Official Chess Club Meeting #1

[Phoenix]

The sunlight gleamed off the black and white chequered, polished marble surface. Reflecting light off the armies of soldiers that battled across the board at the whims of their master. A master who was capable of controlling the actions of Kings and Queens. A master who was capable of predicting his enemies every move. A master who saw through everything and enjoyed the pain he inflicted upon his enemies army. A Grandmaster.

Phoenix watched as the opponent before him stared at the board for three straight minutes before finally comprehending the obvious.

“Checkmate!”

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Phoenix allowed himself a superior half smile as he watched the young man before him reluctantly push his money forward, knocking over his own King in the process. A true defeat then, Phoenix thought to himself. Glancing, once again, over the remnants of his first game of the day, Phoenix was disappointed that he had been forced to go easy on the pitiful specimen that had already vacated the seat before Phoenix and was proceeding towards the exit. Phoenix collected both the white and black pieces from the board and reorganised them for a new game.

Whilst reassembling the pieces in their correct order across both sides of the board, a stranger approached the table. Within the eye of the stranger was a glint of courage and intelligence; however, his gait denoted an excess of confidence. Phoenix had already decided that he would crush the man before him.

“You call that chess? I’ll crush you!”

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Phoenix sighed quietly to himself. This was going to be extremely boring.

“Words mean nothing without action.”

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The arrogant young man simply placed himself before the table. Phoenix took this as his answer and without any preamble opened with a classic pawn to E4 move. Phoenix looked up from the board with a bored expression easily visible across his visage. Without any consideration or thought towards Phoenix’s move, the opposition opened by moving his pawn to B6.

“Truly an arrogant move, easily predictable and stupid. Somehow, you manage to make this look easy.

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Phoenix gladly mocked the ignorant stranger. It helped to alleviate his boredom, if only for a few moments. Analysing every possible outcome of his following strategies in conjunction with the data Phoenix had gathered about the stranger seated before him, Phoenix concluded that the deployment of Queenside bishop was the most probable outcome. Phoenix considered that his opposition no doubt thought that this would be an unpredictable move and would therefore make him look smart, however, by being determinedly unpredictable he became predictable and made Phoenix’s boring job even less entertaining. Pre-empting his opponents strategies and tactics made defence almost too easy. Countering with a simple pawn to D4 move, Phoenix cleared up a central route for his more useful pieces whilst maintaining his King’s protection.

“What kind of move do you think that is?”

Phoenix simply stared through his opponent and spoke, once again, in a mocking tone.

“Your arrogance will be your downfall.

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The opponent moved his hand from his side confidently and unfazed, placing his fingers atop the Queenside bishop and proceeded to move it, as predicted, to B7. By doing this all scepticisms and estimates relating to this man’s abilities and personality were fortified into solid facts within that manoeuvre. He was stupid, impatient, arrogant and greedy. Phoenix almost felt something akin to pity for him… almost.
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[Phoenix]

Phoenix followed his opponents line of sight until he had discovered which piece was to be definitively misused. The unfortunate victim of his opponents gaze was a pawn located at F7. From this information, Phoenix gathered that his next strategy would revolve around this piece. Predicting all the moves the piece could make was all together too easy for someone who possessed so much raw intelligence. The only likely scenario, however, was for the pawn to be moved to F5, thus endangering Phoenix’s pawn located at E4. Fortunately, there was an easy way to prevent his pawn from being overrun.

Steadily, Phoenix placed his hand on top of his Kingside bishop and smoothly guided it to D3, two squares diagonally to the left of its previous position. By doing this Phoenix would be able to protect his pawn in the square E4, have a line of attack across C4, B5 and A6, whilst simultaneously opening up the board even further. A good move thought Phoenix.

Barely even taking notice of Phoenix move, his opponent quickly made the predicted move, pawn to F5. Phoenix glimpsed just how greedy this man sitting before him was, he would attempt to set his army up to destroy every piece controlled by Phoenix, all the way to checkmate. Phoenix looked up from the board and regarded the man before him.

“Chess is not a game of strength, speed or force. It is a game built upon tactics, strategies and intelligence. That is why you cannot prevail against me.

Phoenix turned his intelligent gaze back to the sunlit marble board before him, just to make sure that his move wouldn’t place any of his pieces in danger. Assured that this was the case, Phoenix picked up his pawn from the square E4 and used it to flick his opponents pawn located in F5 off to the side. Placing his own pawn in F5, Phoenix stared directly at his opponent.

“First blood belongs to me.”

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“You need to hold your tongue!”

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Phoenix’s opponent moved quickly, eager to set the score straight by capturing a piece the belonged to Phoenix. Unable to achieve this any other way, Phoenix’s opponent moved his bishop from B7 to G2, removing a pawn from the game.

Allowing the simpleton his small moment of victory , Phoenix checked the position of the other pieces on the board. Seeing that all were still in their correct place for his strategy to take effect, Phoenix efficiently glided his queen from D1 to H5. Admiring the versatility of the queen’s movements as he did so, recognising it as the most useful and dangerous player in the game. His opponent’s king was now in check, meaning that his next move would have to alter the line of attack placed upon the king by Phoenix’s queen. Only one option was possible and this allowed Phoenix to think ahead and plan his next few moves in accordance with the aforementioned option. After his opponent had made the only move available to him, pawn to G6, Phoenix would have to remove the new threat that could possibly thwart his planned attack.

Whilst considering his options, Phoenix watched his opponent as he stared at the board in, apparent, deep thought. A look of realisation flashed across his features as Phoenix’s opponent noticed that he could only make one move to continue playing. Confirming Phoenix’s prediction, the opponent moved his pawn from G7 to G6, allowing the pawn to be in a position to capture Phoenix’s queen if it was not removed from the game.

Having planned in foresight, Phoenix wasted no time in moving his pawn from F5 diagonally across one square to knock his opponents pawn from the board and place it down in G6, thus removing all threat from his queen and also protecting the pawn’s new position.

Phoenix knew that it was only a matter of time before his greedy opponent made his move, however, Phoenix also knew that because of his dim witted and greedy nature he would go straight for the driving force of Phoenix’s attack, his Queen. Sinisterly half smiling at his opponent, Phoenix waited for the inevitable realisation that would soon come and then the predictable move that would follow.
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[Phoenix]

Beads of moisture formed across an arrogant and greedy visage, only to be hastily wiped away lest it be interpreted as a sign of weakness. A flash of hope, a chance of redemption. Confidently, the hand would move forward, the drops of perspiration still gleaming in the sunlight, sparkling like dew in the early morning. Fingers would firmly grasp the head of a proud Knight, purposefully moving it into a position of attack.

Phoenix sighed. Just as predicted. The idiot had gone for the attacking piece, probably convinced that if he removed the Queen from the game he’d have a chance of winning. Phoenix wasn’t too sure, thinking at such low levels of intelligence gave him headaches. Although this was never going to be a difficult game, Phoenix had hoped that it would be somewhat entertaining but this was proving to not be the case as his opponent was playing directly into his hands.

“Bet you didn’t think I could get out of that one.”

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“You’re right. I didn’t, and you haven’t.”

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Phoenix allowed his amethyst eyes to glow through the semidarkness of the pub. A look of confusion was clearly evident across his opponent’s features as he was still yet to decipher what Phoenix’s statement was implying. Seconds ticked by and a look of confusion remained across his opponent’s face. Shaking his head, Phoenix efficiently manoeuvred his pawn from G6 to H7 whilst knocking over the confused looking man’s black pawn that had, until just recently, resided on that same square.

Without hesitation, and seemingly without care, Phoenix’s opponent quickly moved his proud Knight from F6 to H5 and in doing so captured Phoenix’s Queen. Looking proud of himself for accomplishing such a feat, the aura of arrogance and greed around him grew even more. Thinking to himself, Phoenix couldn’t even imagine how these simpletons got on with their everyday lives whilst not being able to see the bigger picture.

Allowing himself a blink, Phoenix was momentarily plunged into his favourite state of being… Darkness. Slowly opening his eyes, Phoenix would feel a little sad that this pathetic game was about to come to end so soon. Without so much as a glance at the board, Phoenix would carefully watch his opponent’s every expression as he played the final move of the game. Picking up his bishop from D3, he would slowly drag it diagonally across the board to his right, revelling in the changes of expression across the face of his enemy. Anger, panic, fear, confusion and finally acceptance. They all presented themselves in one form or another and Phoenix enjoyed every one of them. Phoenix’s bishop finally came to rest in the square of G6.

“Checkmate.”

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Leaning back in his chair in a brief celebration of victory, Phoenix would see his opponent’s sudden movement. A black object suddenly appeared in Phoenix’s visual spectrum and it was speeding through the air at rapid speed, in line for a direct hit with Phoenix’s sternum. Catching his opponent’s, now defeated, King, Phoenix would place it back down onto the marble board.

“A sore loser I see. Never mind, I won’t tell anyone, for now.”

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Watching the retreating back of the defeated opponent, Phoenix would blink in disgust as the door opened and slammed shut. Hopefully, thought Phoenix, someone worth my time will come and challenge me soon.
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