Road to be the Best Chess Player in the World!-Chapter 569: The Women’s Section Goes Crazy!
The fourth round of the tournament was almost over, and in the women’s section, it looked like everything was about to explode.
On table one, Medina, who fought against the top seed from Mongolia, Batkhuyag Munguntuul, managed to force a draw after fighting for about four hours, dragging the game and burning the entire board until only two kings were standing against each other.
This result slowed down the entire tournament, bringing everyone close to the top again. They were still the top two in the standings with 3.5 points out of four games, yet some players also had the same points as them right now.
Following them, three players also had the same record here.
First, it was Vietnamese WGM, Vo Thi Kim Phung, with the rating of 2351, who managed to snatch two consecutive wins after being held back in the second round of the tournament. Then, Laysa also snuck into that elite list, going on a rampage with three wins in a row. After her, a surprising name came, as Dita Karenza, the one who forced Laysa for a draw in the first round, also popped up there as the underdog of the tournament.
Those five were currently fighting for the top standing, all with the same 3.5 points here. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Then, followed behind with 3 points, a bunch of top players are also eyeing the top. Irene and Anna were in this pool, followed by Ummi Fisabilillah, a talented player, Chelsie Sihite, and a WGM from the Philippines, Janelle Frayna.
Of course, no one could count out those who still had 2.5 points below, like Claudia and the other talented players here, which made the competition so tight in the women’s section.
"It is ridiculous, right?" Sheva snorted at the dumbfounded Anna. "I am just so glad that in the men’s section, the competition is not that tight."
Yeah, in the men’s section, Sheva had already secured a sole lead with four points out of four games. The closest one here was Master Susanto with 3.5 points after beating Novendra in the last round, followed by Arfan, Taher, Tin Jingyao, and a Vietnamese GM called Le Tuan Minh with 3 points out of 4 games.
Honestly, even though the pool was not as bloated as in the women’s section, the competition there was still quite fierce, with them only needing one loss to free-fall toward the bottom of the rock instantly.
However, Sheva, with his cheat code, felt that once he stood alone on top, there was no way anyone else could dethrone him. It was an arrogance that spoke through him, and honestly, after the game against Taher yesterday, he should’ve learned his lesson here. Still, no one could deny his words, since indeed, Sheva was the most favorite player to win in this section.
"Ah~! Big Sis! Here you are!" Claudia suddenly popped out of nowhere, sweat rolled on her face, and she was panting as if she had just run all over the place. "I have searched for you, and yet here you are, dating with Brother Sheva in the middle of the crowd! How shameless!" She accused directly.
Anna’s face turned so red like a boiled lobster, while Sheva himself choked at the sudden accusation. In front of the camera, Bagas, Irfan, and Sarah just smiled knowingly, as if they were parents who were here to watch their children’s drama.
"I—Ia! Mind your words, please!" She tried to look stern, just to fail astronomically.
"What? It is not like she is wrong, right?" Laysa also appeared behind the girl, a massive grin on her face. It was clear that she was in a great mood right now, what with her success in joining the top of the table. "I mean, I thought you would be depressed, losing concentration, or something like that. Who would’ve thought that you would find comfort in your boyfriend? Not that I can blame you, of course." Her tone was full of teasing.
Anna covered her face deeper in embarrassment, while Sheva just sighed helplessly, not wanting to rebuke that and give the girl any excuse to cook him more. He also secretly glanced at Claudia, and after the boy was sure that she wasn’t mad at his brutal remark last night, he finally let out a relieved sigh.
"Anyway, just sit here and relax. The room has been compromised for us." Irfan said with a smile, taking out a can of cold Coke from the refrigerator. "Just use this time to unwind yourself, because I am sure the fifth round will be more brutal."
Hearing this, all the girls turned solemn, then stared at each other secretly. They knew that sooner or later, they would have to fight against each other, and while they were friends here—even siblings—their competitive spirit would only burn brighter, especially with the bragging rights on the line.
Still...
"Don’t look at me like that. We will not play against each other next round, you know?" Laysa said with a grin that told Sheva that she was about to drop a bomb here. True enough... "I mean, we are in a completely different tier right now. Me? I am fighting against the top. Anna is still trying to get here, and Ia? Just make sure you are not too close to the bottom, okay?"
Sheva winced unconsciously, somehow knowing that an explosion was incoming here. Anna’s face darkened—which was a miracle since she was a good-tempered girl—and Claudia let out an ugly scowl when she heard that.
"Don’t be arrogant with the current result, Bitch! Once you meet Sister Medina, she will whoop your ass immediately!" Claudia slammed the table in rage.
In return, Laysa just sneered in disdain. "What? You think I am like you? I already knew how to handle Sister Medina, you know?"
This stunned the girls here, as all of them stared at Laysa in disbelief. Anna also observed any change of emotion in her friend’s face, yet found none of them, leading her to believe that Laysa said the truth here.
However, before anyone could say anything, their phones suddenly vibrated simultaneously, and they all knew what it meant straight away.
"Shit! The pairing is out!"
