboard and began to think. The fine beads of sweat on his forehead finally gathered into a clear drop of sweat, which silently slid down his temple.

After a long while, Yi Zheng finally made a decision: first, he would stick to the broken point that threatened Jiang Mobai, and then completely capture the four white pieces on top of him in a group.

But Yi Zheng knew clearly that he had lost no matter what! His current situation was not good!

Now that Yi Zheng has calmed down, he looks back at his battle in the upper area. He has only managed to capture four white stones, but Jiang Mobai has strengthened his position in the middle. Yi Zheng's black stones are also trapped in Jiang Mobai's encirclement!
Jiang Mobai didn't hesitate at all and posted it directly from the top left corner.

Yi Zheng quickly moved the black piece in the upper left corner. At this moment, Jiang Mobai was already immersed in the joy of turning the tide and even wanted to gain further advantage from Yi Zheng.

Move 112, White, jump!

Jiang Mobai's goal was simple: to force Yi Zheng to make a move, and then to reach the move he had been longing for.

Move 114, White, pierces the elephant's eye!

"The situation has completely descended into chaos."

Looking at the situation on the chessboard, Shen Guhong realized that complex changes were bound to occur.

If it were him, he wouldn't be in such a hurry to make a move here, but it's understandable that Jiang Mobai, a ninth-level dan, would do so.

This is what is known as the principle of striking first to gain the upper hand.

However, Yi Zheng just demonstrated what it means to strike first and suffer the consequences, failing to tower dive and instead being overtaken.

I wonder if Jiang Mobai, a 9-dan player, will also suffer a setback here.

In such a complex game, mutual sabotage has long been a common tactic.

(End of this chapter)