Su Yiming

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Su Yiming (苏以明)
Alias(es)	Shen Yi — his identity in his previous life 71 155
Gender	Male 194 520
Affiliation	Guangnan Affiliated High School during the High School Go League 56 76
Occupation/Role	Professional Go player 194 199
Status	Active; continues pursuing rematches with Yu Shao after the World Tournament final 527
First Appearance	Chapter 56

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Professional First Dan	194	Identified as a First Dan during the Ying Jiao Cup preliminaries after emerging from the Professional Qualification Tournament; he had already upset Six Dan Dou Yiming and built an unbeaten streak. 194 196 199
Professional Two Dan	239	Defeats Four Dan Che Wenyu in the Ying Jiao Cup semifinal through a complex endgame, advancing to the final against Yu Shao. 239

Background

In his previous life, Su Yiming was Shen Yi, a Go player who became renowned worldwide by age twenty-three. He remained undefeated for roughly a decade, yet his cautious preference for controllable positions caused him to miss aggressive opportunities. At thirty-three, his skill reached a plateau; he fell gravely ill and died. 155

He awakened more than a century later in the body of the young Su Yiming. Although he retained extraordinary Go ability, he initially lacked familiarity with modern competitive details such as Go timers and had to adjust to life as an ordinary high-school student. 56 71 155

A loss and his repeated encounters with Yu Shao changed his outlook. Su came to value defeat as a way to see the path ahead, studied modern game records and joseki continuously, and developed calluses on his right hand from practice. 115 155

Appearance

Su Yiming is a tall, slender young man with a clean-cut appearance. He is commonly seen in simple white clothing, including a white shirt and, for the Ying Jiao Cup final, a white suit that contrasted with Yu Shao’s black suit. 122 194 240 520

• Clean-cut, youthful appearance. 194
• Tall and slender by the time of the World Tournament final. 520
• Often carries a calm, focused expression even under severe pressure. 361

Personality

Su Yiming is intensely devoted to Go and evaluates people primarily through their play. He remembers Xu Ziqin for the level of her Go rather than her appearance, and he initially fails to understand why telling a quickly defeated opponent that he had “lasted this long” could sound mocking. 71 149

His defining trait is an uncompromising fighting spirit. He accepts losses without surrendering his ambition, continually studies his shortcomings, and will gamble on unlikely counterplay rather than resigning himself to defeat. 155 423 489

Although highly confident in his ability, Su is respectful toward opponents. He routinely offers formal courtesies after games, acknowledges Yu Shao’s superiority when necessary, and sees a powerful rival as an indispensable gift rather than an enemy to resent. 115 426

Abilities & Skills

Elite Go Skill

Su Yiming is a prodigious professional whose play shocks both amateur competitors and established Dan-level professionals. He has defeated professional aspirants, Six Dan Dou Yiming, Six Dan He Yu, Four Dan Che Wenyu, Nine Dan Han Ying, and three-time Grand Master champion Yin Qisheng. 115 196 210 239 297 349

• Suppresses weaker opponents so completely that his victories are often decided quickly. 59 71 138
• Maintains control through tenukis and tempo management, forcing opponents to respond to his initiatives. 123
• Can overturn unfavorable positions through precise calculation and persistent counterattacks. 361 424
• His early unfamiliarity with modern tournament equipment shows that his talent initially exceeded his practical knowledge of the current era. 56

Central Influence and Large Frameworks

Su specializes in converting thickness and central influence into attacking power. His style is repeatedly compared to Shen Yi’s modern fuseki and is particularly suited to large frameworks and central battles. 210 306 453

• Employs the Three-Star Formation to create expansive central structures. 242 306
• Uses thickness to pressure, surround, and attack rather than merely securing territory. 417 453
• Excels at fighting in open central positions and developing territory amid conflict. 410 411
• His former fixation on building the center could make his intentions too obvious, a weakness Yu Shao identifies after the Gemini Cup. 417

Fighting Spirit and Sacrificial Play

Su’s greatest strength is his willingness to enter complex, dangerous variations. Unlike his more cautious former self, he uses sacrifices, capturing races, and all-or-nothing attacks to create winning chances. 155 388

• Sacrifices stones to seize initiative or force an opponent into a decisive confrontation. 59 244 411
• Displays exceptional imagination in life-and-death struggles and complex board positions. 403 435
• Refused to resign in a major deficit against Yu Shao and fought until he created a rare four-ko cycle. 424 425
• His willingness to gamble can also make him vulnerable when a stable, territory-focused approach would be safer. 410 483

Adaptation and Study

Su learns rapidly from defeat and from Yu Shao’s innovations. He studies game records, modern joseki, and opposing styles until he can incorporate their principles into his own play. 115 276

• Developed his opening and modern strategic understanding after initially lagging behind the strongest contemporary players. 520
• Learned to reconsider his rigid pursuit of central territory after Yu Shao introduced the concept of building large territory “unconsciously.” 417
• Entered the World Tournament final believing that his former opening weaknesses, mid-game calculation, life-and-death judgment, and handling of thickness had all substantially improved. 520

Story Role / Major Arcs

High School Go League

Su appears as Guangnan Affiliated High School’s formidable player. Despite not knowing how a Go timer works, he immediately demonstrates aggressive, sacrificial play and overwhelms his opponents. 56 59

He defeats Xu Ziqin in the finals, volunteers to take the tie-breaker against Yu Shao, and ultimately loses when White times out, giving Jiangling First High School the championship. The match establishes Yu Shao as the opponent Su most wants to surpass. 81 84 96

Professional Qualification and Ying Jiao Cup

Su enters the Professional Qualification Tournament as an unknown amateur and rapidly defeats professional aspirants. His performance, together with Yu Shao’s, makes both First Dans impossible for the Go world to ignore. 115 194 199

In the Ying Jiao Cup, he defeats Dou Yiming and Feng Zhenzhong, claims a main-tournament place, then beats Che Wenyu to reach the final against Yu Shao. His Three-Star Formation, unusual joseki responses, and willingness to sacrifice stones make their final a major event. 196 222 239 242 244

Grand Master Tournament

Su continues his ascent by defeating veteran champions Yin Qisheng and Han Ying, displaying calculations that even experienced professionals fail to anticipate. 297 349

He defeats Chang Yan from a disadvantage and later overwhelms Grand Master Fu Shunan three games to zero, proving that his large-framework style and fighting strength can prevail at title level. 361 409

Gemini Cup

After challenging Yu Shao to a best-of-three match, Su confronts the limitations of his central-territory fixation. He absorbs Yu Shao’s analysis of thickness and “formless” large territories, then applies those insights in their rematch. 388 417 421

Though Yu Shao appears to have the winning position, Su refuses to yield and forces a four-ko cycle. The game ends in a draw under the Gemini Cup rules, cementing their status as lifelong rivals. 424 425

Phoenix Cup World Tournament

Su loses early to Araki No but fights through the losers’ bracket, defeating Honinbo Shinhye and An Hongseok before avenging his earlier loss to Araki No. 489 506 511 520

He reaches the World Tournament final against Yu Shao and loses by only one and a half points in a game with no decisive collapse from either player. Rather than being discouraged, Su treats the result as another step in his pursuit of Yu Shao. 520 527

Relationships

• Yu Shao — Primary rival and the player Su most wants to defeat. Su credits Yu with showing him that Go has no end and calls him “the greatest gift” of his Go career. 388 417 426 527
• Teacher Jin — Teacher who represents and supports Su during the High School Go League; initially questions Su’s unintentionally blunt consolation of an opponent. 71 84
• He Yu — Professional Go player who first observes Su’s high-school match, later faces him in a major professional game, and supports his participation in the league tie-breaker. 59 84 210
• Xu Ziqin — High-school league opponent whom Su defeats; he recognizes her ability and later remembers her primarily as a player with strong Go. 81 149
• Zheng Qin — Fellow Go player whom Su defeats in a short even game, leaving Zheng Qin shaken by the skill gap. 293
• Fu Shunan — Grand Master title opponent whom Su defeats three games to zero. 403 409
• Araki No — World Tournament opponent who initially defeats Su; Su later avenges that loss during his run through the losers’ bracket. 489 520

Notable Quotes

“If heaven doesn't let me succeed, then I will defy heaven by half a move.” 426

“He is... the greatest gift of my Go career.” 426

“With him, I feel that art is endless.” 426

“Having such an opponent, I have no regrets in this life.” 426

Trivia

• Su initially did not know how Go timers worked despite being one of the strongest players at the High School Go League. 56
• He once forgot what Xu Ziqin looked like, despite remembering her Go strength. 149
• His right hand developed calluses from months of studying game records and modern joseki. 115
• His games and large-framework style frequently remind professionals of Shen Yi, unaware that Su is Shen Yi’s reincarnated identity. 194 306