“Shall I go first, young man?”
“After you, Master Orson.”
“All right.”
Orson picked up a black pawn and started the game. His eyes were half-squinted, and he looked relaxed as Robin was too young to win against him.
After all, Orson was the only national Go champion in Stillwater. He was well-known, and people called him Master Orson.
He felt bored while staying home, so he wanted to polish his skills while making some money.
He never thought he would lose.
However, Robin pressed a white pawn on the board a while later and flicked his hand. “You lost, Master Orson,” he announced.
Instantly, Orson’s squinted eyes snapped open. He checked on the board in a daze. After a long time, he uttered, “You set me up and lured me in successfully. Then you made me think I would win and blocked my way out. Wonderful! Awesome!”
Orson had to admit he was too careless and didn’t pay attention when playing the round.
However, even though he napped while playing, an ordinary player couldn’t have trounced him.
“Deploying troops is always flexible with tricks,” said Robin.
“You are something, young man.”
Orson widened his eyes, glinting at Robin spiritedly.
The onlookers had thought Robin would lose for sure. Much to their surprise, he won the game. They gaped at him. However, one remarked, “They are acting.”
Others nodded to echo him.
“That’s why! How could the young man win against Orson? He must be afraid of scaring the young man away after winning the first round, so he let the young man win.”
“Exactly! He must have lost purposely.”
“Young man, he set you up. Take the 20 bucks and go. If you continue, you may lose 100 bucks later,” one onlooker reminded Robin out of his kindness.
They were from the same neighborhood and had stayed there for many years, so they knew Orson had never lost a game. They all thought Orson had set Robin up.
“Haha… Heard it, young man? I’ve been here many years, but no one has defeated me. I framed you just now. Want to try another round?”
Orson stroked his beard and made an excuse for himself.
Inwardly, he reminded himself that he had set up Robin and been careless.
“Sure. Another round.”
Robin flicked his hand.
“Good. You do have the guts.”
Orson laughed loudly. Although he made an excuse earlier, he had to admit Robin was a good opponent. Therefore, he was excited as he could hardly meet such an excellent Go player.
However, he didn’t think Robin’s skills could be comparable to his.
He had played Go for half of his life. Orson didn’t think he would lose to a young man.
“After you, young man.”
“OK.”
Robin didn’t try to be polite. He grabbed a black pawn and gently pressed it on the board.
They took turns. Orson was fully concentrated, looking solemn while considering carefully. He lost the last round because he had been careless.
Therefore, he couldn’t lose again.
Many onlookers gathered. Most of them were good at playing Go or chess. However, the Go players had all been defeated by Orson, so they preferred to play chess instead.
Seeing a young man playing Go against Orson, they all were attracted.
“Orson’s moves are aggressive, unlike a man his age. The young man is too steady, unlike a man his age. Interesting.”
“I agree. They seemed to have reversal roles.”
One asked, “Who do you think will win?”
“Nonsense! Orson is the only Go player who has never been defeated in this neighborhood. If he lost to the young man, we would feel too ashamed,” an old man snapped, confidently thinking Orson would win.
He was also a professional Go player but had never defeated Orson. If Orson had lost to the young man, it meant the old man would also have been defeated by the young man.
The old man was almost seventy, so he felt ashamed.
Besides, he knew how skilled Orson was and never believed Orson would lose.
Robin and Orson continued playing. Soon, their pawns covered the board.
Suddenly, Orson pressed a pawn, stroking his beard with a triumphant smile. “You are trapped utterly.”
“Orson is indeed cruel,” one Go player exclaimed.
Orson used his unique skill to trap the young man’s pawns entirely.
Although there was a way out, Orson also had set up a trap on the way.
“Alas… The young man will definitely lose. There’s no solution for this composition. If the young man stays still without doing anything, his pawns would be checked gradually.”
“Exactly! If he forcibly broke out, he would take the only way out, on which he would fall into the trap. Once he took it, his troops would be separated. He’s so dead.”
Many old men sighed, thinking Orson was indeed experienced and the young man would surely lose.
“Continue?” Orson asked confidently, stroking his beard.
He had been careless in the last game. However, he was concentrated this time, so he didn’t think he would lose.
Besides, he had trapped the young man entirely.
However, Robin picked up a pawn and put it in the middle. “Fight to win or die.”
“Fight to win or die? You are a trapped animal fighting back. Meaningless!” Orson chuckled.
He was about to pull in the net and teach the young man a lesson. They took a few moves again. Although it was an ordinary game, it reminded the onlookers of a fierce battle.
“Check,” Orson said on the third move.
Looking at Robin, he asked, “Still unwilling to admit your failure, young man? It’s useless for you to fight to win or die.”
Other onlookers also thought Robin was a trapped animal to fight back. After all, no one could break out from the composition.
“Useless? How come?”
Robin looked up. “I don’t want to make this move. However, the commander of a troop must be cold-blooded and cruel. No mercy in war.”
While he spoke, he pressed a pawn on the board and continued, “Master Orson, you lost. I pretended to fight to win or die. My killing move was behind your troops. As The Thirty-six Stratagems says, this is a diversionary measure.”