Yu Shao

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Yu Shao (俞邵)
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Jiangling First High School; Chinese Go team
Occupation/Role	Student; professional Go player; National Hand titleholder
Status	Active
First Appearance	I Really Didn't Want to Play Go! Chapter 2 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Amateur First Dan	109	Completed advancement tests over the summer and began pursuing further promotion through amateur tournaments and matches. 109
Professional First Dan	152	Qualified as a professional with a perfect record in the Professional Qualification Tournament. 152
Professional Second Dan	248	Was publicly recognized as “Second Dan Yu Shao” following the Ying Jiao Cup. 248
National Hand	400	Defeated Jiang Changdong to win the National Hand Tournament and claim the title at age seventeen. 400

Background / History

Yu Shao is a reborn Go player who arrived in his current world only days before returning to a Go board. Sitting across from Zheng Qin at Shanhai Chess Hall awakens memories of his past life and immediately changes his bearing: he becomes quiet, focused, and imposing. 2

Though he enters high school as an ordinary student, he possesses extensive prior Go experience. He initially keeps his strength hidden, has no Go teacher, has never trained at a dojo, and had not entered amateur competitions. 5 He later confirms that his current-life Go development was self-taught, an origin that astonishes professional players and the public alike. 160 182

His first games at Shanhai Chess Hall establish Zheng Qin as his earliest major opponent. Yu Shao subsequently enters school and amateur competitions, initially partly to improve his conduct points, then recognizes that he wants to return to the professional path. 9 98

Appearance

Yu Shao is a clean-cut, handsome high-school-aged boy with a sharp profile and clear, composed eyes. His usual casual demeanor contrasts sharply with his on-board presence, which observers describe as calm, focused, and quietly oppressive. 5 311

• Has short black hair. 389
• Usually dresses simply; he is seen in a clean white T-shirt and later in formal black attire for the Ying Jiao Cup final. 389 240
• Maintains an exceptionally still expression while playing, even in high-pressure positions. 5 311

Personality

Yu Shao is understated, self-possessed, and difficult to rattle. He does not confuse confidence with arrogance: he remains polite to opponents, returns formal bows after games, and refuses to underestimate players based on rank or reputation. 182 212 500

Away from the board, he is more relaxed and teasing, particularly around Zhou De. He has adapted to high-school life, values his parents’ care, and avoids pursuing Cheng Mengjie despite his past self’s interest in her. 6 11

His relationship with victory changes over time. Having already experienced a past life of elite competition, he initially lacks the desperate drive to win that others possess; Su Yiming’s criticism forces him to confront this weakness and seek a stronger fighting spirit. 52 426 427

Abilities & Skills

Go Mastery

Yu Shao is a self-taught professional whose judgment, calculation, and positional understanding consistently exceed his official rank.

• Qualified as a professional with an undefeated record despite having studied Go for only three years in his current life. 152 182
• Defeated players of substantially higher rank, including Third Dan Zheng Qin, Eight Dan Li Congyou, and titleholder Jiang Changdong. 205 343 400
• Possesses unusually refined endgame control and veteran-like judgment in complex positions despite his brief professional career. 362
• Reviews his own games closely, identifies flaws in his attacks, and continuously adjusts his style. 98 170

Innovative Opening Theory

Yu Shao is known for moves that challenge accepted Go theory and force opponents into unfamiliar variations.

• His signature 3-3 Point opening initially appears reckless but becomes the basis for major strategic innovations. 169 182
• Popularized the Fifth-Line Shoulder Hit, a move later studied by top players including Zhang Dongchen and Chen Shan. 205 207
• Uses unconventional techniques such as the Point Top, contact plays, ugly shapes, and long-range shoulder hits to overturn established joseki. 318 371 503
• Presented his own New Ten Maxims of Go, including “enter the opponent’s territory deeply,” “sacrifice stones for a new kill,” and “attack forcefully when the opponent is strong.” 280

Fighting and Killing Play

Yu Shao’s past-life style emphasized dense formations, stable advantages, and airtight endgames. In his current life, he deliberately develops a more aggressive, chaotic approach built around attack, sacrifice, and life-and-death calculation. 22 109

• Initiates ko fights, sacrifices stones, and creates full-board tactical complications. 30 258
• Can convert influence into pressure without directly killing, forcing opponents to resign under overwhelming positional strain. 175 400
• Uses global judgment to treat local losses as investments for broader gains. 276
• Works to combine his past-life restraint with his current-life attacking style into a more complete form of Go. 391 439

Strategic Philosophy

Yu Shao believes that formations should remain flexible rather than become static territory.

• Defines his approach as “Formless beats form”: stones may appear unrelated to territory-building, yet eventually create large-scale control. 417
• Values the attacking potential of thick formations more than their immediate territorial value. 417
• Is willing to reject apparently safe moves in pursuit of a unique winning path. 391
• His play inspires other professionals, including An Hongseok, to reassess traditional Go perspectives. 436

Teaching and Analysis

Yu Shao is an attentive analyst who helps other players improve without belittling them.

• Studies game records with Zhou De and encourages him to learn Go seriously. 52
• Gives Cai Dongdong a teaching game and recognizes his potential. 152
• Reviews games with Xu Ziqin, Zheng Qin, Su Yiming, and other professionals. 150 249 402
• Builds He Yu’s confidence before their Torch Relay Battle partnership by offering a sincere appraisal of his strengths. 430

Equipment / Items

• Four-legged Go table — Purchased for him by Yu Dongming; Yu Shao uses it for solo reviews at home. 98
• High-quality Hegao Go stones — A gift from Xu Ziqin after the Ying Jiao Cup; each stone costs three thousand yuan. 249
• “Phoenix Flying” Go bracelet — Given by Wu Zhixuan as a good-luck charm before the Phoenix Cup World Tournament. 443

Relationships

• Zheng Qin — Yu Shao’s first major opponent in his current life, later a professional rival, friend, and frequent study partner. Their first game at Shanhai Chess Hall begins a two-year competitive connection. 2 205 402
• Su Yiming — His foremost rival. Their repeated games drive both players’ growth, culminating in the World Tournament final and an ongoing mutual promise to meet again. 182 247 527
• Xu Ziqin — Classmate, fellow professional, and close Go companion. She studies his games, reviews matches with him, and gifts him an expensive set of Go stones. 213 249
• Zhou De — Yu Shao’s loud, comic high-school friend. Their relationship is built on teasing, shared study, and Zhou De’s admiration for Yu Shao’s accomplishments. 11 52 294
• Wu Zhixuan — Professional Go player and supportive friend. She exchanges playful messages with Yu Shao, cheers for him, and gives him the “Phoenix Flying” bracelet. 47 443
• Wu Shuheng — Wu Zhixuan’s older brother and an early senior opponent. Yu Shao defeats him in their first professional match, after which Wu Shuheng continues to measure his own growth against Yu Shao’s. 175 453
• Yu Dongming and Cai Xiaomei — Yu Shao’s parents and hotpot-restaurant owners. Though initially unaware of his skill, they support his Go career while remaining concerned for his health and studies. 47 283
• He Yu — A younger professional whom Yu Shao encourages and mentors during their Torch Relay Battle partnership. 430 433
• An Hongseok — The world’s number-one player, who studies Yu Shao’s games extensively and considers his influence fundamentally subversive to Go. 436

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Shanhai Chess Hall — Plays Zheng Qin at Shanhai Chess Hall and reveals his hidden strength through an unconventional 3-3 opening and sharp mid-game play. 2 4 5
• High School Go League — Enters school competition, becomes known among classmates, and demonstrates overwhelming speed and tactical skill against Wu Shuheng. 9 29 30
• Professional Qualification Tournament — Returns to the professional path, qualifies with a perfect record, and emerges as an unknown amateur capable of defeating established Go aspirants. 98 115 152
• Professional Debut and Ying Jiao Cup — Defeats stronger professional players, challenges accepted Go theory, wins the Ying Jiao Cup, and establishes Su Yiming as his defining rival. 175 205 247 251
• Contention for the Championship — Wins ten consecutive games against the American team, turning his 3-3 Point and aggressive sacrifices into internationally recognized weapons. 258 273 280
• National Hand Tournament — Reaches the title-match main tournament within a year of turning professional and defeats Jiang Changdong to become National Hand. 343 391 400
• Gemini Cup and Torch Relay Battle — Faces Su Yiming in a four-ko draw, then partners with He Yu against Su Yiming and Zhuang Fei in the Torch Relay Battle. 425 429 430
• Phoenix Cup World Tournament — Represents China on the world stage, advances through the tournament, and defeats Su Yiming in the final by one and a half points. 441 469 520 527

Notable Quotes

“If you say my moves are wrong, then prove it to me with your own play.” 182

“Be resolute in victory, enter the opponent’s territory deeply, forget oneself when attacking, sacrifice stones for a new kill...” 280

“Formless beats form.” 417

“I await our second match!” 417