3 YEARS AGO....
"You ready?" My chess coach said as we were walking towards the venue
"I'm always ready."
"This is the finals, dont mess this up! Remember! Openings, simplifying and--"
"Tactics, yeah yeah yeah I get it."
"Remember! Stay calm, and prioritize your tactics!" He yelled out as I walked on ahead
"Name?" A woman asked me
"Uhh... Michael Fauente.. of SIPS (South International Private School)!"
"Oh!" She said checking something on her paper and followed by "This way!"
I followed her towards my seat and I sat on my respective color. The tournament used a Swiss-system tournament. My opponent hadn't arrived yet, So I had 5 minutes more to prepare until the games started. I took a deep breath and looked down towards my feet, I was jittery and sweaty. The game hadn't even started and I'm already scared.
"Ah! Am I late!" Some kid asked, and to know avail he was my opponent.
I looked at him dead in the eyes with sheer confidence trying to intimidate him, but he looked like he didnt mind
"So players! You may start!"
The clock started and I played the black pieces, he played e4 so I countered with the Sicilian...
--------------------------------------------
I walked inside the venue, and went to the registrar and asked "Hey is Michael here?"
"Michael... Fauente?"
"Yeah!"
"He's over by that table, but guests aren't allowed near the players, you'll have to look outside the fence"
"Okay Okay!"
Me and Michael have been best friends for years, and he's the best chess player I've ever known! He was known as the smartest and most calculated player at our school ever since elementary, I knew this would be a piece of cake for him! My mind flashed back to all the times me and Michael succeeded in chess tournaments together, when we were little, he won best elementary chess player, in every single one of his years until he reached high school!
"Coach! You're here!"
'Coach Jorge', nodded his head and continued watching the game.
"Coach, what do you think about his positioning so far."
"He's..." A moment of hesitation "Losing."
"What? What do you mean losing, Michael's is the best player we know!"
"Look, if the opponent takes his c6 pawn... Michael forced into a perpetual checkmate, and I'm pretty sure Michael sees that."
I looked at Michael, and it was the first time I've seen him like this, pure and unfiltered rage in his eyes, his right hand shaking as he tries to find a way out of this checkmate, Michael moves a piece and as Coach Jorge said, he was checkmated
"No way.."
Michael, after shaking his opponents hand quickly walked away, outside the venue, we followed shortly behind but he wouldn't turn in our direction.
"Michael!" I yelled out
"You should have trained yourself up to that point Michael." our coach said
He added "Do you have any problems with that loss?"
With tears pouring down his eyes he said "No, I don't!"
"Get in the car, both of you." our coach said, unlocking his car
We both went inside, Michael still crying from his defeat, I tried to comfort him by tapping him on the shoulder but he shrugged me off
". . ."
There was thick tension between the room, the only sound coming from the cars engine
"How do you think your father will react Michael?" our coach asked
"I don't know, I don't care."
"Your father is a very respected man in the chess community, he's one of the golden grails of our city, I don't think he'll be very pleased with you losing this tournament."
"Even if he isn't pleased, I made up my mind... I'm quitting chess."
"What? Michael, we were gonna be chess champions together! The best in the world!"
He waited a second before saying "Screw that chess champion shit. Screw that 'together' shit." as it stands now, I wont get anywhere being in this shitty place where I don't get to evolve as a player, I've hit a dead end. I fucking quit."
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