Jiang Changdong pursed his lips, calmly analyzing the board before him. Black and white stones intertwined across the grid, forming deadly formations where only those fully immersed could sense the hidden dangers lurking beneath each move.

"My previous understanding of him came only from game records."

"Reading records and facing him across the board are completely different experiences—his play is utterly watertight, every consideration meticulous. Against anyone else, after my poke move, I should have escaped cleanly."

"But not only did he prevent my escape, he turned my own strategy against me. While countermeasures exist, if I let Black maintain initiative, my chances of victory dwindle to nothing."

"I must stake everything now and leave the rest to fate!"

"Then..."

Jiang Changdong took a deep breath, fixed his gaze on the board, and finally reached into the stone container again.

Click!

White landed at 12-7—a large knight's move!

"This move... a large knight's?!" The female recorder froze in place as if petrified, staring at the board with undisguised shock. "How is this possible?"

"That entire white group—he's abandoning it all! The diagonal move would be the most solid choice here. With this large knight's approach, if Black attacks, White's stones will die!"

"He's sacrificing them!"

"This is the most aggressive possible response—Teacher Jiang refuses to let Black dictate the flow, even at the cost of material. That diagonal move would have saved the group!"

"But he's giving it up!"

Even An Hongshi's expression shifted seeing this move. Certainly, the diagonal would have secured life for White, albeit at some cost—the game would continue as a long, drawn-out battle. But Jiang Changdong chose the large knight's instead, declaring all-or-nothing warfare. The risks were enormous—White's cutting points glared obviously across the board. Any Black assault would plunge White into desperate struggle.

If White survived, all would be well. But failure meant instant collapse. The variations following this sacrifice stretched beyond human calculation—too complex, too numerous, defying exhaustive analysis even over days of study. Not even An Hongshi could confidently judge whether this sacrifice was correct.

"The situation grows ever more complex..." Jiang Changdong stared unblinking at the board. "Though White enters difficult fighting, the entire board has become unreadable."

"Perhaps White holds advantage, but in such precarious balance, one misstep means total defeat!"

Their previous local skirmishes had been intense yet restrained. But this White move? A true winning attempt.

"To sacrifice like this..." Yu Shao frowned seeing White's large knight's move. This move lay entirely outside his expectations—he'd never even considered it as an option. Objectively bad. Though he couldn't calculate all possible continuations, he clearly saw Black's overwhelming advantage should fighting erupt. He would never play this way himself.

Yet White had chosen it regardless. Yu Shao lowered his gaze to the board. After a moment's consideration, he picked up a stone.

Click!

5-11: The shoulder hit!

"Diverting to shoulder hit? Ignoring White's sacrifice?!" Every observer froze in shock—Yu Shao's choice once again defied expectations. Every move in this game seemed to break conventional wisdom.

Against White's sacrifice, Black should either accept by invading White's weaknesses or retreat with solid reinforcement. The first approach was clearly superior, though the second remained viable for safety. Yet Yu Shao rejected both, instead opening new battlegrounds elsewhere!

"Both approaches were playable, but Yu Shao refused them." Su Yiming studied the board, understanding dawning. "Because both would follow Jiang Changdong's script. He rejects dancing to White's tune, leaving the local situation unresolved for now."

"Generally, diversions occur in five scenarios: First, when one's own group is alive, seeking advantage elsewhere. Second, when the opponent's group is alive and one shouldn't waste moves. Third, when one's own group isn't alive but the opponent cannot kill it. Fourth, when the opponent's group isn't alive but one lacks severe threats. Fifth, when one has no ideal response to the opponent's last move."

"But clearly, this diversion fits none of those categories."

Su Yiming finally looked up from the board toward Yu Shao. "He has severe threats available—he simply refuses to follow White's plan, diverting instead to await new developments before deciding!"

Meanwhile, seeing Yu Shao's shoulder hit, Jiang Changdong's expression grew solemn. The already chaotic board became even more unpredictable with this diversion. With danger looming for both sides, his position remained the more precarious.

"Diversion..." Jiang Changdong's mind raced through variations. "I won't dance to your tune either!"

"If you won't attack, I'll strike first!"

"Next move—I'll cut! If he extends out, I'll press from the center, fighting to mutual destruction!"

"If he still ignores me, attacker and defender shall switch roles!"

His gaze turned icy as he swiftly placed another stone.

Click!

12-14: The cut!

Yu Shao responded immediately.

Click!

14-15: The diagonal extension!

"He extended after all..." Jiang Changdong instantly grabbed another stone, placing it adjacent to Black's new move. "I'll press—forcing him to small knight's approach. Then I'll tiger's mouth to suppress Black. Even if he throws in, I'll seize some initiative!"

Click!

13-16: The central press!

"He pressed!" The spectators gasped. This was White's most aggressive possible response—Black's diagonal met by White's press, forcing Black to attack while White would next form an ideal shape with tiger's mouth, seizing sente!

Yu Shao barely hesitated before countering.

Click!

14-10: The bend!

"No throw-in, but a bend?!" The observers inhaled sharply, minds reeling. Jiang Changdong's press had been supremely strong, but Yu Shao's bend surpassed it in brilliance! This move threatened to start a ko, forcing White to yield—White couldn't afford ko fights here, lacking sufficient ko threats to survive one. More crucially, this ko threat was calculated extremely deeply—the actual ko wouldn't form for another eight moves. Yet Yu Shao had played it almost instantly after White's move, with no visible thought. This meant he'd foreseen Jiang Changdong's seemingly unstoppable press and prepared this ko countermeasure simultaneously!

Jiang Changdong's expression darkened. After brief thought, he gritted his teeth and played.

Click!

14-13: The hane!

Seeing this, the spectators grew dry-mouthed. Every eye remained glued to the board, filled with awe.

"Conventional play would choose a cut to avoid the ko, but White's hane here is also excellent—harmonizing the whole board. If Black starts the ko, White will fiercely attack Black's vital stones!"

Yu Shao's expression also grew solemn as he placed another stone. Jiang Changdong responded immediately. Click! Click! Click! Stone after stone landed in rapid succession as the battle raged across the board.

The world seemed to hold its breath, every observer utterly absorbed, their very souls tethered to each move, all worldly concerns forgotten! Every stone placed was the fruit of profound calculation, born from countless considerations and hidden thorns—each exchange like flashing blades crossing on the board!

Even as mere spectators, they felt the overwhelming tension radiating from the game, as though standing on a battlefield, hearts pounding at the earth-shaking conflict unfolding before them!

"Unbelievable! With Black attacking so recklessly, White should have collapsed long ago!"

"Yet though White constantly teeters on the brink, the gap never widens!"

"White sacrificed stones, but Black couldn't completely capture them—those 'dead' stones retain resurrection potential, constraining Black's options! White has fought free through this!"

"Absolutely staggering—were it me, I'd have resigned already!"

In the official National Championship livestream, comments flooded like waterfalls.

Yu Shao studied the board, brow furrowed. White's tenacity equally surprised him. Though numerous attacking options existed and White's position constantly verged on collapse, every assault had been defused.

"Then what about this move?" After a moment, Yu Shao placed another stone.

Click.

15-8: The clamp!

"He clamped?!" A referee jerked upright, mouth agape. "Brilliant!"

"With both sides battling fiercely in the center, White eyes Black's lone group, planning offense as defense. Black anticipated this, using the clamp to plant ambush forces early!"

"If White still tries attacking Black's lone group, it won't work—Black will simply divert to invade White's framework. And if White ignores it, Black will launch full-scale assault!"

"What strength!"

Seeing this, Jiang Changdong's expression shifted as he grasped Black's intent, sensing the savagery lurking within this diversion. "The 'relieve the besieged by besieging the base' strategy fails here. But if I don't respond, with center, lower left and right already embroiled in fighting, Black's new stone provides reinforcement for overwhelming assault!"

"This is indeed the sharpest, strongest approach—but the thinking behind it transcends normal human play!"

After long thought, a trace of ferocity entered Jiang Changdong's eyes as he reached for more stones. "But there's still a way!"

"If I divert now to rescue my weak group, he must consider that I might sacrifice again, fighting to mutual destruction!"

Click.

15-6: The hane!

Jiang Changdong's expression had turned fierce. Seeing this, Yu Shao's face darkened further. So stubborn! Despite his advantage, White clung doggedly—appearing perpetually on the verge of collapse yet evading decisive defeat at every turn!

After a deep breath and brief consideration, Yu Shao placed another stone. Seeing it, Jiang Changdong relaxed slightly, knowing danger had passed—for now. But he remained vigilant, pondering long before responding.

Click. Click. Click. Soon, over a dozen more moves decorated the board.

"There must be a move here—this shape, White's eye potential is poor. It shouldn't survive attack!" Yu Shao focused intently, calculating variations endlessly.

"If this were my past life..." Memories surfaced of those awe-inspiring AI self-play games that had stunned him so deeply, their impressions lasting to this day. "In this position, where would the AI play?"

"I can feel it—an AI would have a method here!"

Finally, staring fixedly at the board, Yu Shao reached into the stone container once more. "It would play—"

Click! Stones clattered crisply within. The next instant, one was plucked free. "Here!"

Yu Shao raised his right hand and placed the stone decisively.

Click!

13-8: The squeeze!

Seeing this move, Jiang Changdong's hand froze halfway to the stone container. Nearby, Zhuang Weisheng, An Hongshi, Su Yiming, the two referees, and the recorder all stared at the board in stunned silence. Indeed, every spectator witnessing this move felt as though struck by lightning, minds ringing!

13-8! The squeeze!