EX-rank’s Replay (96)

Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost

 
26. Chess Player (2)

I stepped down from the stage together with Ma Jinseung under the Stalemate staff’s guidance and moved towards the match venue.

Among the enormous chess pieces made by Yong Jegeon, the chess tables were organized into two rows.

Looking at the chess table and the game clock or chess clock laying on it, I had a realization that I came here to play chess.
 

‘It’s been a long time.’
 

The last time I played chess until the end was in 3rd year of middle school, fall, at the final round of the world-wide junior chess championship tournament held by FIDE.

The first thing I heard after finishing the 14 days tournament held in Delhi, India, was news about my family’s obituary.

Immediately after the incident, my parents-nim[1], who were barely conscious, only said ‘You must not tell Uisin’, and the coach who was with me in Delhi respected the dying wish left by my parents-nim.

When I came home, everything, even the funeral, was already finished.

The only thing I could do for my departed family was to go looking for the columbarium.
 

‘Thinking objectively, it has nothing to do with chess.’
 

I could understand why parents-nim left such words before disappearing and why the coach didn’t tell me.

I accepted there was no cause-and-effect relationship between me playing chess and my family’s death.

After such objective thinking and rationalization in my head, I even stopped self-accusing myself, but I couldn’t play chess.

And right now, I was standing before the chess board again.
 

“Welcome!” [2]

“Hello.”
 

I came to my senses at Ma Jinseung’s loud voice, who showed clear signs of nervousness.
 

‘He was a Playable Character whose lines often had exclamation marks, but even in reality his voice is loud.’
 

Ma Jinseung was my senior, but it was an unspoken rule that the chess Players greet each other politely according to chess courtesy and game ethics.

After finishing greetings with Ma Jinseung with a chess table put between us, I sat down.

I was eye to eye with the Playable Character who was expected to die, so my mind cleared.
 

‘I don’t know what may happen in this world.’
 

In this world various types of Gwangrims, skills and Enemies existed.

There were also types of attacks which penetrated a Player’s mental weakness.

If I don’t overcome my trauma, the control over my own mind may be stolen.

If I, who possess skills like ‘Player’s Trajectory’ and ‘Power of Fate’, falls into the hands of Dark Mastermind, it will be difficult for Playable Characters to respond.
 

‘I can’t leave a mental weakness remaining. I have to overcome it.’
 

I decided for it for such reasons, but my emotions and body couldn’t follow.

Even just looking at the chess board, my head hurt.

The shape of 64 squares were gradually changing.
 

“White or black, we will decide on it by a coin flip.”
 

I returned to my senses again at the staff member’s voice.

The staff divided the participants of the Stalemate Cup Chess Tournament by throwing a commemorative coin.

The coin throw’s results.

I got white, Ma Jinseung got black.

I was the White, Ma Jinseung was the Black. [3]
 

“Please start the match.”
 

Yong Jegeon’s voice rang out in the chess tournament’s ground, but Ma Jinseung didn’t move.

On the chess table laid a chess clock informing each of the chess Players about remaining time.

It was a custom that the Black presses the chess clock’s button to give the signal to start the game.
 

‘Why are you not doing anything?’
 

Among all chess tables, our table was the only one whose game’s time number didn’t change.

The chess clock of classical design in the shape of an hourglass, combining the digital clock and the game clock used until the 19th century, was left on its own, untouched.
 

“Please start.”
 

Yong Jegeon, who was at the platform before, moved behind me without a sound and looked at Ma Jinseung as he spoke.

Ma Jinseung with ‘Ack!’ expression, hastily stretched his hand out towards the chess clock.

Even then, he was at a loss what button of the chess clock he had to press, enough that Yong Jegeon had to give him a hint with his eyes.
 

‘Ma Jinseung is a beginner at chess, huh?’
 

Looking at his actions in the game, Ma Jinseung preferred to use his body rather than brain.

That said, he wasn’t a stone head like Maeng Hyodon, but he didn’t seem to be very good at games where he had to fully use his head like this one.
 

Why did Ma Jinseung come to a chess tournament?
 

‘Did you participate because of Yeom Junyeol!?’
 

Clearly, he heard somewhere the story about Yeom Junyeol going to a chess tournament and participated because of a burning sense of rivalry.

Ma Jinseung was a chess beginner.

There was a high chance he may have studied Yeom Junyeol’s previous records, but other than that, he was no different from a beginner.
 

‘Even so, if I fight in a standard way, I’ll lose. I won’t be able to move halfway through, so I will lose over time.’
 

I didn’t even make a first move yet, but my head was a mess.

With the chess board in front of me and just a single thought that I have to play a game soon, my mind turned blurry.

Even when I tried to calm down, the chess board in front of my eyes was starting to break apart[4].
 

‘The current me can’t endure it for long in such a state.’
 

In such a case, I have to think of the best first move to place and the best strategy to use.

The body state of current me.

The nature of the chess beginner, Ma Jinseung.

I who was holding white.

I organized my thoughts.
 

‘It’s a half gamble.’
 

There is a proverb, ‘A blunder is made after long thinking’, but I made the first move as I hoped it wouldn’t turn out like that.

I moved the e2’s pawn to e4 and pressed the chess clock button.
 

Ping.
 

Together with a short mechanical sound, my time ended and Ma Jinseung’s time to move started.
 

‘There, how will you go?’
 

There were various methods of chess openings, but there are two kinds of advice the beginners often hear.

First, dominate the center.

Second, counter the chess pieces moving forward.

If it was Ma Jinseung, who hastily studied chess, he would move following those rules.

According to those rules, Ma Jinseung moved c7’s pawn to c5.
 

Ping.
 

The moment Ma Jinseung pressed the chess clock’s button with the hand that he moved the chess piece with.

Without hesitation, I moved f1’s bishop to c4 and pressed the chess clock button.
 

Ping.
 

The guy who took so much time to make the first move moved so fast?

I easily read such a thought from Ma Jinseung’s expression.

Looking at that face, I wanted to even make an imitation of a smile, but my vision was starting to spin, so I just stayed motionless.

It looked like Ma Jinseung decided to move according to the rules again and sent the knight to the center.

b8’s knight moved to c6.
 

‘Winning move is here.’
 

I moved d1’s queen to h5 straight away.
 

Ping.
 

After I pressed the chess clock, finishing my turn, I saw Ma Jinseung’s eyes widen in bewilderment.

If the queen suddenly moves, the beginners will be flustered.

After contemplating, Ma Jinseung moved g8’s knight to f6 aiming for the 5th’s queen and e4’s pawn.

Had he not blocked them with the knight, in the next turn the pawn or the queen would capture the king.

In such a case, I had to either give up center or lose the highest value’s chess piece, queen.
 

‘It’s not that he doesn’t think much, huh?’
 

However, I could smile for the first time after facing the chess board today.

I captured f7’s pawn with h5’s queen, while saying:
 

“Check.”
 

During the game, the chess Players are allowed to speak only in four kinds of situations.

First, when giving up.

Second, when suggesting a draw.

Third, when protesting against a rule violation.

Fourth, when informing the opponent about a checkmate.

Ma Jinseung, who heard my voice, had a confused expression, then he looked at the location of the queen and stiffened.
 

‘Do you see it now?’
 

The white queen penetrated the enemy’s line and directly aimed for the black’s king.

In the current situation, he could only capture the white queen holding the f7 position with the black king.

However, the white queen was under the protection of the white bishop.

Even if the black king captures the white queen, in the next turn it will be captured by the white bishop.

In other words, whatever move he plays, the black king dies.
 

Tok.
 

Ma Jinseung personally knocked down the black king from the chess board.

Even though he sighed deeply as if he was frustrated for being outdone in merely 4 moves, he accepted defeat and asked for a handshake.

When I grabbed Ma Jinseung’s hand, he made a surprised expression.
 

“Hey, you… Why is your hand so cold?’
 

I guess Ma Jinseung noticed as we shook hands just before the game.

I just gave a moderate thanks and then headed to the waiting room as if running away.
 

***
 
I have two matches today.

Those who survived the first game and victoriously got through the next round will continue to compete with other victors.
 

‘I was lucky to finish it with 4 moves. However, the next time may not be like that.’
 

I’d be facing the chess Players worthy of at least passing round 1.

It seemed difficult to have optimistic expectations.

When I fell into thoughts while considering[5] future matches, the doors to the waiting room opened and Bak Seung-hyeon entered.

It looked like Bak Seung-hyeon also checkmated quickly.
 

“Uisin, didn’t you leave almost the moment you started? Did you perhaps use the Fool’s mate or Scholar’s mate?”
 

In chess there are a few kinds of magic tricks[6] that can cheat an opponent.

Among them, the Fool’s mate was famous for crushing an opponent within 2 moves.

The Fool’s mate was only possible on the basis of the chess Player holding white moving their pawn without thinking.
 

‘I ended up holding white so it was impossible to aim for that.’
 

So I decided to use the strategy of aiming for f7 with a combination of the queen and the bishop.

I used the Scholar’s mate, also called Begin mate, 4 moves mate or Lighting mate[7] to checkmate in 4 moves in the match against Ma Jinseung.
 

“I used Scholar’s mate. I was lucky.”

“I also fell for it a few times when I started to play chess. If you don’t learn the ways of destroying it beforehand, it’s difficult to stealthily block it.”
 

Because from the moment he appeared in the game, Bak Seung-hyeon was harassed by illegally admitted students, he was always timid.

Looking at Bak Seung-hyeon who was talking about his hobbies was nice.

Moreover, even considering Bak Seung-hyeon’s abilities, playing chess was desirable.
 

‘It’s very good that Bak Seung-hyeon studies chess.’
 

Bak Seung-hyeon’s combat ability was absolutely zero.

That said, his insight and detection category skills also weren’t amazing.

He had a good head, but in the same year there were more amazing people like Ju Su-hyeok and An Dain, and in the 2nd year there was also a Playable Character who possessed a monster-like brain, Cheon Dongha.

Even so, Bak Seung-hyeon was one of the cheat-characters in the game.
 

‘Bak Seung-hyeon’s Gwangrim… There are slight restrictions, but it can raise the abilities of other Players.’
 

There were many Support type Gwangrims, but Gwangrims which were helpful in the battle to the degree of Bak Seung-hyeon’s were rare.
 

‘If such Bak Seung-hyeon has an ability to widen his sight range or has a habit of thinking about the next move, the overall power of Eungwang School will continue to rise.’
 

As I listened to Bak Seung-hyeon’s chess story, the headache stopped, and the warmth returned to my hands.

While I and Bak Seung-hyeon conversed, the number of participants returning to the waiting room gradually increased.

10 minutes after the last game finished.

The Stalemate’s staff returned and guided us again.
 

“Survive so we may fight each other.”

“… Okay.”
 

I replied to the brightly talking Bak Seung-hyeon like this, but I couldn’t guarantee it.
 

***
 
Next opponent, I wasn’t facing a Playable Character or NPC.

2nd year class 0 Yeon Garam.

I looked at the 2nd year class’ name tags littering Yeon Garam’s school uniform as if in the meaning of support.

Yeon Garam hung about twenty name tags and made an expression I wasn’t able to read.

In this world, she was a female student famous as the Theatre Club’s ace, but in the game she was a person whose name didn’t even come out.
 

‘I have zero information.’
 

Worthy of a rumored master of mental warfare, her face was also difficult to read.

In addition, unlike Ma Jinseung, Yeon Garam looked natural standing before the chess board.

An opponent with no information in the game, with a difficult to read expression and experience in chess.

A petty trick like the Scholar’s mate wouldn’t work.

I wracked my brain as there were no countermeasures, but I couldn’t come up with a good method.
 

‘There is no other way than clashing directly and breaking through, huh?’
 

I resigned to it and soothed my mind.
 

“White or black, we will decide by the coin toss.”
 

The Stalemate staff tossed a coin.

This time I also had white, and my opponent had black.
 

“Please start the match.”
 

I heard Yong Jegeon’s voice announcing the start of the match mixed with tinnitus.

Yeon Garam pressed the chess clock, and at the same time I grabbed a pawn and moved it forward.

And Yeon Garam, who was lost in thought, played the next move.

And I also played the next move while looking at the twisting chess board.

When about twenty moves were played like this.
 

‘My vision is black and white…’
 

In flickering vision.

All objects were starting to lose color.

Yeon Garam in front of me, my hands and everything else looked black and white.

What kind of move should I play? No, what is even this chess piece’s movement range? My memory was turning blurry[8].

I wanted to immediately give up and flee.
 

‘Let’s endure even if I’m defeated by running out of time!’
 

Thinking like this, I stared at the chess board which completely changed its shape.

In the black and white world, time was gradually running out.

The sand remaining in my chess clock’s hourglass and the remaining countdown was gradually decreasing.

If it goes on like this, all the limited time given to me will be consumed and it will be a ‘timeout defeat’.
 

⟨Skill ‘Power of Fate’ activated.⟩
 

Power of Fate?

I doubted I would be able to respond in my current state.

Together with the system notification, the surroundings sparkled.
 

Paaat!
 

Something was sparkling above Yeon Garam.

I reflexively raised my head.

Then, for the first time the 2nd floor audience seats came into my view.

I saw the 2nd floor changed into something like an opera theater’s box seats with Yong Jegeon’s Space Art.
 

‘Uh…’
 

On the other side isolated by the Space Art.

I saw the 1st year class 0’s children.
 

*~*~*
 

[1] parents-nim – I’ll be adding honorifics from now on as it’s easier to keep track of it rather than always leaving a note when something changes. Also, in English it’s more natural to say ‘my parents’, but Jo Uisin just says parents, without ‘my’ in Korean. I’m not indicating that they are not his parents, but I’m keeping this possibility open.

[2] “Welcome!” – Ma Jinseung is using a formal tone. He doesn’t do it later, as he doesn’t have to.

[3] White and Black – In Korean they’re called ‘Player who goes first/begins’ and ‘Player who goes after’. White and Black are English chess terms.

[4] break apart – for an object which was joined together to be disjointed. Or for something to go bad.

[5] considering – though it may mean to think about something, 떠올리다 more often means to recall something from memory.

[6] magic tricks – divine power/skill in raws

[7] Begin mate, Lightning mate – Begin mate doesn’t seem to be a term used in English? Which is weird, because it’s clearly taken from it. As for Lightning mate, it’s also popularly known as Blitzkrieg.

[8] My memory was turning blurry – could also be his entire mind/consciousness is turning blurry or the object before him turning hazy.
 
Translator’s note:

*Here is a log of this translator’s thoughts during the translation of this chapter*

>> Why India? Why 14 days? … Maybe it’s about the moon phase… ?

>> Brain, I will never trust your memory again. It’s obviously white, not black.

>> Could those chess matches reflect the past?

>> Wait, the coin toss… the chess players aren’t allowed to speak during the game… Sillentium’s Vow of Silence is a silver coin… … …

>> The other occasion when Jo Uisin’s vision turned black and white was after his first communication with Universe…

>> It’s sparkling…?

>> No matter how I look at it, the opera theater is a weirdly specific choice, and it keeps being mentioned…
 

Conclusion: There is a lot.

 

Did you see a mistake? 🐞