Chapter 458: Kings Strive for the Throne
The single-elimination tournament is finally over.
Everyone felt extremely complicated at the moment.
The single-elimination tournament actually only lasts a few days, but so much happened in those few days.
On the first day of the single-elimination tournament, Kimura Go, 10th Dan, was eliminated in the first round, which was completely beyond their expectations.
Then there was the peak showdown between An Hongshi and Kong Zi, which was so exciting that it made people applaud; the half-point victory between Jiang Hanen and Hans was also sigh-worthy.
They were shocked when Dongshan Xun sacrificed a big piece and turned to attack Fu Shunan; today's bloody battle between Lu Xiu and Yu Shao also added a bit of tragic background to the single-elimination match.
It can be said that even though this single-elimination tournament was not broadcast live to the public and only the game records were recorded, it produced no less than five famous games.
Game after game, they felt as if time was extremely long and that a long time had passed.
And now, the single-elimination tournament has finally come to an end.
But this is not the end, for the Phoenix Cup World Championship, this is just the beginning.
Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but look at the last sixty-four chess players who survived this extremely cruel and bloody battle.
An Hongshi has dominated the chess world for more than 20 years. There is even a saying in the chess world that "as long as you beat An Hongshi in a game, you are a top chess player." It can be said that this is the lifelong goal of all chess players. His performance in this single-elimination tournament is even more shocking!
Zhu Huaian, a rising chess player who swept the titles of "Go Saint" and "Tenth Dan" in just one year and made Zhuang Weisheng's nickname of "Iron Tenth Dan" become a bubble, has finally made his mark in the world competition!
Yu Shao, after only one year of being promoted to the professional level, defeated countless players and seized the title of "national player". With his own efforts, he overturned the shogi world like never before and became the most famous person at that time.
Su Yiming also won the title of "Grand Chess Player" in one year. His chess style is magnificent and his fighting power is amazing. His tenacity in the second half of the game is beyond imagination. He even has the legacy of Shen Yi, who dominated the chess world in those days, and is also in the limelight.
Most people were not optimistic about Arakino before the game. After all, Arakino was strong, but he was only strong ten years ago.
What's more, even ten years ago, Araki, who pushed Go from overall balance to the competitive era of "strength and calculation", was ultimately just a loser!
But after watching Araki's recent rounds of chess, everyone's thoughts changed dramatically...
There is also Toyama Xun. Toyama Xun's luck in the past few rounds was actually very bad. He met Kimura Go and Fu Shunan successively, but he fought his way out of the siege in a bloody battle, which was enough to make everyone look at him sideways.
Of course, there are also Jiang Hanen, Zhang Dongchen, Jing Zhongqin, Honinbo Shinkazu...
It can be said that after the single-elimination tournament, there is no mediocre player among the remaining 64 players. Each of them is a living legend, and the names of these 64 people will definitely appear in the chess books of future generations.
Next, the 64 players will face a double-elimination tournament. The tolerance for error will be higher, but the competition is bound to be more intense.
The single-elimination tournament is already like this, so what about the upcoming double-elimination tournament?
What will be the final outcome of the competition between the sixty-four strongest chess players?
They didn't know, but when their eyes swept over the last 64 players one by one, they couldn't help but look forward to it.
The single-elimination tournament can be seen as the emergence of many heroes, and after the single-elimination tournament, the remaining sixty-four people can already be seen as kings!
The country is so beautiful, and many kings are vying for the throne. However, when the wind and clouds are gathered, who can shoot the deer?
"The single-elimination stage of the Phoenix Cup World Championship ends here."
Finally, after a while, Zhao Zhengyang walked onto the stage, looked around the competition venue, and spoke slowly.
"If this World Championship is likened to a chess game, the layout has already been completed."
Soon, applause broke out from the audience!
Zhao Zhengyang paused and continued, "I'm honored to have witnessed all of you guys' wonderful matches on the chessboard in this short week. I've also witnessed all of you guys' hard work and struggle, which has deeply moved me."
"certainly--"
Zhao Zhengyang changed the subject: "Nothing in this world can go as planned. Some people gain glory on the chessboard, while others inevitably shed tears on it."
Hearing this, many of the eliminated chess players in the audience looked somewhat gloomy, and some could not help but take a deep breath and clench their fists tightly.
In other words, only a very small number of people can keep walking with a smile, and most of the people have become dead bones on the road!
It is like this that one general's success is built on the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers.
"However, no matter what the result is, you all shone brightly on the chessboard and played to your best."
"I have also seen your unyielding fighting spirit. I believe that this failure will not be able to defeat you!"
Zhao Zhengyang said in a resounding voice, "Those who cannot kill me will eventually make me stronger!"
"There's more than one World Championship, and the pursuit of Go answers will never stop. I hope to see you perform brilliantly at the next World Championship!"
The audience suddenly erupted in thunderous applause!
Zhao Zhengyang's words undoubtedly hit the hearts of the losers. After losing in the game, they now lack this kind of affirmation and encouragement.
"Of course, for the remaining sixty-four players, your battle has just begun."
After the applause subsided, Zhao Zhengyang spoke again, "You are all top chess players. You naturally know that after the opening moves, the most difficult stages are the middle game and the endgame."
"I've always felt that comparing this World Championship to a chess game is very apt. The single-elimination tournament is like the setup phase, the beginning of the game, and at this stage, there's no room for error."
"Because the layout determines the direction of the subsequent chess game, if the layout collapses, it will be almost impossible to catch up in the middle game."
Having said that, Yu Shao suddenly felt that Zhao Zhengyang seemed to be looking at him meaningfully.
But he does have a say in the matter.
When he first became a professional chess player, his opponents almost all fell into a disadvantage in the opening stage, even Su Yiming was no exception. This resulted in him being unable to catch up no matter how hard he tried in the middle and late stages of the game.
Before this, the difference in layout between professional chess players was actually very small. Even between the ninth dan and the first dan, there would not be a very obvious gap in the first forty or fifty moves, and they would often enter the middle game evenly matched.
However, all this changed after he entered the professional chess world.
On the stage, Zhao Zhengyang quickly withdrew his gaze from Yu Shao and continued, "After the single-elimination tournament, it will be the double-elimination tournament, just like the middle game of Go."
"Because the middle game is so complex that no one can see it clearly, it is extremely dangerous. One wrong move can lead to a complete loss. However, at the same time, it also has a certain margin for error."
"Even if they fall behind in the middle game, they can still fight back, and even achieve a sudden and brilliant counterattack through desperate situations, turning defense into offense, and ultimately achieving a stunning comeback. But this also precisely illustrates the anxiety and intensity of the middle game."
Zhao Zhengyang smiled and said, "Now, the chess box is handed over to you. It's your turn to play the middle game!"
"The chess pieces are in your hands. You are the chess players. How this game will develop is entirely up to you!"
"I anticipate that this mid-game duel will be unforgettable for me, and I'm looking forward to it immensely!"
There was thunderous applause from the audience again, and the chess players who were eliminated in the single-elimination stage seemed to have come out of the shadow of defeat.
Defeat is a foregone conclusion. No matter how much they think about it, it is useless. They can only look forward. They just want to know the final outcome of this World Championship.
Thinking of the names of the 64 chess players left, I can only say that no matter what the outcome is, the process will not disappoint everyone.
Can An Hongshi continue his two-decade legacy? Can Kang Han-eun, who has been performing brilliantly in recent years, maintain his undefeated record in foreign competitions, or even go one step further, sweeping the competition and successfully reaching the top?
Will Su Yiming face Yu Shao again, and can he avenge his previous defeat? Zhuang Weisheng and Zhu Huaian haven't faced each other since their 10th Dan match. If they were to face off again, could Zhuang Weisheng avenge his 10th Dan title?
Araki has finally made a comeback after a decade away. What kind of game will it be if he fights against Yasuhiro Ishi again?
It can be said that there are too many things to watch.
"After the single-elimination tournament, we'll have a day of rest. Players can rest and recuperate tomorrow to prepare for the double-elimination tournament the day after tomorrow."
Zhao Zhengyang looked around again and said, "The day after tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, after the lot is drawn, the game will begin at nine o'clock. The winner will advance to the next round, and the loser will fall into the loser's bracket."
"The final round of the Phoenix Cup isn't a game of chess. In the end, the winner of the winner's bracket and the winner of the loser's bracket will face off in a single match!"
"Anyway, the chess game will begin at nine o'clock the day after tomorrow!"
"At that time, every chess game you play will be watched by the entire world, broadcast live simultaneously on television stations around the world. It is estimated that nearly one billion viewers worldwide will see every move you make!"
"Everyone, I spend my days singing wildly, and for whom am I so arrogant and domineering?"
"The time has come to make a name for yourself!"
“I wish you all great progress!”
The moment Zhao Zhengyang finished speaking, he successfully mobilized the emotions and the audience burst into applause again. At this moment, the single-elimination stage of the Phoenix Cup World Championship finally came to an official end.
As the applause gradually faded, Zhao Zhengyang walked down from the stage, and a group of professional chess players, with different moods, finally began to leave the competition venue one after another.
Seeing that everyone else in the crowd had left one after another, Yu Shao also let out a breath, gathered his thoughts, turned around, and walked out of the competition venue.
No matter what these five rounds of single-elimination matches mean to other players, for the 64 players who have already qualified, the real journey begins from now on.
…
…
The single-elimination stage of the Phoenix Cup World Championship has ended, and the list of the top 64 has finally been revealed. Less than an hour after the official announcement of the list of the top 64, it immediately caused an uproar across the entire Internet.
Because there are too many matches in the single-elimination tournament, it is obviously unrealistic to broadcast it live, so only the top 64 will be broadcast live worldwide.
However, due to the extremely high attention paid to the World Championship, the list of qualified players was leaked after each round of competition in the past few days, and netizens from all over the world have also been discussing it.
However, the list of those qualified players has not been officially confirmed. Although it is likely to be true, it is still uncertain. It was not until the official announcement of the list that it was finally confirmed.
After seeing the list of the top 64 chess players, the entire Internet went wild.
"Is this true? Arakino-sensei has been away from the professional arena for ten years, and now he's won five consecutive games and reached the top 64? My youth is back!"
"Toyama Xunzhen defeated Kimura Go, 10th Dan, in the first round, and then defeated Fu Shunan in the fourth round? I'm stunned. What happened? Where's the chess record? Give me a chess record!"
"Is he really undefeated in foreign battles? Even Jiang Hanen, a 10th dan, defeated Teacher Han Si?"
"Ishida Norio, Inaka Seru, and Honinbo Shinkazu have all made it to the round of 64. Oh my, that's not good. Why are there so many Japanese players in the round of 64 in this World Championship?"
"Teacher Kong Zi! Teacher Kong Zi! You died so tragically!"
The entire Internet was in an uproar, and posts discussing the list of the top 64 teams in the Phoenix Cup World Championship popped up like mushrooms after rain.
Major news media also followed the trend and published reports such as "Araki No, returns like lightning" and "Master Kong Zi narrowly lost to Yasu Hiroishi". It can be said that the entire network was flooded with information related to the World Championship.
In order to create suspense and to increase the ratings when the World Championship is broadcast live, although the chess records of the single-elimination stage are recorded, they are not made public.
Although there are many single-elimination tournament chess records leaked online, they are not officially endorsed and it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity. Based on past experience, there must be some real ones, but most of them are fake, and netizens do not have the energy to distinguish them.
Therefore, after seeing the final list, everyone was shocked, and their hearts felt like they were being scratched by a cat. They only regretted that the round of 64 would not start immediately tomorrow, and they had to wait another day.
Many people even suspect that the reason why the round of 64 will not start tomorrow but the day after tomorrow is not to give the players a day to rest, but to give them one more day to warm up.
Regardless of the truth, when the list of the top 64 players in the Phoenix Cup World Championship was announced, it did cause a sensation across the entire Internet, and the popularity was getting higher and higher.
Less than three hours after the list of the top 64 players was announced, almost eight out of ten trending searches on the major trending search lists in countries around the world were related to the World Championship!
Moreover, this popularity is still skyrocketing at an astonishing rate!
Under a post discussing the Phoenix Cup World Championship, there were even comments in seven or eight different languages. Even the presidents of some countries personally posted messages expressing their anticipation for the live broadcast of the World Championship the day after tomorrow.
The ancient city of Fenghuang, where the competition was held, saw another surge in visitor traffic. Although it was impossible to watch the game in person, the stadium and multiple chess halls officially set up by the event were enough for the audience to enjoy the same lively atmosphere as watching the game in person!
It can be said that it has attracted worldwide attention!
…………
ps: I feel like I'm dying... My left arm was so sore and swollen yesterday that I couldn't sleep. Today, my arm was also hurting while I was typing, and I cried.
(End of this chapter)
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