The Unyielding Defense
I stared at the message on my phone, completely stunned.
Between the semifinals and the quarterfinals of the Ciel Bank Cup, there was a brief gap of just three weeks. During that time, I had been preparing for the Suyeon Cup Pair Go Championship alongside Yuzuha.
Then, out of nowhere, a cancellation notice arrived.
Without any prior warning or explanation, the shock was overwhelming. It felt like I had been punched without even seeing the fist coming.
For now, I decided to head to the Giseong Study Group.
I took a deep breath, stepped into the elevator, and entered the training hall.
“Welcome back.”
Master Park looked up from his seat. For some reason, his usual calm gaze felt heavier than ever.
“…In-ha.”
Kim Min-ho, seated across from me, also wore a cautious expression.
I offered a brief greeting and immediately got to the point.
“Master Park, is there something wrong with Yuzuha?”
I pulled out my phone and showed him the cancellation notice from the Korean Go Association.
Master Park let out a long sigh.
“Yuzuha… has withdrawn from the association.”
“What?”
The shock hit harder than the message itself.
Why now?
Confusion swirled in my mind.
Withdrawing meant she would no longer compete as a professional in Korea.
“Yuzuha’s father… is Okita 9-dan from Japan. He collapsed recently. He’s still unconscious. He probably won’t even remember the tournament…”
Master Park sighed again.
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. She insisted on keeping it a secret.”
“Insisted?”
“She said this was a crucial time for you. She asked me to delay the match so it wouldn’t interfere with your preparation.”
I couldn’t respond right away.
A strange tightness settled in my chest.
Kim Min-ho added carefully, “Yuzuha was really looking forward to competing in the pair tournament with you.”
“I was too.”
I gave a short, bitter smile.
It stung.
I had wanted to win the Suyeon Cup together, advance to the world championship, and push her forward… but I never imagined it would end like this.
Master Park continued, “She’s only twenty-one. She’s still young. Her father meant more to her than just Go or her career. He was her rock.”
I nodded silently.
I had heard rumors before. How Yuzuha, barely ten years old, traveled between Japan and Korea with her father as her pillar of support.
That bond must have been everything to her.
“I hope he recovers soon.”
Master Park nodded, then paused as if remembering something.
“Ah, she asked me to pass on a message.”
“To me?”
“She wants you to win the tournament. She said she’ll always root for you.”
The moment I heard those words, I saw Yuzuha’s bright eyes and gentle smile in my mind.
A goal that someone cherished. That image stirred a fierce desire to win.
“I won’t lose.”
“Good resolve. Now that the semifinal is canceled, you’ll have to prepare for the finals. Oh, and congratulations on making it to the quarterfinals.”
“Thank you.”
I bowed my head.
Master Park turned back to his review monitor.
“Let’s start by analyzing Jeong Si-hoo 9-dan’s game from the quarterfinals.”
“Master.”
I called out softly.
Master Park paused and looked at me.
“Skip the quarterfinals.”
“Huh?”
“I want to focus on the finals.”
Master Park’s eyes narrowed.
“You think you can beat Jeong Si-hoo 9-dan?”
“There’s no guarantee in Go, but I’ve prepared a way to counter him.”
It might sound arrogant, but I was certain.
I had replayed dozens of games against DeepStone in simulation. Every variation analyzed. The instincts I had absorbed from those sessions.
In the quarterfinals, I could already see the position tilting in my favor.
“I don’t need to face him directly.”
“That should make for an interesting match.”
Master Park didn’t press further. He trusted me.
“…If In-ha says so, I’ll analyze the final opponent with all my focus.”
Master Park closed the window and launched DeepStone.
Jeong Si-hoo 9-dan’s game record appeared on screen.
He moved the mouse, pointing out each move.
“Strong opening. He breaks orthodox patterns with variations, but every line has been studied. The middle game is concise, with no wasted moves.”
I nodded.
Jeong Si-hoo’s Go was, quite literally, flawless.
His AI synchronization rate was exceptional, and he found optimal moves with perfect execution.
“There’s no room to probe. His reading is deep, his sense of shape and endgame perfect. Most importantly, he removes emotion and stays cold.”
“It won’t be easy.”
“True. But you don’t need to be afraid.”
Master Park looked at me.
“Face him head-on. Use your own style. Tricks won’t work.”
“That’s the plan.”
I smiled quietly.
Exactly what I wanted to hear.
From the beginning, I had intended to clash with Jeong Si-hoo 9-dan on the battlefield of pure strength rather than strategy.
Master Park switched to another game record.
The Chinese domestic final against world-ranked second player Luo Qian 9-dan.
“If someone asked me which of these two I’d prefer to face in the finals…”
Master Park paused briefly before adding quietly, “I’d choose Jeong Si-hoo.”
“Not Luo Qian?”
He nodded while studying the board.
A strange tension lingered in his eyes.
“Luo Qian’s AI accuracy… has surpassed human limits.”
* * *
In the deluxe room, Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan stood before the mirror, meticulously adjusting his formal attire.
He had arrived late the previous day but had rested well and felt in top condition.
Following his routine, he meditated, then warmed up with a hot Americano.
“I will win.”
He lightly tapped his cheek to steel his resolve.
Over the past three weeks, he had prepared thoroughly.
He had analyzed every single game of Kim In-ha’s, from his amateur days through the preliminary rounds, along with his teammates from the China League.
The style his team had seen in Kim In-ha’s Go was this:
A domineering style that wrapped human intuition around AI patterns, bending and breaking opponents.
But they had also found a way to counter it.
“Precisely… a difficult opponent.”
He murmured with satisfaction and left the room.
In the lobby on the first floor, reporters were waiting.
As he moved toward the event banner, microphones were thrust toward him.
“You played in the China League yesterday and are heading straight into the quarterfinals. How is your condition?”
“Peak form.”
He answered calmly.
“Recently, Chinese players have lost to Kim In-ha in a row. Can we expect a victory today?”
The questions were cautious.
The pride of China, the center of world Go, had been shattered by a Korean amateur.
“We prepared thoroughly. Honestly, I don’t think we’ll lose.”
His confident reply shifted the mood.
Hope bloomed on the Chinese journalists’ faces.
At that moment, the elevator doors opened and a man stepped out.
Kim In-ha.
The Korean reporters, who had been waiting in the lobby, surged forward.
The number had more than doubled from before.
Several journalists from media outlets beyond Go-focused publications were also present.
“Kim In-ha, how is your condition today?”
“It’s good. No reason to complain.”
“You mentioned Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan prepared thoroughly. Do you have a counter-strategy?”
“A counter-strategy? I’m not sure.”
Kim In-ha offered a meaningful smile.
“I don’t know if preparation will even matter.”
“Haha.”
Laughter erupted among the Korean reporters.
“I will win with the Go I’ve always played. I will cut, fight, and shake.”
The words reached the Chinese journalists’ ears after translation.
Their expressions turned cold, filled with hostility.
And the same words reached Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan’s ears.
“Arrogant brat.”
Go ahead and act cocky.
Whoever smiles at the end will be the winner.
Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan headed to the tournament hall first.
He sat down, took a deep breath, and waited for his opponent.
Soon, Kim In-ha sat across from him.
His expression was relaxed rather than tense.
That very sight irritated him.
But he controlled his emotions.
At this moment, he needed to be colder and more precise than anyone else.
A short while later, the start signal came.
Click.
The two players picked up their stones.
Black: Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan
White: Kim In-ha
The game began with Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan’s first move.
The subsequent moves followed a typical pattern.
*How will this develop?*
Kim In-ha primarily used two opening strategies.
An AI-based opening.
Or a variation that spread the board wide.
Click.
A white stone was placed.
*AI opening.*
A stable, solid-style opening.
A cautious start.
It was exactly the choice he had hoped for.
*The battle will be decided in the middle game.*
He had carefully considered the joseki, stone shapes, and arrangements to prepare for combat.
The komi burden was there, but it didn’t matter.
The location of the moyo.
The center that controlled the flow.
He also secured territory so the territorial difference wouldn’t widen.
After the early and middle game, as the flow tilted toward his side, he sensed it intuitively.
Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan dropped a fighting move.
Click.
He cut.
White retreated.
*Situation won’t favor fighting.*
Click.
He invaded.
White defended.
*How long can he keep evading?*
Click.
A tempting sacrifice.
It looked like a good bait.
But white ignored it.
His usually expressionless face showed a flicker of emotion.
*…What is he trying to do?*
He ignored the provocation.
This was not the style of Go he played…
There should already be a response.
He had clearly said it in interviews.
I will shake, fight, and shake.
Yet here it was.
A silent, quiet Go that didn’t clash or yield.
Click.
He dropped another tempting sacrifice.
It looked delicious.
But white ignored it again.
He calmly retreated and defended.
Quietly, coldly, like a fortress.
It felt as if he were playing against someone other than Kim In-ha.
Only then did Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan realize something was wrong.
*Could it be… he never intended to fight from the start?*
He let out a short gasp of shock.
This was a Go that wore down the opponent.
A Go that didn’t shake, didn’t fight, and didn’t break.
An ancient, outdated style long discarded in the Go world ten years ago.
*To beat me with this kind of Go?*
He felt belittled.
Yet why did an uneasy feeling keep gnawing at him.
The fear of losing.
And that feeling grew stronger as the game progressed into the endgame.
* * *
Go is a game of victory and defeat.
Capturing an eye of life to win, or leading by ten points, or winning by two points on the score.
In the end, the result is the same.
Style?
It is the same.
It is merely a method to win.
The essence is not *how* but *who* wins.
*Did I avoid fighting?*
Wu Xiaoyu 9-dan had a misconception.
Being able to avoid fighting meant knowing that fight better than anyone else.
I picked up the stones.
Click.
In response to black’s fierce attack, I quietly defended again.
A defensive move.
A solid response.
Black’s offensive continued, but the shape held firm.
*Keep attacking.*
My Go today was clear.
… I will win without fighting.
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