Prompt from Wordwielder: Chess
A Game of Chess
The snow was falling soft. The sparkling white blanket seemed to have put a damper on the usual criminal activity.
Care for a game of chess?" Holmes indicated the board, pieces standing at attention.
"Another time," Watson sighed, "I'm afraid an epidemic of measles is taking all my energies."
"Chess, brother dear?" Holmes sat across from his brother at the Diogene's Club.
"Regretfully, duty compels me to decline," Mycroft replied. "I shall miss the opportunity to stimulate my mental faculties."
"Chess?!" Lestrade arched an eyebrow at the detective. "What would the other Yarders say? I fear I should focus on this investigation of the hiccupping turtle."
"But Mr Holmes, I have a mince-pie, fruitcake, and five dozen cookies to finish baking. While I am flattered by your offer of a game of chess, I simply do not have the time." Mrs Hudson rolled out a piecrust.
"Ah, a worthy foe and an admirable game. Alas, I must finish this treatise on the mathematical predictions of the Landau-Ginzburg theory of phase transitions. Professor Moriarty peered over his spectacles. "I shall resume this game of ours another time," he dismissed Holmes ominously.
"Why, sure, I would like to play a game of chess," young Wiggins answered gleefully. "But, I don't know how to play. Will you teach me?"
"That I will. And do it willingly, my lad." Holmes sat across from his young opponent. "Now there are 16 pieces, one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The goal is to reach a checkmate whereby the opposing king is captured. It's vital to anticipate your opponent's intentions and engineer such moves to attack and capture your rival's pieces."