There Are Too Many Money-Making Talents 076

The sound of a stone being placed. Early to mid-game, intense competition. Kang Chan pushed forward without hesitation. He pierced the center and dug relentlessly toward the vital points. This is the Go I love most. The Go that made me who I am today. He was now piercing my vitals with that very Go. 'How interesting.' This situation was very pleasing to me. The kid who had come to receive my sign. The kid who hadn't hesitated to call me a hero. And now, the kid challenging me with that Go. I thought. 'I'll do my best.' That was courtesy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the kid who had targeted me as a goal. With real Go.

The sound of a stone being placed. I cut the black stone. A psychological battle where intuition and senses aligned. Kang Chan hesitated for a moment and passed. A quiet extension. A move that created confusion with a change in direction. I was surprised myself. This wasn't the Blue Spot recommended by the AI. Momentum. Force. An intuitive move from before the age of AI. And that was... '...... He must have studied a lot?' The spot I would have played. A move that faithfully conveyed the determination and resolve with which I pursued Go. So, it became even harder for me not to play it with sincerity. A counter to a counter. Shaking to shaking. No middle ground in Go. Without a glance at komi or such, it was sucked into the center of the match. Walking on thin ice, not even one mistake in a move was allowed. If one step faltered, it sank into a cold defeat. Kang Chan shook me again. Pressing hard, forcefully, boldly. The young dragon's strength gradually increased. There was no room for recovery now. To capture or be captured. Only one of the two. 'Of course, the former.' The latter was not even considered from the start. Kang Chan was indeed a good player. He followed my Go with his own color. Skilled, tenacious, and above all, he passed moves in his own style. However, still. He hadn't reached where I was. '...... The board wasn't deep enough.' The Go board is one canvas. Drawing the underdrawing, coloring it, and finishing it. The starting point is the conception, designing the chaos. Not Go that stays in one area, but Go that utilizes the entire board as a whole. I had to teach him that. To do that. 'Shall I break it with raw power?' Admiration in competition is a luxury.

'Finally, I can play.' Kang Chan felt both excitement and trembling. On the other side of the board, Kim In-ha, the master. A hero. Just sitting in the same tournament hall, on the same board, made his heart race fast. 'It's fine, just play like usual.' The first move. The tension eased a little. Concentration returned, and a passionate desire like a flame sprouted. The Go I admired. I wanted to confirm with my own eyes how much it resembled that Go and how far I had come. '...... I want to show it.' At 11 years and 6 months old. Breaking the record for the youngest professional induction in the country, Kang Chan made the Go world noisy. Called a genius, he was seen as a promising player leading the Korean Go community. However, Kang Chan was not happy. He succeeded in induction by researching AI, but the Go following AI was not fun. Yes, it wasn't enjoyable. Then, by chance, he saw the Go of Master Kim In-ha. Even as an amateur, he won against strong pro players, and even beat cheating. And above all, that Go was very attractive. Go that doesn't care about AI's expected win rate. Boldly chooses moves that are half a move away from the recommended moves by AI. The so-called tenuki. However, that move became the starting point of change. It made the opponent unable to respond properly under psychological pressure. 'You are too attractive.' Attracted. Fascinated. I want to play such Go. That desire changed even Kang Chan's playing style. And today, he got to play against the hero he had longed for so much. A opening with many changes. Although it was Kim In-ha's Go, the early development became Kang Chan's Go. 'For now, I'm still leading.' Kang Chan raised his momentum. In a familiar pattern, the most varied development. Shaking. Creating confusion by complicating the situation and not being able to see one step ahead. The central battle intensified. Young dragons collided. No retreat. A collision as if to see the end. 'I am ahead.' Kang Chan was leading the board. First to cut. First to extend. First to wedge. However. In the middle game, as the fierce exchanges intensified, an odd sense of unease came. I was clearly leading. But the one shaking was me, and the one being shaken was also me. 'Why, why is it like this?' Kim In-ha was quiet. His expression, his gaze, even the tremor of a single stone placed on the board. He accepted every move as if absorbing it one by one. Perfect response. A move somewhere between calculation and intuition. A very small difference. But in Go, such a difference soon becomes a gap. Kang Chan unconsciously held his breath. 'Why is the white stone here......' As expected, it should be played there. Places I didn't pay much attention to. However. On each of those key spots, white stones were placed like jewels, blocking the breathing room. 'Was it read?' Sweat poured out. The face was hot, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hands cold. I thought I shook it. But no. White was already moving several moves ahead. Like playing with the head above. Kang Chan's eyes shook violently. A small collapse led to the collapse of the central battle, and one of the dragons he had to protect was cut, and the balance collapsed. The intention was faithfully cut. The young dragon couldn't endure. '...... Wall.' Only then did Kang Chan realize. That he had never controlled the flow once. And when he realized that, already. His Go was...... The black dragon was dead.

“...... I lost.”

“Is this move... too much?”

“Eh?”

“...... Shaking is only effective when you can shake the opponent. If you shake first, it's not shaking, it's desperation.”

“Ah.”

“You played well.”

“The moves that weren't following AI, but the ones you threw with intuition were good. Some were sharp.”

“Then... can I play Go like yours, Master Kim?”

“Of course. You have intuition and vision.”

“This is sincere.”

“I saw the possibility in Kang Chan's Go.”

“And since he wanted to resemble my Go, I didn't hold back on advice.”

“When you can explain why you passed that move yourself, and when you realize how to design it... that will become your own Go.”

A moment of silence passed.

A refreshed face as if something was enlightened.

Kang Chan just nodded slowly and quietly.

“Thank you. I will definitely challenge again. And I will win. So, Master Kim also......”

Kang Chan smiled with a grin.

“You must be at the top.”

A scary declaration of challenge.

I felt the will to develop further and surpass the me standing at the top.

But I laughed.

“Yeah. Then come harder. I'll be waiting.”

Kang Chan nodded vigorously and greeted.

I got up from my seat and confirmed the result with the referee.

And drank a glass of water from the corridor water dispenser.

Returned to my seat and took a breather for a moment.

While watching the adjacent match, I cleared my head too.

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In the meantime, most of the 3rd game ended, and the 4th game started.

'Ha Jun-ho 9-dan.'

I gauged the opponent in front of me.

49th in national player ranking.

A veteran mid-tier pro.

Once reached 15th, and held the runner-up title in a domestic tournament.

'...... If you look at it as about the level of Min-ho.'

Analysis at the Giseong Study Group said the playing style was similar.

Solid territory Go.

Stubborn and heavy, strong in endgame.

As a player who has entered the ranks, it's not a light opponent.

'As usual.'

No complacency.

The first move with black.

Early game was exploration.

Thickened the center, gave the wings.

Losing in territory, but that was my underdrawing.

There is no Go without fighting.

In pro level with no compromise, even more so.

As forces accumulate, you have no choice but to take sente.

White invaded.

'Here it comes.'

From now on.

Shaking, blocking.

Inducing battle without allowing compromise.

Changed the exchange order, pushed into a favorable phase.

Turned my forces into territory and subtly cut white's territory.

Precise and exquisite sequence.

“Ah.”

Someone let out a small exclamation.

The pro players surrounding our board.

Even after failing in the preliminaries, they hadn't left, staying here.

'Precisely, to see my Go.'

The future rivals I would meet.

The intention to check me with eyes now was felt.

'Then I have to show more.'

The feeling of pro players' gazes gathering.

It could be a burden, but rather, it became motivation for me.

Whether it was suppression or interest, all of it was proving my position.

From the center to the left side.

A large battle unfolded with dozens of moves interlocking.

And the subsequent Empty Triangle move.

Considering the AI expected win rate, it was a low move.

But I was confident.

That this move would change the situation now.

Hesitated.

Ha Jun-ho 9-dan's hand slowed.

Long thinking.

However, it was already too late to reverse.

Refusal of response.

No compromise in dragon hunting.

The recklessness of trying to recover broken territory ultimately brought an irreversible crisis.

The stone was placed under the desk.

Resignation.

Without regret, he removed the stones and quietly left his seat.

His expression was calm, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but there was a fine tremor at the fingertips.

Perhaps due to pride.

A merciless defeat where he had to drop the stone in front of the observers.

It was painful for anyone.

'I don't pity him.'

That's how competition is.

Losing is no more miserable in this world.

I also quietly got up.

The pro players watching left one by one.

The back view as they turned.

The complicated expressions and gazes conveyed everything.

Admiration and caution.

In the meantime, a clear weight was imprinted.

Not just simple awareness, but a deeper and sharper vigilance beyond that.