Undefeated Chess Grandmaster 6 Venue

"Kai, which block will we play?" A boy with a funky hairstyle asks a girl besides him who is wearing a bonnet. They are both Kai and Alex who John met earlier.

"Let me see, I will play on Block B on women division and you Alex will play on Block A," Kai replied to Alex while searching on the bulletin board who will play with them.

"Alex, your opponents on Block A men division are all known, and each of them is rated at least 1800 - 1900, " Kai told Alex worriedly because this goof only thinks of money. Alex likes money and when he saw that he can earn a huge amount of money by playing chess and earn fame and glory while playing it, he didn't hesitate and become a chess player. Likewise, for Kai she also likes money but she likes to travel to different countries and have fun and when she saw that she can travel when playing chess, she also becomes a chess player.

The chess tournament today is separated by a block from A to F from both men and women division with each block contained fifty participants each. So each division contains three hundred players of the opposite genders. And the chess tournament will have a bonus round on the final where the winner of the women division will fight the winner of the men division.

Chess players are prestigious and respected by the masses, they are the ones who brought changes to their country by playing and winning to the International Chess Game but they are also the ones who bring disaster to the country if they lose. But the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to the treatment they are treated very well and willing to spend any resources just to curry their favor. Most of them are super rich and lived luxuriously when they win the bet that happens on the International Chess Game, they have a free pass to each country as the world government made it a law that each chess players who represent their country. But the cons is that they live on the edge, a single mistake can cost him/her and the destruction of his country, and that's why each country raises and trains their protegee to the best as they can and always kept their strategies away from the prying eyes of another country.

"Don't worry Alex I can handle this by myself. You already know how strong I was right?" Alex confidently replied to Kai and reassured her that everything will be fine.

"I already know that, but do you think you can beat them now? For the last six months, they should already be stronger" Kai replied to Alex with worry. She knew how strong Alex was, most of the time when they play Alex always gains the upper hand and wins on the endgame. She knew that Alex is very good in endgames while she is only good in the openings and slightly better than him on the middlegame.

"Well, they got lucky last time that I have a miscalculation on the middle game which resulted in my defeat in the end game. You know how good I was in endgames but I can't play well in the middlegame in our time playing chess" Alex replied to Kai and reminiscence about their past matches. In the openings, both Kai and Alex played well and but Kai shines in the middle game, she creates some tactics that Alex did not foresee and Alex got baited and got destroyed by Kai on the endgame no matter how good he was about it he cannot defend on both fronts.

A few minutes later the bulletin board got updated and the matches have been shown on different blocks of men and women division.

Both Kai and Alex saw which opponent they will play on their respected block and proceeded to walk at the venue on which they will play.

Greystock street is large enough to accompany fifty thousand people and the street contained many different needs that the chess tournament can have, ranging from the hotels, malls, vendors, stores, and the venue on which the chess matches will be held and the security they have which is ideal location from what the chess officials wanted. The chess tournaments only happen once a year, and the venue they selected is at the first street of the Greystock street which the chess tournament is played. The first street contained the necessary things that the chess tournaments need and is secured and protected by the authorities who oversee the event.

As Kai and Alex walk they arrived at the intersection

"Alex, what time will your match start? And who is your opponent?" Kai asks Alex

"It said that it will start twenty minutes from now on, and my opponent is this guy" Alex points his finger on his phone and let Kai see Alex opponent. Alex phone is a modified smartphone which only contains information and chess. Alex downloaded the information app for today's event which was told by the speaker and he browses it now and looks at his opponents who he will gonna face at his block. Each block have participants of fifty and the game is only played best of one and when he reaches the octo-final they will only play best of three games and on the quarter-final, they will play best of five games and the semi-final, they will play best of ten games and the finals they will play best of twenty and each game will be played on a Rapid. A Rapid game only has ten minutes for both sides and the one who wins 3 games ahead wins and which will make the succeeding games forfeited as decided by the officials. He notices that one of his opponents is rated in 1823. The ELO system was created by the Chess Federation to judge base how strong a chess player is and each ELO rating is based on the player's performance to defeat his opponents.

"He is stronger than you by about three points" Kai replied to Alex hinting that he should be careful when playing with his opponent today. Alex and his opponent are almost equal in strength but ELO is just a rating who knows how stronger is his opponent right now.

"A rating is just a number, watch as to how will I destroy him in the endgame," Alex said confidently once again to Kai. Alex trains every day to master the endgames because he saw on a book that you need to master the endgame first and play the openings and middlegame second. So he trains every day polishing his skills on the endgame and become proficient enough to be called an endgame beast by Kai's standard.

"Yeah, yeah. Remember to be careful and don't fall for traps" Kai is finally satisfied with what Alex said.

"Oh yeah Kai, what about your match?" Alex asks Kai about her match

"My opponent is low rated by about 1600, I will gonna make short work on this girl" Kai smiles slyly. When she doesn't play chess she is always friendly to everyone who wants to talk to her but when she is on a chess match she shows no mercy to her opponent and will bully them until their death and make them cry.

Kai smiles at the thought of destroying this poor beautiful girl who wandered on the field of battle.

"Hey, Kai you are smiling evilly again. Please stop it" Alex felt disgusted when she makes that expression, its like having someone at your back waiting to stab you behind. But she is good when you know her well, it's just her habit which makes her look bad.

"You know that I can't help it when I destroy and bully weak opponents, it gave me satisfaction on putting your dominance over your opponents" Kai replied to Alex. Alex wondered is Kai an S? Alex looks once more and she almost drools from imagining it, and from the looks of it, she is one.

"Get away from me Kai, go do it when someone doesn't watch. Wait, what are you doing? Kai?" Alex cried and wanted to leave but Kai but he got him

"No, I will not leave and I will accompany you to your match. And also my match starts two hours from now on" Kai caught Alex's arms and dragged him away while Alex protesting Kai to release him.

"Kai, unhand me, please. I'm sorry for saying that to you" Alex pleaded to Kai but Kai didn't listen to his plea

"This is your punishment for making fun of my face. You know how I don't like it when someone told me about my habit" Kai drag Alex towards the venue leaving Alex crying for help

"Nooooooooooo!"

***

John and Elaine walk away from the venue where they registered. Dave told them that he cannot go with them because the adults are not allowed to enter the player's venue where they will be playing.

"John, what is your ELO rating in chess?" Elaine ask John

"What's an ELO rating?" John asks Elaine about it. John didn't know what is an ELO rating because he was stuck doing the same thing for the past two years at Mike's Eatery.

"An ELO rating is a rating made by the Chess Federation on how skilled a player is," Elaine told John about how the ELO ratings are ranked.

"In my case, I am at 1756 ELO rating which is pretty good and because I never lose my first match up until today," Elaine told John about her ELO rating on chess. She already played some chess matches on their area and she is now qualified to have her rating. But because she started late in playing chess she could already be at 1900+.

"I don't have any ELO rating. How can I have my rating?" John replied to Elaine honestly. John didn't know much about the standards made by Chess Federation and this is new to him so he asks Elaine more about it.

"You need to play an official chess game which is today and win" Elaine replied to John telling him the way to have an ELO rating of chess. Elaine wanted to be a lone wolf for this match but her dad told her to accompany and teach John about the basics of chess so she is stuck teaching him. Elaine already imagine that John is a really weak player, how can her Dad find a suitable partner for her to play chess? She guesses that her Dad picked John on the street because he can't find anyone to play really well and force to take the last option to pick someone and let him participate just to make her play today's tournament. But Elaine trusts her Dad that he did found someone suitable to be her partner and participate in this tournament.

"By the way John, why did you join the tournament?" Elaine asks John the reason he joins this tournament.

"Because I need some money to pay for my sister's medical bill. And the only way to earn the money is to win this tournament and become a champion" John replied to Elaine about his plight.

Elaine sympathizes about John's little sister but she laughs at the thought of winning the tournament.

"That's a big dream you have there John. But can you win in this tournament? You know that every one of the players came here with a purpose, but can you win against them?" Elaine didn't voice her thoughts and just normally replied.

"I can, no I will win this tournament" John replied to her with a purpose to win

Elaine and John walk on the bulletin board nearby and saw today's match. Elaine and John saw their match today that will start in one hour for both of them.

The tournament lasts up to seven days where the finals will be played on a stadium where everybody can watch the battle of the future chess players who will represent their region.

"John, you will be on Block E and your opponent is rated 1700," Elaine told John on who will be his opponent, and John nods at her saying that he understands her.

"What about you Elaine?" John asks Elaine

"I will be on Block D and my opponent is roughly similar to my rating," Elaine replied to John and she looks at the enemy on her block. Her opponents on her block are roughly 1650 - 1800+ and the highest is 1878 which is a well-known player.

"Let's go to the venue now John," Elaine asks John to move to their respected venue and waited until their match begins

Chapter end