Road to be the Best Chess Player in the World!-Chapter 524: Three Wins in the First Day!
It was the 30th move of the game, and Devi still had a perfect poker expression on her face. No hint of exhaustion or nervousness could be seen there, as she still moved methodically like a machine. However, if anyone observed carefully, they would see her fist clenched below the table, and her legs started shaking a little.
Of course, it was not from the nervousness. Hell, if anything, she was in her most excited state right now, knowing how close she was to winning. Her opponent, a Kazakhstani girl called Eldana Kaliakhmet, seemed to notice her pitiful state as well, as she was so stressed on the other side of the table.
’Yes, please, suffer more, and give me my first win today!’
In fact, the game didn’t run in the smoothest way that Devi expected. Playing with the black, she went for the aggressive Najdorf-Sicilian, trying to push the opponent further from the beginning. Hell, she even abandoned her king’s safety, using both flanks to put pressure on her opponent. It was a risky strategy, what with her abandoning the castle move for her attack. If her teacher saw this, she was so sure that she would be scolded to death for being reckless.
’Still... Brother Sheva said that the game is always dynamic, and knowing when to stick to fundamentals and knowing when to abandon it is the essential skill to have.’ Devi remembered the lesson as well.
Now that she was at the intersection, after a careful consideration—more like spending about 30 minutes to make a choice—the girl finally chose to gamble, going for the most devastating attack she could pull. If it failed, she would be the one who was killed, and honestly, that thought was enough to send a shiver down her spine.
’No, no, no, I have to make sure that everything goes as planned.’ She shook her head strongly, trying to banish the negative thought as far away as possible.
Fortunately, the gamble worked well for her. Even though her defense was nonexistent, her offense was so strong that she was even pulling out all the opponent’s protection from the white king. Now, Devi’s queen was about to infiltrate deep, and while her own king was weak, it could still run away for protection, which was why her situation was good right now.
However, there was still a hidden danger in this game. Devi glanced at the clock, and it would be a lie if she said she wasn’t worried about that.
’I only have 12 minutes on the clock, and it is still the 33rd move on the board. I have to speed up a little bit and delay any decisive move that could force me to think deeply, at least until I get the 40th move later. Still... Will she allow me to do that?’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Even in this situation, Devi still didn’t dare to underestimate her opponent. However, the lady luck seemed to be on her side, as, right after that, Eldana Kaliakhmet, the Kazakhstan girl, suddenly made a mistake, allowing Devi’s knight to support the queen to attack the white king. Devi’s eyes shone brightly, as she had a feeling that she was so close to checkmate right now.
’First check with the queen, then check again, and then, check... Hmm... When should I bring the knight on the check rampage? Should I give a check again and take that pawn? No, it would be better to check with the knight. If the king moved forward, it would be a mate in one, but if not, I could still force the opponent’s king to the brink. No matter what, I will win!’
With that calculation in mind, she charged in, abandoning the idea of stalling for time further until she got the additional time. The opponent also realized that she couldn’t survive anymore, so she finally offered a handshake, resigning from the game.
"Good game." The girl said with a stiff smile and heavy accent.
"You too." Devi nodded politely.
After the handshake was over, the girl left her own table immediately, humming lightly as her mood was at its peak. Soon, she also saw Duta rising from his seat, and without even looking at the board, just based on his smug smile, she could figure out the result of that game immediately.
"You also win?" She asked knowingly.
"Of course, who do you think I am?" Duta snorted arrogantly. "Also, ’Also’? Does that mean you are winning the game as well?"
"Of course!" A wide grin spread on her face before she high-fived the boy. "So, does that mean only Brother Nay’s game is left? Man, I cannot wait to tease him later." She snorted, imagining Nayaka whining childishly later.
"Oh, you think he is not going to win?" Duta raised one of his eyebrows slightly.
"What?! Of course, no!" Devi shook her head quickly. "I know Brother Nay’s strength pretty well, and I am sure he will be able to win his game. Still, I want to rub it in his face that he is the slowest among us all. I cannot wait to see his reaction..." She chuckled evilly.
Instead of watching Nayaka’s game from a close distance, they both just stood outside the venue, waiting until Nayaka was done with his game. It wasn’t because they wanted to, but the rule stated that those who were done with their games had to leave the venue quickly, forcing them to wait in the area that the organizer had already prepared.
This rule was made because there were too many participants here, overwhelming the building a little bit. To avoid too much discomfort, after the game was over, the players had to leave the building instantly.
"You reckon that Brother Nay’s game is about to be over?" Devi asked, drinking the bottle of water she carried.
"Yeah, at this point, he would already notice that we are not here, and he would try to end it as quickly as possible." Duta nodded as a matter of fact. Then, a familiar boy finally walked out of the entrance’s door, and Duta couldn’t help but add, "See? Here he is, and looking at his blooming reaction, you should know the result, right?"
"Yeah." After waving at Nayaka, Devi’s smile spread wider than before. "We all start the tournament with a bang, huh?"
-Author’s note-
Hey, everyone! Thank you for supporting my story! I have written a new one with the hope of getting a contract for that story as well, the title is ’The Rise of the Iron Wall!’. It is a football story, so if you like, please give your support by adding it to your collection and giving your power stone to that story! Thanks!
