Chapter 578:

When the lights go out

En Passant Grandmaster

Deciding to switch things up for Miga, Mimoko decided to open by moving her pawn to c4, to which Miga responded to by moving her pawn to c6. Shifting things back to a typical Queen's Pawn game with pawn d4, the Slav Defense followed with pawn d5, with Mimoko deciding to go for the Modern Line with knight f3. Knight f6 and knight c3 followed, but that marked the end of peace as Miga drew first blood by capturing the pawn at c4 with her d-pawn.

"Hmm, I thought she was more the defensive player from what I studied. Perhaps she's trying to trip me up," Mimoko thought as she moved her pawn to a4.

The theory held weight as Miga moved her bishop out to f5, with Mimoko deciding to play more cautiously and move her pawn to e3. Miga also made a more defensive play by moving her pawn to e6, but now was the time Mimoko decided to strike back and capture the pawn at c4 with her bishop. Miga retaliated with a pin of her own in the form of bishop b4, but Mimoko maneuvered out of it with a king's side castle.

"Alapin, Czech, Classical, Dutch. These 8-move openings really are a mouthful," Fran cooed as Miga moved her b-knight to d7.

Daria began to scowl. "No, it has to be a coincidence. She's playing Miga, not Kurumi Jaumandreu, the one listed in the database. It's impossible too since that girl lost her first round, so she shouldn't be paired against Mimoko anyway. Yet, the opening played here is the same that Mimoko Tanabe allegedly played on this day seemingly against Kurumi," she thought as Mimoko moved her queen to e2. "Another move that's the same, but here's where Mimoko Tanabe gets exposed."

Yet Miga's play of bishop g6 put Daria on edge as it was yet another move prophesized by Mimoko Tanabe's game. The same went for Mimoko's next play of pawn e4, but in this position, that was expected.

"Now, comes the moment of truth. The top moves are castling, a5,and h6. Knowing Miga, shell undoubtedly castle," Daria nervously thought.

But Miga didn't castle. Instead, she moved her rook to c8, horrifying Daria. Mimoko was also surprised by the move, but was completely unshaken as she moved her bishop to d3. Now came the time Miga finally decided to castle king's side, opening the door for Mimoko to move her pawn to e5. Miga's knight jumped away to d5, but Mimoko had her sights instead on the bishop at g6, capturing it with her bishop. Miga naturally captured said bishop with her h-pawn, but Mimoko kept up the pressure by moving her queen to d3.

And then, Miga captured the knight at c3 with her bishop.

"Look at this, the eval bar's shifted in Mimoko's favor! But why? It looks even, but maybe a maestro can explain it better," Saloni smiled as Mimoko captured the bishop at c3 with her b-pawn.

Daria was too shocked to reply.

"Oi, Daria, you look a little pale. Feeling alright?"

"NO!" Daria suddenly exclaimed as she stared at the screen in horror.

"That invested? YIKES! What is she doing!?" Saloni cried as she took notice of Miga's play of pawn to f5.

Mimoko was equally shocked. "That's a blunder. The previous blunder was an easy mistake to make, but this is more reckless," she thought as she moved her bishop to g5.

Miga showed no stress though as she moved her queen to c7. Mimoko continued to poke and prod by moving her pawn to c4, but Miga countered by moving her knight to b4. Mimoko sidestepped the attack by moving her queen to d2, but then came something nobody expected; knight b6.

Mimoko's jaw began to drop, as did Saloni's and Fran's up in the commentator's booth.

"That's... a free knight," Saloni stuttered as Mimoko captured the knight at b4 with her queen.

But the shock wasn't over as a stone-faced Miga then moved her queen to d8.

"M- Miga-chan... Th- That's... I guess you must be having a real off day," Mimoko nervously thought as she captured the queen at d8 with her bishop.

At this point, it was fair to assume a resignation would come at any second, yet Miga was neither moved, nor planning to give in, remaining as stone-faced as she had been since the start as she captured the bishop at c8 with her c-rook. Mimoko moved her pawn to a5, prompting Miga to move her knight away. Yet all she ended up doing was moving it to c4, allowing Mimoko to easily capture it with her queen.

"I- Is Miga the egotistical type that refuses to resign, but will just start playing bad once she realizes she messed up?" Saloni nervously asked as Miga moved her d-rook to e8.

"No, Miga would never," Daria trembled as Mimoko moved her knight to g5.

"Maybe she is just rusty," Fran suggested as Miga moved her rook to f6.

"No, Miga wouldn't make such errors even at her worst," Daria shuddered as Mimoko moved her pawn to f4.

"You aren't looking good. You need to step out?" Saloni asked as Miga moved her rook to e7.

"I can't if I wanted to. If that game is true, it'll be mate in three," Daria thought as Mimoko moved her queen to b3.

"Oi, Daria!"

"It'll be over soon," Daria mumbled as Miga moved her f-rook to f7.

"Hmm, looks like it's a move away from a forced mate, and a resignation could come any second. Bets on how long it'll be?" Saloni asked as Mimoko moved her queen to h3.

"Mate in 2..."

"Two!? That's a bit-"

But Saloni shut right up as Miga moved her pawn to b5, allowing for Daria's prediction to come true. "No way..."

"Miga-chan... I think you need to relax after this, maybe do something to take your mind off things. Check," Mimoko frowned as she moved her queen to h7.

"I'm disappointed, Mimoko Inoue," Miga snarled as she moved her king to f8.

"Huh? How so? With yourself?"

"Huh? What are you- Never mind."

"Checkmate!" the two said simultaneously as Mimoko moved her queen to h8, winning the game.

Daria was left dumbfounded. "It's the exact game move-for-move that showed up this morning in Mimoko Tanabe's game logs. Yet it's the wrong opponent. What gives!?" she thought.

But the answer would soon reveal itself as black mist suddenly enshrouded Miga before dissipating to reveal a girl with long black hair with green highlights.

"Huh? Who are you?" Mimoko trembled.

"What's the meaning of this!?" Miga shouted.

Turning, Mimoko went pale as she noticed Miga sitting at the board next to the black-haired girl.

Arbiters quickly descended upon the scene, but none was more horrified by what had happened than Daria. "That girl... That's Kurumi... Kurumi Jaumandreu... The prophecy came true again," she thought.

The full game:

White: Mimoko Inoue (2858) Black: Kurumi Jaumandreu (450)

1. c4 c6

2. d4 d5

3. Nf3 Nf6

4. Nc3 dxc4

5. a4 Bf5

6. e3 e6

7. Bxc4 Bb4

8. O-O Nbd7

9. Qe2 Bg6

10. e4 Rc8