Undefeated Chess Grandmaster
/ Undefeated Chess Grandmaster 4 Encounter
"Elaine, you need to practice because I will make sure that you will have your partner to join in this tournament" A middle-aged man confidently promised to Elaine that he will everything in his power just to make sure she enter the tournament.
"But the tournament is tomorrow! where can you find my partner in the middle of the night?" Elaine who dejectedly lying on a sofa stood up and argued with her dad. Who in their right mind would go out in the middle of the night just to find someone and make them play in the tournament? Would they be good enough to be her partner?
"I search every nook and cranny just to find someone, I already promised you that you will play" Her dad replied to while preparing his bag and a foldable vinyl chess board along with the chess pieces. He knows her daughter is so good at playing chess and he doesn't want to embarrass her on her upcoming match by bringing a weaker partner. A chess player like her should have a very strong partner who will enter the tournament and win both men and women division.
"Promise me that you will not go out on the hotel Elaine?" Before leaving her dad asks her daughter one last time on not leaving the hotel. He only has a little time to find Elaine's partner and he needs to do it fast or else it will be all for naught.
"Ok dad I promise" Elaine replied
"Pinky promise?" Elaine's dad asks once again while waiting for Elaine's pinky hands to cross his.
"Yes," Elaine crosses her pinky finger with her dad and her dad left.
"Now what should I do?" Elaine is troubled by the fact that her dad already left to find her partner. She is thankful for it that he did it for her just to let her enter the tournament. She thought for a moment and decided to study more and prepare for her upcoming match tomorrow.
***
A middle-aged man walks on a street. The streets were well lighted and some stores are still open for business. He walks towards one of the stores and buys a nice cup of hot coffee with a biscuit.
"Such an unfortunate day" He sighs and continues to drink his coffee and took a bite on his biscuit.
"I guess I need to go now" He hurriedly finished his coffee and continues to walk just to find someone, but that would be impossible because most of them should be asleep by now but he doesn't care.
He continues to walk again and arrived at a park. But he only found old men who play chess along with some couple others playing chess with some bets on the line. Not far from here there are also some couples spending their time on a bench while talking with each other.
He suddenly remembers his past when he also played chess on the streets while betting money he got from his parents but he loses on some occasion and he also the love of his life on a faithful day and used to go to a park and spending their time each other but she died on the day she gave birth to his daughter. He cried and grieved for her and the only thing she left is a memory of her and her daughter.
He had a dream of becoming a world champion on one occasion but he faced the truth that he can never be one because he lost his motivation when she died and she wouldn't have to have him play chess while being distant to her daughter. So he gave all his time his daughter and by the age of six his daughter discovers a book on the attic about chess and she was deeply in love about chess. And every day she practiced and practiced until she has gotten good about playing chess. He and his daughter spent time with each other playing chess.
"Such a beautiful memory I have with you my dear wife Lea" He looked up to the sky and a tear fell on his cheeks.
"I hope fate will not betray me this time again. I will wait here until someone comes and challenge me" He spread the vinyl chessboard and put the chess pieces on their position waited until dawn.
***
John roamed the streets to find any partner he needs to enter the tournament. John was troubled about where he should start. John knew that this will be the only way to pay the bills needed to get her sister out of the hospital but he doesn't know where to start.
John walked aimlessly until he arrived at a park. He saw some old men play chess and he saw them betting with each other. John also notices some people with their pets and bikes along the park and doing their morning exercises. John walks further and found someone playing with some kids on a chess game and also notice a sign. John read the sign and it said that he only plays with kids. John cringed what kind of man would shamelessly bully a kid on a chess match and John found it funny that he also included prize money of one thousand pesos to anyone who can beat him. John looks at his surroundings and sees some children who are gnashing their teeth in anger and started calling the shameless man.
"Old man, you're a cheater! a cheater!" A kid wearing a hat with a logo of NY on it started to lash his anger out on this shameless man.
"Yeah! old man, you're a cheater! how can you always win when there's more of us playing with you" Another kid wearing a glass also joined and started to call him a cheater along with the kids.
"Hey kiddo doesn't mean that there's more of you doesn't mean that you can beat me. Now scram and go play something else " The shameless man said and disregarded these annoying brats and continued waiting for the next challenger.
"You cheater! Cheater! Cheater! Cheater" The kids simultaneously chanted while making funny faces just to irritate the shameless man.
John looks at this fiasco of children and this shameless man and walks towards the shameless man and asked
"Sir, would you pay one thousand pesos to anyone who can beat you?" John asked the shameless man inquiring further that he will pay with money to someone who can beat him.
"You bet I do kid! See this sign over here? It said that I will pay one thousand to anyone who can beat me. But none have beaten me yet and I only allow kids to play with me and don't worry I don't break my promises" The shameless man replied with confidence. He started to play at six o'clock in the morning when he first fought his first kid opponent but it ended fast. Now he is on a winning streak and will continue until he is beaten. He is already tired but he needs to do this.
John looks at him and asked
"Sir, can we play a game of chess?" John asks the shameless man
"Sure kiddo but don't go calling me names after I beat you" The shameless man replied and arranged the chess pieces.
"Hey, kiddo you know how to play chess right?" The shameless man asked John
"Yes sir, I know how to play this" John replied and sat down on a chair opposite to the shameless man
"Hey, kiddo I don't have all day I will make this game a blitz game would that be alright to you?" The shameless man asks John if he should accept a blitz game.
"Sorry sir, but whats a blitz game?" John replied to the shameless man and inquired furthermore about it.
"Ahhh, so you don't know about it. Ok, let me tell you, A blitz game is a timed chess game with only a little amount time with five minutes or less depending on how it is agreed by the players. So in my case, I would like to give you a five-minute game with an increment of three seconds after you are done moving your piece" The shameless man carefully explained to John about how a blitz game is played and he replied to John once again
"Look here" The shameless man points at the chess clock.
"This is a chess clock and you see this LED digits appearing on the left and right? This is the time and I set it up to five minutes each. When the timer reaches zero while the opponent still has time left then you lost" The shameless man explained the functions of a chess clock to John and John know how to play with it after testing it for a few minutes.
"Now kiddo, do you know how to play with it now?" The shameless man asked John and John replied
"Yes sir, thank you for teaching me" John thanked the shameless man
"Now are you ready to begin?" The shameless man awaits John reply
"Ok sir, I am now ready to play" John looks at the shameless man with a ferocious beast waiting to be released outside. The shameless man flinched for a moment but he ignores it and started the game.
"Ok kiddo, now you are the challenger I will play as black and you will play as white," The shameless man told John that he can now start the game.
"Ok sir" John replied and looks at the chessboard and sees the green arrows flared up with different contrast. John waited a bit and started the move which the green arrow with the brightest contrast which is on the e4.
The shameless man looks for a moment and decided to play d5 the Scandinavian defense. In the Scandinavian Defense, Black meets e4 by immediately putting the question to the e4 pawn, attacking it with the d5 pawn. This opening often leads to tricky, scrappy play by Black. But the shameless man wanted a quick win because he is tired of playing with the kids earlier so he will open up the tension and start and attack white immediately. The pros and cons of this game are that black started a provocative opening, opens up the game immediately and usually, both black bishops have freedom but the cons are After the capture exd5, Black loses time recapturing, usually the white d-pawn will go to d4 afterward, giving more central space and because Black loses some time, he is in danger of a quick knockout but the shameless man still go for it because he is confident that after opening up the game he will scare John after a series of moves.
John saw that he opens up with the d5 pawn, John immediately captures it by taking it with exd5. And the shameless man made another move, nf6 planning to capture the whites pawn on d5. John replied by playing nc3 based on what the green arrows suggested. And after a series of moves
3... Nxd5 4. Bc4 Nb6 5. Bb3 Nc6 6. Nf3 e5 7. d3 Bg4 8. h3 Bh5
The shameless man knows that he will have a series of exchanges, later on, he was surprised by John's capability to calculated the positions well and neutralized blacks plan to go and end the battle quickly with a little amount of time given. John looks for a moment and analyzed, he saw that everything looks peaceful for a moment. Black is two moves away from castling and white is one move away from castling, black has a little more space while white is slightly developed. John looks for a second and played 9. Nxe5, a queen sacrifice! a bold move was made by white.
The shameless man was shocked at the bold queen sacrifice made by John. He already pinned the queen by making a move that restricts whites knight on f3 but John made a bold move to capture a pawn on e5 which allowed black to capture the queen. The shameless man already liked this kid, he thought he is the one but he needs further proof! A crazy queen sacrifice that John move would allow black to gain an overwhelming advantage so he doesn't hesitate and captured John's queen since this was a blitz game and both of them have three mins left on the clock.
9... Bxd1
Honestly, the shameless man doesn't want to capture it but he needs to see this through what John planned in twenty seconds thinking on what to move next. He is excited about this that he can now play with his best unlike those brats earlier who are moving thoughtlessly and got ensnared by his baits which they captured immediately. But today he saw a different one, he saw John! a monster who dared to sacrifice his strongest piece, the queen! and he will need to see this through.
"Wow! look at that kid, what an idiot! why would he sacrifice his queen for a measly pawn" The kids watching on the sidelines called John an idiot. Why would you sacrifice your queen for a pawn? The kids are already sneering at John and watched his inevitable defeat.
John ignores the kids and concentrated deeply on how he should continue this game without his strongest piece the queen. John played 10. Bxf7+ check! this puts the black king in check and since the black king's route to d7 is blocked by a knight, so black doesn't have a choice and played ke7. This puts the black king on a march towards its impending doom which the shameless man will see later on.
The shameless man moved its king to Ke7 and awaits whites move, 11. Bg5+ check! this puts the black king walk towards its only free square it can move on which it is d6. The shameless man thought for defense but its all for naught on the onslaught of whites attacks! Ne4+white gives up more material just to make sure there is no retreat for the black king.
John is going all in on this attack, earlier he sacrifices his queen to allow a check and make the enemy's king march on John territory and now he saw that the planned has come into fruition and now ready to reap the reward. The black king captures on the knight on e5 which was left defenseless but John already knew that because he allowed being sacrificed just to checkmate the enemy's king. And the black queen was stuck watching his dear king march slowly to its death afar.
f4+ whites pawn checks the king and making it march deeper into whites territory.
The shameless man thought for a moment but he doesn't find any good moves that can prevent the inevitable. The only move it can relax for a moment is Kd4 but 14. Rxd1 whites rook captured the blacks bishop on d1 who captured the whites queen and this has given black a breathing room but white threatening mate on Ke2 and c3. The best way to remove this threat would have been giving back the Queen with 14...Qxg5 but after 15. c3+ Ke3 16. fxg5 followed by 17. 0-0, the Black King still doesn't make it home safe and sound.
The shameless man knows after a few seconds about whites plan but he prevented it with Ke3 a bold decision was made by him. But he didn't saw whites move played deeper, 15. 0-0 castling! The whites king castles now the checkmate is inevitable. The shameless man tried another move 15... Nd4 preventing checkmate but this will only buy him a few minutes. 16. Re1+ check, now the enemy's king is getting closer to the inevitable but he made a last ditched effort to save his king. 16... Ne2 the blacks horse jumps deeper to save his king 17. Rxe2+ check! whites mercilessly slaughtered the blacks rook but this also captures the rook by the enemy's king 17... Kxe2. Now the rook has died the shameless man looks at the state of the game, he is in danger of being checkmated now that he walks from his home deep into the enemy's territory he looks for a move that would save him from the game and the money. But would John allow that? John is hungry for blood and will continue to pursue him to the ends of the board just to win this game.
18. Nc3+ with a little time on the clock! John hurriedly moves his knight to check the opponent's king and deliver checkmate in three moves, 18... Ke3 the enemy dodges the check made by whites knight and saw that the enemy's black king planned to go on d4 but John prevented it by blocking his escape route 19. d4. Now black tries everything in his arsenal and played 19...Qxd4 but John delivered the fatal blow 20. f4+ check! the enemy's king is in open check black has no choice but to block it with its queen on 20... Qf4.
Before John could deliver the final blow, he ran out of time.
Chapter end
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