Out of the dunes

Okisato panted as he moved his rook to c1 and trekked through the sandy desert. The board looked like a mess, but he had enough experience to know that not everything was as it seemed.

"Bishop on knight... And the position isn't terrible. Maybe I've got some huge advantage, but I sure as hell can't see it. That's the problem when facing a monster like Peter. If he blunders, only he can see it while the rest of us have to struggle just to get a glimmer of it," Okisato thought as Peter moved his rook to h8.

As he looked out towards the sand dunes, the sight of the knight caught his eye, causing him to eagerly lunge for it and move his king to e3. However, Peter moved said knight away to g6, leaving Okisato with nothing but a handful of sand.

"Shit! ... I'll take that instead," Okisato thought as he grinned manically and captured the pawn at d5 with his bishop.

"You hold on to a fantasy. But will it manifest to reality, or delusion? Only time will tell," Peter thought as he moved his rook to d7.

Despite being up a pawn, the maniacal smile on Okisato's face quickly vanished as he found himself back at square one. "How do I get out of this desert?"

He entered a deep think for a few minutes before deciding to venture forth with bishop f3. Peter didn't give him so much as a second to catch his breath as he moved his rook to h7, still calm and collected as ever. Okisato gritted his teeth in frustration and moved his king to d2, yet Peter's response was still instantaneous, leaving him with no thinking time after moving his knight to f4.

"He's slowly gaining time too with those 5 second increments. And this is the best I've ever felt against him in all the times we've faced off," Okisato thought as he moved his rook to e1.

"You probably feel good about yourself, and you should. But jitters are what fuels a blunder," Peter thought as he moved his pawn to d5.

"I can't see anyone else but Peter amongst these sandy dunes. Not even sweating in that hot suit... Monster," Okisato thought as he moved his rook to e8.

"So you've got a rook through, but what of yourself and your pawns?" Peter thought as he moved his rook to g7.

Okisato's jaw hung open as a deranged smile formed upon his face. Faint chuckles were emitted from his mouth as his vision got hazy. "I'm out of water... My vision's going and I need water, or better yet, something to lead me out of this desert to victory," he thought a he moved his rook to b8.

Peter quickly gave chase to the rook and moved his rook to d7, but it was that very move that caused Okisato to enter the most decisive think of the game. His clock ticked down to 15 minutes before finally, a glint in the sand caught his eye. He lunged for it by moving his pawn to c4, but quickly found said pawn captured by Peter's d-pawn. "No, that has to be the way. This isn't collapse, it's the path... The path... to glory," he thought as he saw a town in the distance and moved his king to c3.

Peter moved his knight to e6, but Okisato was undeterred by it's planned attack, making a beeline for the town and capturing the pawn at b7 with his bishop. In came Peter's rook to capture the pawn at d4, but Okisato wasn't phased. He remained steadfast and captured the pawn at a6 with his bishop.

"Check. Okisato Tanabe, you are not out of the dunes yet," Peter scowled as he moved his rook to d3.

Okisato shot him a smile and captured the pawn at c4 with his king.

"Hoh? So you've gained a foothold. But it can still come undone. Check," Peter proclaimed as he moved his rook to d4.

Once more, Okisato smiled and dove to the side, moving his king to c3.

"So you run for victory. Then I must pursue and prevent it," Peter thought as he gave chase and captured the pawn at h4 with his rook.

Okisato didn't mind, and focused more on himself, bringing his bishop over to c4 to better protect himself.

"That bishop won't reach me in time. Check," Peter declared as he moved his rook to h3.

"No, but it makes a great meat shield!" Okisato thought as he dove behind the bishop, moving his king to b4 along with him.

"Your hiding spot is but a mere cactus. I can simply encircle you," Peter thought as he moved his rook to h1.

"Try catching me. I'm right here, but my pawn's almost to town," Okisato thought as he moved his pawn to a6.

"Check. Shall you hide behind your bishop once more?" Peter asked as he moved his rook to b1.

"No, I can fight on my own," Okisato though as he smirked and moved his king to a3.

"Your king can't fight me off," Peter thought as he moved his rook to c1.

"No, but my rook at the town gates can," Okisato thought as he moved his rook to c8.

"So you can see the town after all. Then as one desperate final struggle, I hit you with this," Peter thought as he moved his knight to d4.

"Not good enough! I got two pawns heading for town!" Okisato thought as he moved his pawn to b7.

With a frustrated click of the tongue, Peter moved his rook to b1.

"That's it! I can see it! The town, my queen, my long sought after victory," Okisato giddily thought, trembling with excitement as he moved his pawn to b8 and promoted it to a queen.

The hot desert landscape suddenly evaporated into air as if it was all a mirage. Okisato was still sweating as though he really had trekked through the hot sandy desert, but now he could see reality again.

"I'm back... I'm back in the playing hall... Now, I just need to convert the win," he thought as Peter captured the queen at b8 with his rook.

Okisato continued to breath heavily as he captured the rook at b8 with his rook. Mate was inevitable, he was finally going to beat Peter.

"Don't think I'll just give up. This result must be definitive. You'll have to avoid stalemate and blundering under pressure if you want to claim the honor of beating me for the first time," Peter thought as he moved his knight to f3.

But Okisato not only had enough time on the clock, but also the knowhow to win this game from this position. He moved his pawn to a7, inching closer to promotion and victory. Peter sent his knight to e5, hoping to try and thwart things, but Okisato cut it off by moving his rook to c8. Peter changed tactics and marched his pawn to h4, but it was too little too late as Okisato was able to get his pawn to a8 and promote it to a queen.

"So this really is it. Still, it's not over until the king has nowhere else to go," Peter thought as he moved his king to g5.

"Check," Okisato stated as he moved his rook to g8, his hand trembling non-stop.

"And how will you beat me with shaky hands like that? You'd best steady them to avoid touching the wrong piece or moving to the wrong square by accident," Peter thought as he moved his king to f4.

But Okisato was able to control his nerves and move his bishop to d5. All Peter could do now was struggle aimlessly. Knight d7, queen e8, knight e5, queen e6, knight g4, then finally...

"Check... Peter... It's over," Okisato panted.

Peter smirked and moved his knight to e5. "Not yet, but now, it is."

"Yes... Checkmate, Peter," Okisato declared as he moved his queen to h6, winning the game.

"You've graduated, but still have a long way to go until you're my proper equal," Petr chuckled as he shook hands with Okisato.

"Yeah..."

And with that, Okisato leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, taking a well deserved nap. He had finally beaten Peter. And now, Japan led the match 3-0. And with the final game in a winning position for Ginji, a perfect sweep looked certain. However...

"OI, OI, OI! WHAT THE FUCK!? HE ACTUALLY BEAT PETER!? NO, NO, NO, NO! I CAN'T HAVE THAT! I CAN'T HAVE HIM WINNING GOLD! FOR THE SAKE OF DEEP BLUE, HE CAN'T WIN GOLD!" Ginji frantically thought.

Then in that instant, Ginji resigned on the spot, meaning Japan had officially won 3-1. However, the victory would be short-lived. Before anyone could properly process things he charged up to a woman with long black hair with turquoise highlights clad in jean shorts, a black tank top, and platform sneakers named, Barrdhubh Isenhour, who just happened to be nearby, arbitrating a game.

"I'm tired of all this shit! You can't keep me silent any longer, you fucking cheaters!" Ginji shouted with a demented smile on his face as he slugged Barrdhubh as hard as he could in the back of the head.

The full game:

White: Okisato Tanabe (2700) Black: Peter Morphy (2900)

1. a3 e5

2. e3 d5

3. d4 Nc6

4. Nf3 Bg4

5. Be2 exd4

6. exd4 Nf6

7. Nc3 Bd6

8. Bg5 Be6

9. Nb5 O-O

10. Nxd6 cxd6

11. c3 h6

12. Bxf6 Qxf6

13. O-O Rae8

14. Ne1 a6

15. g3 Bh3

16. Ng2 Na5

17. Re1 Bxg2

18. Kxg2 Re7

19. Bf3 Rxe1

20. Qxe1 Qe6

21. Qd1 Re8

22. Ra2 Qf5

23. a4 g6

24. b4 Nc6

25. a5 Kf8

26. Qd2 h5

27. h3 Kg7

28. Qc2 Qxc2

29. Rxc2 Ne7

30. Re2 Kf8

31. Kf1 f5

32. Ke1 Kf7

33. Kd2 Rc8

34. Kd3 h4

35. gxh4 Kf6

36. Re1 Rh8

37. h5 gxh5

38. h4 Ng6

39. Kd2 Nf4

40. b5 Rc8

41. b6 Rb8

42. Rg1 Re8

43. Rc1 Rh8

44. Ke3 Ng6

45. Bxd5 Rh7

46. Rh1 Rd7

47. Bf3 Rh7

48. Kd2 Nf4

49. Re1 d5

50. Re8 Rg7

51. Rb8 Rd7

52. c4 dxc4

53. Kc3 Ne6

54. Bxb7 Rxd4

55. Bxa6 Rd3+

56. Kxc4 Rd4+

57. Kc3 Rxh4

58. Bc4 Rh3+

59. Kb4 Rh1

60. a6 Rb1+

61. Ka3 Rc1

62. Rc8 Nd4

63. b7 Rb1

64. b8=Q Rxb8

65. Rxb8 Nf3

66. a7 Ne5

67. Rc8 h4

68. a8=Q Kg5

69. Rg8+ Kf4

70. Bd5 Nd7

71. Qe8 Ne5

72. Qe6 Ng4

73. Qd6+ Ne5

74. Qh6#

Match score:

Japan: 3 United States of America: 1

Japan wins 3-1