novelslam Chapter 21 The Demon King Who Never Had Enough Fun
Chapter 21 The Demon King Who Never Had Enough Fun
As soon as they arrived home, Shen Yuxuan and Lin Wan exchanged a few pleasantries before setting up a chessboard on the table in the center of the living room.
Su Hao sat opposite him, holding the thick tutorial book in his hand, looking down and flipping through it without putting it down.
"Shall we start with the basic rules?"
Shen Yuxuan placed the last chess piece and looked at Su Hao with the gaze of a senior looking at a novice, his tone relaxed.
"No need, I've already roughly understood it."
Su Hao closed the book, casually placed it aside, and sat up straight.
Actually, chess is quite similar to probability theory.
In his view, this was not a war between knights and kings at all, but a standard Markov decision-making process.
Every step involves searching for the optimal solution within a vast state space.
Just like Bayes' theorem, one can reverse-engineer the probability distribution equation of the next move by observing the opponent's previous moves, and then continuously revise one's own winning probability model.
This kind of purely mathematical modeling is not difficult for him at all.
At that moment, an 8x8 chessboard with a Cartesian coordinate system appeared very clearly in Su Hao's mind.
Sixty-four squares, thirty-two pieces, and countless paths of movement that cut, cover, and strangle each other were instantly and clearly dissected in his neurons.
"Let's begin."
Completely unaware that Su Hao opposite him had already activated some kind of mathematical model, Shen Yuxuan confidently pushed the soldiers in front of the queen forward two spaces.
Su Hao glanced at it.
1. d4, Queenflank Gambit System.
The dormant computing clusters in Su Hao's brain instantly lit up.
Probability calculations begin.
"Since it's the first game, and there's a lack of opponent behavior data, we'll use the standard approach with the highest statistically expected win rate: 1. d5."
Without hesitation, Su Hao moved the black pawn, taking his first step in life.
At this step, the expected win rate on the win rate evolution tree he constructed is 44.2%.
Shen Yuxuan's smile deepened. This textbook-style response was exactly the path that novices loved to take.
Without even thinking, he immediately took the next step.
despair.
despair.
despair.
The sound of the chess pieces striking the chessboard was crisp and rhythmic.
The formations of both sides began to resemble two tightening nets, intricately intertwined.
"Um? 』
Su Hao's eyebrows suddenly rose slightly.
Instead of choosing the conventional path with the highest expected success rate, Shen Yuxuan took a risky approach and opted for F5.
Classic Dutch defense.
This is an extremely aggressive and symmetrical approach, which causes the branches of the state tree to explode exponentially, resulting in almost endless changes.
Su Hao immediately prioritized his defenses in his mind.
However, the rigor of algorithms has revealed its shortcomings in the face of the unpredictable nature of human experience.
Although he calculated the optimal solution and won in the local battle's troop exchange, his own formation had been fragmented when viewed in the overall matrix.
This is like boiling a frog in lukewarm water; the loss of winning percentage accumulates imperceptibly, eventually leading to a qualitative change from a quantitative one.
Finally, Shen Yuxuan calmly took the last step.
"General."
"I lost. Let's play one more round."
Su Hao's expression remained completely calm, and he even seemed to have a faint sense of sudden realization.
"I see. It's impossible for the human brain to instantly exhaustively calculate all the probability branches of chess."
Therefore, the key to breaking the deadlock lies not in increasing computing power, but in inducing the opponent to make moves according to one's own intentions.
I artificially cut off those low-probability variables, forcibly reducing the possibilities of the situation to within my calculation range.
This way, I can perform a 100% win rate calculation in my mind from beginning to end!
despair.
despair.
The game continues.
However, less than twenty minutes later, Shen Yuxuan, who was initially smug about winning the first game easily, gradually lost his smile, and his expression became serious, as if he were constipated.
He discovered that the time it took him to win a game had increased exponentially!
Only five games were played!
After just five rounds, the game quickly turned into a quagmire that could not be easily ended!
"Damn it, why is it getting harder and harder to win?!"
A bead of cold sweat suddenly slid down Shen Yuxuan's forehead and landed on the back of his hand.
What kind of international joke is this?!
Anyone, even the world's top chess grandmaster, would absolutely not believe that Su Hao is a complete novice who just touched chess today and watched a tutorial for ten minutes!
That airtight defense and that mechanically precise response exuded a suffocating sense of oppression that swept over you!
At this moment, Su Hao had entered a state of "flow" where, according to legend, "the mind is as still as water and all things are empty."
Smith-Mora abandoned his troops!
The tense atmosphere on the chessboard suddenly intensified, and the pace of the game accelerated like a torrential downpour!
"I see.
The teacher's choice of moves did not align with the move with the highest expected win rate, indicating a strong personal preference and reliance on experience path, which is why I felt confused before.
However, the data samples from all five bureaus have now been accumulated.
The current focus is on restricting the movement paths of key pieces, cutting off their freedom of movement, and forcing them into my algorithmic path.
"Have something to drink and rest for a while."
Just then, Lin Wan came over with two cups of tea.
However, the two, engrossed in their battle of wits, seemed to be deaf and neither heard a thing.
The black knight moved gently at Su Hao's fair fingertips.
despair.
From Nc6 to Ne5.
While maintaining control of the central government, they precisely cut off the teachers' access to assistance.
This move offers the highest potential return.
Shen Yuxuan, sitting opposite him, froze for a second, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets!
He had just frantically imagined five or six possible moves Su Hao might make in his mind, and prepared subsequent strangulation traps for them.
But this Ne5 step completely and utterly exceeded his expectations!
It was like a sudden steel nail, directly nailing him into a blind spot in his thinking!
What kind of ingenious and masterful movement is this?!
Su Hao quietly watched the man opposite him whose breathing was becoming heavier.
Sure enough, when faced with a routine situation, the teacher was experienced and his defense was impeccable.
But once I break free from his preconceived notions of experience, his thinking and calculation time will increase exponentially.
As long as I play a move he doesn't expect, forcing the game into a pure contest of computational power, I can win.
Shen Yuxuan stared intently at the chessboard, his teeth practically grinding to powder.
An absurd yet undeniably real thought arose from the depths of his mind:
This... might be the last chance in his life for him to outmaneuver this kid in chess.
That monster called Genius is evolving at a speed visible to the naked eye!
He admitted that Su Hao was a once-in-a-century genius, but he himself had been playing chess for over a decade. How could he possibly be defeated by a child who had just started learning chess for the first time...?
As a grown man, I can't swallow this insult no matter what!
Even if I get crushed every day from now on, I can't afford to lose on the very first day!
despair.
Shen Yuxuan gritted his teeth, disregarding the tearing apart of the formation, and forcefully sought to exchange pieces.
This move was extremely unreasonable, and could even be described as a rogue tactic that would kill eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of your own.
But he was certain that this illogical and ridiculous tactic was completely outside of Su Hao's rigorous probability calculations.
Su Hao paused.
As Shen Yuxuan had predicted, the boy seemed to panic briefly. His finely tuned logic faltered for half a second before he adapted to the situation and accepted the exchange.
"How immature..."
Shen Yuxuan gave a wry smile, his self-deprecating tone evident.
Because they didn't want to lose, they shamelessly tried to muddy the waters and drown the genius's computing power with their experience.
My eating habits are really unsightly.
However, this is also part of the game of chess, so consider it a final lesson for you, genius!
See, the adult world is so dirty and ruthless!
Shen Yuxuan completely gave up the idea of winning, began to tighten his formation, held his defensive line tightly, and frantically sought a draw.
despair.
Seemingly sensing Shen Yuxuan's unwavering and stubborn defense, Su Hao frowned slightly and took a step back.
This was an extremely passive and yielding move, completely inconsistent with his previous aggressive style.
"Yes, I knew this would happen."
Shen Yuxuan let out a long sigh of relief, and his tense back muscles relaxed a little.
My experience of over ten years has not been wasted!
Even if you're a genius, you've only been learning for a day.
If I use my experience and shamelessly hold you back, it'll be more than enough!
The extremely conservative and cowardly defensive battle continues.
If this stagnant situation continues, even if Shen Yuxuan's pieces are already at a disadvantage, it will inevitably lead to a stalemate where neither side can break the deadlock and can only shake hands and make peace.
however.
Just fifteen rounds later!
despair.
A crisper, more resolute sound, like the previous one, rang out as a piece was placed.
Su Hao's queen, like a long-awaited assassin, suddenly tore through all pretense and went straight to the center of the chessboard.
"Um?!"
Shen Yuxuan gasped for air.
He stared intently at the chessboard, his mind going blank as if a nuclear bomb had exploded!
"Oh no..."
By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late!
It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, chilling him all the way down to his toes!
At this moment, he suddenly realized that Su Hao's retreating and defensive posture of "I'm so scared" in the past few steps was all an act!
This is not a matter of insufficient computing power!
In reality, it was to clear an absolutely secret attack route for the Queen amidst the complex and intricate minion lines!
Unbeknownst to him, Su Hao had completely changed the strategy, and he had been foolishly cooperating with him!
Shen Yuxuan felt his worldview crumbling, and he muttered an academic term under his breath:
"A draw trap..."
This is a reverse psychological tactic that takes advantage of information asymmetry to lure the opponent into a trap when the opponent is expected to attempt a draw and their psychological defenses become conservative.
This is a high-level strangulation technique that only exists in top-level games. How could someone who just started playing today possibly understand such a thing?!
Su Hao's queen was like the Grim Reaper, fixing her gaze on Shen Yuxuan's king.
The stagnant atmosphere on the chessboard was instantly filled with a suffocating, chilling aura.
Shen Yuxuan's clever move of blocking the game in advance in order to secure a draw has now become a shackle that hinders the king's escape and a fatal mistake that has backfired!
"Qd5+".
Su Hao's calm voice rang out.
Shen Yuxuan's fingers trembled as he futilely moved the king away.
But it was no use; defeat was inevitable, and the edifice was about to collapse.
The remaining roads were all blocked.
Su Hao's subsequent onslaught was like a storm, leaving no room for evasion.
despair.
despair.
"General."
Su Hao uttered two words calmly.
A long, deathly silence followed.
In the large living room, the only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall.
Shen Yuxuan stood frozen in place like a stone statue, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the game that had been completely overturned.
"This is fucking outrageous..."
Faced with this illogical result that completely defied the human learning curve, Shen Yuxuan couldn't help but tremble slightly.
That was the tremor of having one's spine broken by an absolute talent that transcends mortals!
"Shall we continue with the next round?"
Su Hao raised his head, his eyes sparkling, looking just like a great demon king who hadn't had enough fun yet.
"Let's skip it today. I'm tired. I'll come back next time when I'm feeling better."
Shen Yuxuan waved his hand, barely maintaining the dignity of an elder, and forced himself to stand up.
Despite saying that, Shen Yuxuan knew better than anyone else what was going on.
next time?
There's no such thing as a next time!
I'm afraid I'll never have that kind of crazy day of winning chess again in my lifetime!
Su Hao's gleaming eyes were, in Shen Yuxuan's eyes, even more dazzling than the midday sun!