Chapter 37:

Good ole Benoni

En Passant Grandmaster Volume 3

The arbiter squad soon showed itself and surrounded Melania and Utami.

Upon noticing that she had White, Melania began to calm down. "Looks like the first move is mine. Now make this quick, I'm on a schedule," she growled as she opened the game by moving her pawn to d4.

"So am I. I can't waste time on fodder like you when Mimoko-sama's out there bald!" Utami glared as she moved her pawn to c5.

"The Old Benoni Defense? And second, ratings don't always reflect true skill. My rating might be lower than yours at 1074, but I assure you I posses skill beyond your wildest dreams," Melania glared as she moved her pawn to d5.

"Doubtful," Utami scoffed as she moved her knight to f6.

Melania went silent and moved her knight to c3, as Utami let out a sigh and moved her pawn to e6. "Very well, I'll just play quietly," she thought as Melania moved her bishop to e3.

She then moved her pawn to d6, prompting Melania to capture the pawn at e6 with her d-pawn, however, the ploy was countered by Utami simply capturing said pawn with her bishop, leading to Melania moving her pawn to b3 in frustration.

"That wasn't a great move. Hmm, her appearance makes her look more skilled, but perhaps her rating is a reflection of her true strength," Utami thought as she moved her pawn to d5.

Melania didn't seem to show any emotion, though continued to her streak questionable moves by her moving her queen to d2. Utami decided to prod her and move her knight to c6, resulting in Melania opting to castle queen's side.

"You know, castling isn't always the best move," Utami stated as she moved her pawn to c4.

"Are you trying to lecture me? Quiet. Chess is meant to be a quiet sport, so respect the game, and shut up," Melania glared as she captured the pawn at c4 with her b-pawn.

"Though we are allowed to say, check," Utami stated as she moved her bishop to a3.

Melania clicked her tongue and moved her king to b1, prompting Utami to move her bishop to b4. Melania then captured the pawn at d5 with her c-pawn, but rather than deal with it, Utami moved her queen to a5. This prompted Melania to immediately capture the bishop on e6 with her d-pawn, but Utami had her eyes on something bigger and captured the knight at c3 with her bishop.

"I'm not going to have my queen taken," Melania thought as she moved her queen to d6.

It was then that Utami noticed something Melania had completely overlooked. "Sorry, but you're the one that's going to be taken out of the game. Check," she declared as she moved her queen to b5.

Melania's eyes widened as she realized she was about to be mated. "Tch, I've had to dumb my skills down so much, it's starting to truly affect me," she thought as she moved her queen to b4.

Utami promptly captured said queen with her queen, leaving Melania with no choice but to move her king to c1.

"And that's checkmate. Seems this was completed in a timely manner like you wanted," Utami huffed as she moved her queen to b2, winning the game.

"Well, win or lose, it doesn't matter. Now I'm free to attend to my personal business," Melania growled as the arbiter squad dispersed and she began walking away.

"Oh, and by that do you mean your punishment for defiling Mimoko-sama?"

"Huh?"

Utami menacingly cracked her knuckles and began stomping towards Melania. "Don't think I forgot just because I calmed down during the game. Stripping, shaving, skinning alive, and scaphism. That's the bare minimum I decree upon thee for daring to shave Mimoko-sama's head.

"And what if she likes-"

SMASH!

Melania's eyes rolled back into her head as her body was sent flying into a nearby building. Blood oozed out of her broken jaw as her body slowly fell out of the hole it embedded in the building, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

"That will subside for now. Everyone, we must find Mimoko-sama!" Utami ordered.

Everyone else nervously cheered in agreement, afraid to risk angering Utami further.

The full game:

White: Melania Plav (1074) Black: Utami Enoki (1500)

1. d4 c5

2. d5 Nf6

3. Nc3 e6

4. Be3 d6

5. dxe6 Bxe6

6. b3 d5

7. Qd2 Nc6

8. O-O-O c4