Adam Kendall is the champion.
The gossip around the social upper-class of Sleepy Eye was rich and vibrant. None of it, however, concerned the sporting exploits of Adam Kendall. Or anything about Adam Kendall, for that matter.
Adam Kendall, fresh from seeing the light, was in the kitchen with his wife Mary, who was working away while he stood around.
Not that Adam was one to stand around and not do anything, Mary requested it of him, and made the point that so did everyone else in the building.
But Adam seemed intent on telling Mary all his plans that he had now his sight had been restored.
Mary didn't mind that at all, but honestly, there is a time and a place!
And the place was not the kitchen.
Most unfortunately, Adam decided not to tell Mary.
Oh, no. This time, he'd show her.
"You know," Adam said, picking up an egg and peeling it. Mary regarded his action with approval - Now he won't be messing around.
"I reckon I've obtained a taste for sport, Mary."
"Oh, that's nice Adam." Mary answered distractedly.
"Yes, but beating middle aged ladies do not make for satisfying achievements in the field."
"Field of what sport, Adam?"
"Right now - tennis."
"Oh..."
"Yes. And I've been practicing.
To demonstrate his, uhm, practice, Adam lobbed the egg in the air, picked up a frying pan and smashed out the open window.
"Adam! What did you do that for? That was a perfectly good egg."
"And a perfectly better tennis ball."
"Tennis ball?" Mary said, unknowingly ducking out of the way of the rebounding egg as it flew back to Adam, who promptly swiped it away again.
"Adam Kendall, my kitchen is not a playground! And give me back my frying pan!"
Bereft and devoid of his defense mechanism, Adam just managed to catch the speeding egg.
"Well, if I can't play tennis, can I play baseball?"
"You can play either one Adam. You can play neither one in the kitchen."
"Alright. I'll help you here though."
Mary glared at him warningly.
"Alright, alright, I'll play tennis."
And so, Adam exited the building, eager to nurture his budding talents on the tennis court.
'Where did Adam find the money to buy tennis equipment?' You may very well ask.
To tell the tale truthfully, he hadn't bought it at all. Rumour has it that his racket had bear gut string, but that is just a rumour.
So, Adam was at a tennis court in the late afternoon. Or rather, he was at a makeshift tennis court in a public field - he wasn't socially ranked enough to use the private tennis courts, which were the only tennis courts in town.
But Adam realized with shock and sadness when he arrived and set up his court that something was missing. The balls, net and racquets all were accounted for. The small matter of the opponent is what Adam forgot to bring.
"!"
Adam fell to his knees, as the devastation of the situation threatened to emotionally drown him.
Then, quick as a flash, he realized tennis wasn't the only sport, so he sprung up, cleared his court away, and prepared to brainstorm a new area he would excel in.
Of course, sensing a disturbance, Jonathon Garvey came over to ask whoever made the infernal racket to kindly keep the noise pollution out of the air. But he found no one, since Adam had left, and returned to his son Andy, wondering if he was starting to lose his mind.
But the voice haunted him in his dreams.
'You are a rotten Sheriff, Jonathon Garvey...' The faceless voice would say. 'You cannot catch me, you can't!' Then the voice would start cackling away madly, forcing Jonathon to awake in a cold sweat.
And so, after a week of terror for Jonathon, and listening to Adam's exploits in tennis, badminton, hockey, baseball, basketball, two kinds of football and clay shooting for Mary, the Kendall's and Garvey's were having dinner together. Mary was verily terrified of the prospect. She had made the unforgivably treacherous mishap of not being able to prevent Adam helping her prepare the food. She hoped Jonathon and Andy would one day forgive her...
She mightn't forgive herself ere the evening was through.
"Andy, how do you feel about living in Sleepy Eye?" Mary asked, by way of a conversation starter.
Andy did not reply, and Mary heard his swallowing as he took a great guzzle of water. I leave you to wonder why...
"Well, it's been okay." Andy replied at last.
"Have you met any new friends?"
"Yes..." While Mary and Andy were having their conversation over one corner of the table, Jonathon leaned over to Adam and told him about the disturbance. Adam, who, despite the signs did not know the culprit was himself, asked Jonathon whether the mysterious individual had created any more infernal racket. He then subsequently advised Jonathon to forget about him and get a good night's sleep.
After the dinner, which tasted surprisingly good - but Mary knew that she could never predict what Adam would do next, Adam, seeing that Mary was deep in conversation with Andy, ushered Mary, Andy and Jonathon into the parlor. Closing the door after them, he turned to the table.
He began walking toward it. "Now, dishes, it's just you and me."
The dishes trembled with every one of Adam's footfalls.
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When Adam returned to the parlor, he heard Mary speaking to Jonathon and Andy. Adam's name was mentioned, but he didn't hide behind the door and eavesdrop - why would he? What would Mary have to say that would paint him in a negative light?
"Adam has been interested in sport in the past week. He seems to do okay in things he's been trying, but something always comes up to put an end to it. Hello Adam." Mary said as he entered the room and sat down next to her.
"Hello Mary."
"Adam, Mary tells us you are having difficulty finding people to play with you."
"You can certainly say that, Jonathon."
"Yes, well, I play a few indoor games if you are interested."
"I certainly am. Would you like to play, Andy?"
Andy looked over at Adam. "I know how to play, but I'm not good at it, I'll just watch with Mary."
Adam began setting up the board - Jonathon asked to play draughts. After a quick game, in which Andy gave a commentary of to Mary and Adam easily won, Jonathon wondered how Adam did so well.
"You've only been sighted for a few months, Adam. How did you get so good?"
Adam didn't answer, his mind was somewhere else.
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Earlier that week...
Adam Kendall entered the room, filled with pairs of men sitting across from each other, crouched over tables and boards. Adam sat at a vacant table, and set up his chessboard. Soon, a man came over and asked for a game.
Adam accepted, and after twenty or so moves, Adam - with Black had managed to stave off a White attack. The man, sensing an advantage, decided to relax. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar, which he lit and breathed the fumes into Adam's face.
"Does this bother you?" the man asked.
"No." Adam replied, thought he really meant 'yes'.
But the annoying smoke sharpened Adam's senses, for he couldn't wait to gain a breath of fresh air. So, just as it looked like White had a devastating attack on his castled king, Adam struck back with an exchange sacrifice on the 'C' file.
"You know," the man remarked as he searched for a refutation. "Simon wants to allow ladies to play in the tournament later this month."
Adam looked quizzically at the man, who was making his move
"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know Simon. He is the president of the club. But, you know, women can't play chess. They should just stay home and let us men play, right?"
Adam picked up his Queen and moved her. "Checkmate." He announced, and packed and left the building without another word.
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"Mary." Adam said, smiling. With some unusual ability, Adam managed to convey a double meaning. To Jonathon, it was an answer, to Mary, it was addressing her.
"Yes, Adam?"
"I've got the perfect idea - but - I...Need you."
"Well of course you need me. What are you planning?"
Jonathon and Andy wondered why Adam needed Mary, but they decided to retire to allow the Kendall's privacy to work out their scheme.
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Yet another week later...
Adam led his wife through the door into the room he had played in before. He was greatly pleased to see a no smoking sign hung on the door. Adam and Mary headed over to a table to register.
"Name?" the name standing behind the table with a badge that said 'Simon' asked.
"Kendall." Adam replied.
Simon wondered why the man bought his wife along. Surely it couldn't have been to watch the game - she was blind.
Oh, well, she would be welcome anyway.
"First name?"
"Mary." Adam said, without a trace of mischief.
Simon was taken aback. "But, I thought..." Seeing Adam's outrageously straight face, Simon continued, addressing Mary instead. "Mrs. Kendall, you realize that there is no special group for sightless players."
"Yes, I know. I can play anyway. All I need is someone to move the pieces for me. Adam has been building a special set for that, but it's still in the early stages."
"Mr. Kendall, would you do that?"
"Certainly." Adam replied. His smugness as he surveyed other people registering at tables was suffocating.
"Well, this is unprecedented, but with Arbiters around it should be okay. You do understand that Mary is to record her move than you play it on the board. You must not help her in any other way. The opponent will tell Mary the move he or she made."
"I understand."
Mary was assigned the White pieces in her first game. Her opponent was the same man that Adam had defeated earlier. Upon seeing Adam, he had a smile on his face as he relished the chance to gain victory against his prior conqueror. When he noticed that Mary was his opponent, his arrogant grin threatened to split his face open.
"This'll take less than ten moves." He remarked to Adam, who nodded, to his great surprise.
Mary sat at the board, contemplating. Soon, she wrote down her move.
e4. Mary played the Kings Pawn opening.
...e5 Nf3 d6.
Her opponent was playing the Philidor Defence, supporting the e pawn but blocking in his dark square Bishop.
Bc4 h6.
Then man smirked - her threatened Fried Liver Attack was killed before it got off the ground.
Nc3 Bg4.
Nxe5
Mary, being blind missed the relative pin on her Knight to her Queen. He opponent looked on, triumphantly as Adam could only watch helplessly as Mary's most powerful unit fell.
...Bxd1
Bxf7+ Hmm...the man thought. An annoying check. Oh, well, I'm a queen up. I'll just get out of check and win. Hehehehehehehehehe...
Ke7.
It was Adam's turn to smirk, as Mary landed the killer blow.
Nd5.
"Checkmate." Mary announced. The man looked down at the board, stupefied. Adam smiled, basking in the glory of Mary's triumph.
After the evening was through, Mary was unbeaten as she won the tournament.
"What I don't understand is, "said Mary, as Adam handed her the trophy with a suffocating smugness as he surveyed the stunned opponents. "I shouldn't have won that. There are many better players here, who could see the board...How on earth did I manage to win that?"
Adam still didn't wipe the grin off his face - which had only grown larger as the night progressed. Adam was now leading Mary back to the carriage.
"Don't sell yourself short Mary, you are very good. But you don't look it. Most people take one look at you and mentally laugh. They think a blind lady is easy pickings. Shows what they know, eh?"
Mary smiled. Adam did so too as he ordered the equines to move.
"Adam, I think there is a special name for that kind of Checkmate in the first game."
"Yes, there is." Adam replied. "It's called Legáls mate."
And despite the fact that Mary had won the tournament, Adam still felt like a champion.