"Crap... crap... crap... dah!" Alfred banged the table and sat back, sighing deeply. He assumed that he was the only one left in the meeting hall, since he was too engrossed in playing online chess on his phone to get up and go home. He covered his face with his hand, much too embarrassed that he lost on time. It was blitz, after all, but he was two Pawns up. This position would be a win for him, normally... It wasn't the first time America had been so close to victory and let it all go in the end, or let time go too far and ruin his chances.
"Hmm?" Elizabeta was, in fact, also still in the building, having gone to use the restroom while the rest of the nations were filing out. So, she'd heard a banging on the table and a familiar voice of frustration, and naturally investigated. The sound of the door to the hall opening made Alfred jump and gasp, since he could have sworn, again, that he was the only person still there. Who would be crazy enough to leave fast? Elizabeta couldn't help but giggle softly when he reacted in the way that he did.
"Hey." He pouted and sat back up. "What are you still doing, here?"
"I was just washing up... what about you?"
"Eh, I like to be the last one to leave, sometimes. Sometimes it's better than being the first to leave." The first to leave was Francis, when Arthur flung him out the window, which had conveniently been open when that occurred.
"Is that so... why do you sound annoyed?"
"Damn blitz chess, is what. I'm usually good at playing 5 minutes time control... and managing my time correctly. I'm the one who should be winning by running out the opponent's clock, not losing for letting my flag fall." He sighed again.
"It's just a game, Alfred. Aren't you having fun, at least?"
"Sure, but it's so annoying when you're winning, and then you hear the end of game sound and find that you've lost and your rating has gone down some... it's embarrassing, is what." He sighed and decided to send the winner - a user named aph-hanafuda - a friend request. Maybe I'll play a 1-day time control game with him. I should play more daily chess...
"All I know is that I usually win. I'm pretty good at it, you know. Peter Leko, the Polgárs... they taught me to play it right." She smirked.
"Well, I was taught by Bobby Fischer. And then... he became even weirder and died an Icelander. Weird man..." He sighed, again. "Nowadays we have Gata Kamsky, Irina Krush, Hikaru Nakamura... cool guys. I'll never beat Lukas, though, that seems highly unlikely to me."
"I could," she claimed proudly.
"If you can beat me, sure. We still have all those chess boards from that tournament he won a couple of years ago, in that closet there, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Okay." He smiled. "Let's go."
Silence.
"I'll get the stuff." Alfred stood and headed to the closet.
"Okay, I'll play as Black," Elizabeta stated.
"All right. You know I'll go for e4 as my first move, right?"
"Mm-hmm!" She sat down.
He sat down across from her and adjusted his pieces. So, he began.
1. e4 e5
The chess clock was on his phone, and the two had five minutes each to play.
2. Nf3 Nc6
Everything looked normal, so far.
3. Bc4
"Feliciano and Lovino play that one all the time," Eliza noted.
"I'm sure they do."
3. ... Be7
Alfred just sat there, confused. "..."
"The Hungarian Defense."
"I know, I know."
4. c3 Nf6
Push d4... castle... or...
5. d3 O-O
He wiped some sweat from his brow.
6. Bb3
That's weird, Eliza thought, furrowing her eyebrows for a second.
6. ...d5
Hmm...
7. exd5 Nxd5
8. O-O f5*
Now her light-squared Bishop doesn't have many squares to go to, he noted mentally.
This position looks quite normal, she thought. I wish more people would play it.
9. Re1 Bf6
10. Nbd2 h6
Alfred raised his eyebrows. Is she going to play g5, or something?
11. Nf1
Knight to g3, huh? Eliza smiled softly.
11. ...Re8
12. Ng3
There we go.
12. ... Be6
Just in case.
13. Nh5
Eh... I could afford to lose it.
Hopefully she lets me have it.
13. ... Bf7
14. Nxf6+ Qxf6
15. Bd2
Each side had more or less three and a half minutes left to go at this point. Eliza took about two seconds to make her next move.
15. ... Na5**
16. Bc2 c5
He looked up at her. Those green eyes, they... wow... He realized that he was just staring at her, and not the board. He blushed, thinking that she must have noticed, and quickly played his move.
17. c4 Nb4
18. Bb3***
It's blocked behind its own Pawns... should I take it? She stroked her chin.
Yeah.
18. ... Nxb3
19. Qxb3 Nx6
Free Pawn! Alfred thought. This should throw a... wait... is there... some kind of trick, there? The Rooks, sure. but... no, it should be fine.
20. Qxb7† Rab8
He found himself looking up at her, again. She looked calm and focused, determined to do her best. You damned strong woman... Without much thought he made his next move.
21. Qc7††
He watched with widened eyes as Elizabeta reached for her Rook on e8, and once
21. ... Re7
happened, he fell back in his chair, hands over his face. He let his hands fall and let out a deep breath, shaking his head as he carried on staring at the board with wide eyes. He sat there and threw his hand up, wondering to himself: How did I miss that? Qa6, duh! Easy! Dammit...! Think, Alfred, think! Uh... well...
22. Qxb8+††† Nxb8
He sighed again and looked up at Elizabeta. She was scanning the board closely, thinking now about how to win. She has a Queen for a Rook and only one less Pawn, and her position was clearly better. Alfred's pieces were just sitting there, really. He pushed a lowly Pawn, deciding that now, going for a draw was his only option. He doubted Elizabeta would make as bad a blunder as he did, later on.
23. b3
Alfred looked at the clock. He had two minutes left, and she, two and a half. There was hardly any hope for him.
23. ... g5‡
24. Bc3 Nc6
25. Nd2
Elizabeta looked up and into his eyes. They remind me of the sky... he seems discouraged... She sighed softly.
25. ... Qd6
26. Rad1 Bh5
Dammit.
27. f3 Nd4
28. Bxd4
Oh, he wants to make it easier for me...
28. ... Qxd4+
29. Kh1 Qb2
30. a4 a5
31. Nf1
Turtling has worked for me before... don't let me down, now.
31. ... Qxb3
Dammit! He thought for a while on how to continue. He couldn't see a way.
Oh, maybe this.
32. Ng3 Bg6
Ugh.
33. Rb1 Qxd3
More Pawns dropping... He looked up at her again. Now she looks damned serious...
This isn't over yet... he could hold me to a draw, still! she thought. She looked up at him and noticed how uncomfortable he looked. It hurt her, really. I don't want to see him sad... even though I am happy to be winning... he knows it's just a game... right? It's just a blitz game, not-
34. Rb8+
... not a matter of national pride, or anything. Elizabeta looked down and saw that her King was in check. Somehow she imagined that Alfred would know better than to check out of spite, but...
34. ... Kg7
"Bah." He tipped his King over and offered her his hand. "Good game."
She took his hand and pulled him towards her, leaning herself over the table to kiss his cheek. She stood up and let his hand go, watching him with a smirk.
He flushed madly. "Wh-what was that for?"
"I don't like to see you so sad, Alfred..."
"I'm not sad! You said it's just a game, after all..." He looked away and sighed. "You played really well. I made one mistake and it all fell down..."
She walked around the table and over to him. "Well, everyone makes mistakes."
"But I don't like to..."
"You'll at least learn from it, right?"
"..." He pouted, making the -3- face. "Sure."
She put her hands at his sides.
He flushed some more. "Eliza..."
She leaned up and kissed him, eyes closed and enjoying it right from the start.
His eyes widened much in the same way he did when ... Re7 was played, and he realized that he'd blundered. Out of instinct, he put his hands at her sides and kissed her back, closing his eyes.
She pulled away slowly and hugged him gently. "So, what's the main lesson from this, Alfred?"
He wrapped his hands around her and chuckled softly, already getting over the bruise on his ego. "Move the Queen to the right spot?"
"That, and... never underestimate the Hungarian Defence."
"Thanks very much for the lesson." He kissed her forehead. The two stood in each other's embrace in the meeting hall for a while longer.
"I knew one day that secret camera in there would come in handy," Lukas noted. "I put the square table in a perfect spot... lucky me." He sat down and watched the tape, playing the moves on his own chessboard and writing each one down. He didn't need to slow down the tape, even at the beginning.
* "Bishop to f5 is better, it develops a piece and improves Black's advantage, really."
** "Why not Rook a to d8? Best to move the Rook into play, somehow..."
*** "Bishop to c3, and if the Knight takes it, the Queen retakes, and White's pieces are looking good."
† "Again, though, Bishop to c3. Typical Alfred, going for a Pawn..."
†† "A ridiculous blunder. Clearly he wasn't thinking. Just Queen to a6. Black has a better position, but White can defend."
††† "He should have taken the Rook on e7, and then, I'm saying this for the third time, after Eliza takes his Queen with hers, Alfred can move his Bishop to c3, forcing the Pawn on e5 to move down, unless Eliza wants to lose it and have Alfred's Rook attack her Queen and sit in a nice spot."
‡ "Pawn to e4. It's passed already, but now, it will threaten to promote. It has help from the f5 Pawn, I guess... either way, it will be a thorn in Alfred's side, whether it goes down or not."
Lukas sat back and sighed. "I should play those two, some time..."
Based off a game I played, today (May 28, 2018). It was fun. Play me on chess .com, my username is aph-hanafuda ^^
[Site "Chess. com"]
[Date "05/28/2018 05:26p. m."]
[White "some dude"]
[Black "aph-hanafuda"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. Bb3 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. O-O f5 9. Re1 Bf6 10. Nbd2 h6 11. Nf1 Re8 12. Ng3 Be6 13. Nh5 Bf7 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Bd2 Na5 16. Bc2 c5 17. c4 Nb4 18. Bb3 Nxb3 19. Qxb3 Nc6 20. Qxb7 Rab8 21. Qc7 Re7 22. Qxb8+ Nxb8 23. b3 g5 24. Bc3 Nc6 25. Nd2 Qd6 26. Rad1 Bh5 27.f 3 Nd4 28. Bxd4 Qxd4+ 29. Kh1 Qb2 30. a4 a5 31. Nf1 Qxb3 32. Ng3 Bg6 33. Rb1 Qxd3 34. Rb8+ Kg7 0-1