Prompt: tabletop game, from goodpenmanship
My friend Sherlock Holmes was not given to pastimes such as cards or games. When asked, he told me his observational abilities made a card game far too easy, as he was nearly always able to tell when someone was bluffing. As I had been victim to far too many misfortunes at the gaming table, I was not sorry to avoid card games of an evening at Baker Street. But as for other games, I occasionally wished Holmes might find it in himself to play a game of chess. While I am sure I would come off the worse in such a match, it would have been interesting to say the least.
It was not until one Christmas, when we inexplicably had received an invitation to Mycroft Holmes's Pall Mall home for the holiday, that I discovered why Holmes never agreed to play chess with me.
Mycroft Holmes, despite his extreme penchant for solitude, was a gracious host whenever I received an invitation to either the Diogenes Club or his rooms, even though I knew now I was only included because Holmes would likely have refused to attend had I not been. We had a very pleasant meal of excellent quality, as might be expected at Mycroft's table, and he skillfully kept the conversation going, asking Holmes of his latest cases and offering his input, while ensuring that I had ample opportunity to add to the discussion. I was amazed, having had much experience of Mycroft's solitary bent prior to this.
Seeing this on my face, no doubt, Mycroft smiled. "In the course of my work, I unfortunately find myself needing to appear at social functions on occasion. I have learned how best to use these situations to my advantage. It is a skill like any other that can be mastered." This was accompanied by a look at Sherlock, as if pointedly saying that he had not learned such skill. "Why do you think I spend so much time at the Diogenes Club otherwise? In my line of work it is unfortunately necessary to spend much time in talk."
This was an eminently sensible explanation, and I returned to my excellent Christmas pudding, and only a few minutes later, Mycroft suggested we retire to the sitting room for brandies. "We might play a game of chess," he suggested to his brother, a glint in his eye.
To my incredible surprise, Sherlock Holmes smiled in the way I associate with the imminent capture of a dangerous criminal. "Watson, you are about to see why I have never agreed to play chess with you," he said.
"I am looking forward to it," I said, taking a seat in the armchair so they might sit on either side of the table. To my astonishment, however, they both took their seats without either a chessboard or pieces, simply looking eye to eye at each other.
"You may go first," Mycroft said. "That is the only handicap I allow," he added to me.
"He likes to remind me he is still the superior player, though perhaps not today. Pawn diagonally to E5," Sherlock Holmes said immediately.
"Knight to F3," Mycroft answered.
"Knight to A6."
"Pawn to E3, straight."
I watched in amazement as they played an entire game without once even looking at a chessboard. My own familiarity with the game was not sufficient to follow the moves past the second, and I soon lost any mental picture of what was happening on the nonexistent board, but the spectacle was fascinating enough without it. That anyone could remember the moves made and the positions of the pieces without seeing them was impressive enough, that they both were of such skill that the board and pieces were redundant was beyond my imagination.
I barely noticed the time passing; after an hour and half I was still so enthralled I was prepared to remain all night should the game take that long to finish.
"Queen to D4," Sherlock Holmes said.
"Knight to B3. I have taken your castle," Mycroft said calmly.
"Blast it! Bishop to B3."
A mere few moves later and Mycroft smiled. "Check, Sherlock."
Sherlock Holmes's eyes were closed, obviously picturing the board and said, "Queen to F4. Check."
A few more moves which, had the board been in front of them, would have meant that they were chasing each other's kings around the board, and Mycroft finally said, "Checkmate, Sherlock."
It took no more than three hours.
"Congratulations, brother," Sherlock said. "You see, Watson, I am not always victorious."
"Rarely, in fact," Mycroft said mildly. "I count seven times in all the games we have played."
This is obviously not a fact Sherlock Holmes enjoyed hearing, from the look on his face. I, however, was still amazed by what I had seen. "I have never seen such a feat."
"Blindfold chess?" Mycroft Holmes asked. "Oh, yes, we have been playing this way for years, have we not, Sherlock?"
"The board makes it entirely too easy," Sherlock Holmes said. "In fact, I have not used one since entering university."
"I expect you could enter chess competitions and emerge victorious," I said. "It is remarkable."
"I await only the right case," Sherlock Holmes said. "Still, it keeps the mind sharp and does me good to keep my skills honed."
"For me as well," Mycroft said. "As you can imagine, the Diogenes members do not provide a challenge and as for the Cabinet…" Here he laughed at the idea that any member of government might be a match for him, which seemed to me an accurate assessment.
"Thank you for a fascinating evening," I said as we left. "I shall not soon forget it."
"Not at all, Dr. Watson," Mycroft said. "Merry Christmas to you both."
A/N: This was directly inspired by the Reichenbach scene from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, where RDJ!Holmes and Moriarty play chess in their heads. This is a variation of blindfold chess (where someone plays blindfolded against an opponent who plays on the board). This would be double blindfold chess, where no board is necessary. I'm barely proficient at chess so while I think I got the terminology right, I may not have. The moves are entirely made up and probably make no sense.