[you can find a visual representation of the game here: chessgames . c/o/m/ perl/chessgame?gid=1243022]
Matovinsky Gambit (1)
"This silence is starting to become quite unsettling."
"I know how what you mean, but there's nothing to be done about that." Nodoka smoothened her hair back. "Let's just move on."
Hisa was walking beside her, and she had grown restless. There was something wrong, and she felt it, but she didn't know what it was. Ever since she had woken up with only Nodoka as company where there should have been two other girls she was on edge. The two of them had been lying on the ground, not sitting on the sofa watching the match. Trying to turn the TV on had been futile, and their phones had no connection, so they resorted to searching for someone to help them. Except that there was nobody to find. All the rooms they tried were empty, and they met no one in the hallways.
"Nodoka, I know you don't believe in this kind of stuff, but don't you think that this is a bit ... weird? Where is everyone?"
"I am sure we can find an explanation for this. If you recall, we were unconscious for a while, so maybe something happened without us noticing."
"But wouldn't Mako and Saki tell us? I don't think they'd just leave us ... hey, that's strange, shouldn't we be back in the main hallway by now?" They stopped. "I could've sworn we were going back in the direction we had come ... well, I guess we aren't that familiar with the place. Let's turn back and figure out where we got lost."
"Wait, captain. Doesn't this hallway strike you as odd? It doesn't have any doors except for the one at the far end. Why would they have such a place ... ?"
"Let's not concern ourself with that. The others are surely waiting for us!" Hisa turned around to walk back where she came from, but instead her legs froze. Cold sweat dripped from her chin.
"N-nodoka, turn around. You need to see this."
Nodoka turned around. She was facing a wall.
Impossible! Th-this is impossible! There was a corner just four meters from here, and suddenly there's nothing? How could we have some here if there is no hallway? Nodoka's hands were shaking. She reached out to touch the wall. It was cold, solid. A normal wall. Nodoka's mouth opened in disbelief. She took a step back, considered, then touched the wall again. Slammed her fists against it.
I have to stay calm. Calm and collected. Frustration won't lead me anywhere.
"Captain."
"What is it, Nodoka?" Hisa had been standing quietly, thinking.
"Let's go through that door." Nodoka turned around. And there was the door. Two meters in front of her.
"Th-this! There is no mistake this time!" Nodoka pointed with a shaking finger at the door. "This door was at the end of a hallway, and now the hallway is gone!"
"So it really was this room playing tricks on us and not our minds." The captain looked almost happy about the recent developments. "This is starting to get exciting, don't you think?" She clapped and rubbed her hands together like a gourmet before a fine french dinner. As she was just about to open the door, she turned around again. Her teammate was still standing in shock, still pointing. Hisa sighed and smiled a little smile. She took Nodoka's hand and lowered it gently. Nodoka showed no resistance.
"Come on now, wasn't it you who was so sure of what to do just a moment ago? I know you don't like this kind of stuff, but we will find an explanation for it later. For now, see it as an adventure! I'm sure exciting things are waiting behind this door."
Nodoka looked away. "... if you say so, captain", she said reluctantly. Hisa reached for Nodoka's shoulder, but thought better of it. Instead, she reached for the door. She took a deep breath, then opened it.
"Welcome, welcome, please, do take a seat ..."
Nodoka and Hisa were greeted by an empty room. Nodoka blinked, rubbed her eyes, looked again.
"Maybe we should worry about our ears rather than our eyes", said Hisa.
"Oh, there I go, confusing my guest again ... silly me", the voice said. Surrounded by sparkle, a figure appeared before the girls, though it was a mere silhouette. The sparkling intensified, became brighter, blindingly bright. Out of it stepped the silhouette, now a full-fledged person. It was a woman, around her thirties, with long hair and a formal attire. "This should be better ... now, where were we? Oh, yes, I was just welcoming you two lovely girls into my little world. Let me introduce myself: I am Alea, but formally I am known as the demon of the 8 man tile. So, who might you two be?"
Silence filled the room. Nodoka and Hisa were looking at the woman before them, expressionless. The captain went towards the woman with big, determined steps, looked at her face, looked closer, touched it. The demon snapped Hisa's hand out of the air.
"I can assure you, I am as real as you are. Just as real as this room, and the sweat on your skin." She let go of Hisa's hand and swept past her. A predatory smile on her face she approached Nodoka, who still hadn't moved. Alea's face was close to Nodoka's, uncomfortably close, and she looked the girl deep in the eyes. With one hand she started to caress Nodoka's face, but she got no response. Nodoka was still as a stone.
The woman turned abruptly.
"You're quite the stubborn one, aren't you", she said as she distanced herself again.
"You don't exist. There is no reason for me to do anything about you." The woman stopped dead.
"Hooo? Don't exist, you say? Now how might I change that opinion ..." She snapped her fingers. With the same sparkle as before, a table appeared in the room. On it was a chess board, complete with figures. Two chairs stood beside the table.
"This is how I will prove that I exist: We will play chess. I will win. When I win, I will take your soul. Easy enough, don't you think?" She turned to face Nodoka, smiling her sinister smile.
"Nodoka, I have a bad feeling about this. Let's not rush things, ok?" Hisa was trying to watch both her teammate and the demon at the same time. Her eyes shifted from one to the other, weary.
Nodoka took a step forward.
"There is nothing to fear. This is just a halluzination. It has to be. What it there to lose if I only play against a figment of my imagination? More, how could I ever lose, if I play against myself?" With confidence she walked to the table and took a seat. "I will be playing first if you don't mind."
Alea's smile couldn't have gotten bigger.
"As you wish."
Chess: Nodoka vs. Alea, the Demon of the 8 Man!
Chess: A game of pure strategy. In this fierce battle of wits, minds clash, sacrifices are made, and great strategists are born. With the rules tracing back to the age of kings, when nobles prided themselves with their abilities, it is one of the oldest games known to man. Now it is played by Nodoka and Alea, who set the stakes high: The loser will lose their soul!
Nodoka had Mona Lisa's smile on her face as she looked at the chess board. Both hands on the table she seemed completely at ease. Hisa was impressed.
She is already in Nodocchi mode, and this isn't even Mahjong! Maybe I was worried over nothing.
Nodoka made her first move. Or intended to, but her hand stopped before it touched the pawn. It hovered there, and the girl's forehead wrinkled.
"It's been a while since I last played this game", said Nodoka. "I do remember correctly that a pawn can move two spaces on it's first turn?"
"That is indeed correct", said her opponent. Nodoka's face lightened.
"Good. Pawn to e4."
"A classic first move. As expected from an online player: A boring, low risk, high value play. Don't you think life is more exciting when you play a bit ... dangerous?" Alea, who had been relaxing in her chair, now uncrossed her legs and leaned forward to move her piece. "Pawn to b6." She leaned back again.
What an odd move, thought Hisa. Whenever I watched my parents play chess, the game seemes to focus on the center of the board, but this move looks completely random!
Nodoka was unphased by her opponent's words. With mechanical precision she moved her figure.
"Pawn to d4."
"Bishop to b7."
"Knight to – " Nodoka paused. Reconsidered. "Bishop to d3."
What is this? Is Nodocchi faltering? I haven't ever seen her think about a move after she enters this state! And the way she changed her play – is this woman actually a real threat? Well, for now I can't do anything except watch and hope.
Alea smirked.
"Let's have a little fight over this, shall we? Pawn to f5", she said.
"Accepted." Nodoka's hands moved blisteringly fast. "Pawn takes pawn. Your move."
Alea almost let out a laugh.
"Such aggression! What unexpected emotion you show. I like it! But isn't your play suffering? You are leaving your back wide open. Bishop takes pawn at g2."
Nodoka didn't even glance at her opponent's move.
"Queen to h5. Check."
Hisa was aghast.
Has Nodoka gone insane? She is moving out with her queen way to early! Why would she do something this reckless?
Alea frowned.
"It looks like you aren't taking this game serious enough, little lady. I am disappointed. Beginner's mistakes when your soul is at stake? Oh, but of course you don't believe in this stuff. I will have to teach you the hard way. Pawn to g6." Compared to the big swings Nodoka had made with her queen, this move seemed almost embarrassing, but it was effective nontheless.
"Pawn takes pawn." Nodoka moved without hesitation.
Nodoka is only going on the offensive ... she's completely ignoring what's going on on her side of the table. That bishop is threatening to take her tower anytime. If she messes up only once it's game over.
"Oh please", said the demon, "you aren't even making this any fun. I've got you on your back foot at every step and you don't even seem to consider losing any pieces. Do you play Mahjong in the same way? Never lower your hand value even though you discard dangerous tiles, alway go for riichi?" She made a derogatory gesture. "I could win this game with my hands tied behind my back. Knight to f6. That's threatening your queen, by the way."
Surely now Nodoka will call back her attack and go on defense. The queen is the strongest piece. Playing without it would be very difficult.
"You seem to be underestimating me." Nodoka looked Alea in the eyes. Both their faces were cold, unyielding. "Pawn takes pawn. Check."
I can't believe this! How can you be so reckless!
Alea was shaking her head.
"It seems you enjoy digging your own grave." She sounded disappointed. "And here I thought we could have some fun. But now it's over before it really started. Knight takes queen. Your move."
Nodoka smiled.
"Me, digging my own grave? No. It was you who was dead from the beginning. Look at the board. Look and see."
Alea went pale. Her eyes widened, she started sweating.
"Th-this can't be!"
"Oh yes it can. Bishop to g6. Checkmate."