Chapter 18:

Pawn and two moves odds

En Passant Grandmaster


Okisato's pawn at f7 immediately vanished as Nyoan prepared to make her first move.

"Pawn and two moves odds, that means I play without my f-pawn and you get to open with two moves in a row, yes?" Okisato asked.

"That's right, nya! I get two moves in a row, nya!"

"Is this because my rating is so much higher than yours?"

"That's right, nya! The DESPER allows low rated players like me to challenge and beat higher ranking players like you with odds, nya."

"What are the conditions?"

"I don't nyow, nya. Though my master said my rating wouldn't increase as much the more harsh the odds, and that the punishment would be drastically reduced in lethality the more challenged the one playing at a disadvantage is. Luckily, it looks like the DESPER believed this is fair enough to keep the death penalty for you if you lose, nya. Plus I found a way to add an extra odd without reducing the punishments or my rating boost, nya!"

"The hostage scenario?"

"That's right, nya! I just need to imprison someone in a piece, then capture it. In fact, why don't I show you both how it works," Nyoan snickered as a screen appeared.

On the screen, footage of a man trapped inside a pawn getting blown to bits as it was captured was shown. Maida's eyes went wide with horror while Okisato didn't seem phased in the slightest.

"So if I want Maida-sensei to live, I can't let her get captured. What a pain," Okisato sighed.

"Nyahaha! It's impossible even for you, nya! Now, let's begin, nya!"

Nyoan and Okisato then teleported to overhead hovercrafts a few meters above the board. A touch screen containing a layout of the board below was also present, allowing the players a better view of the playing field.

"For my first move, e4, nya!" Nyoan declared as her pawn moved to e4.

"So we control the game from here, and our moves are reflected on the board below, yes?" Okisato asked.

"That's right, nya!" And for my second move, CHECK, NYA!" Nyoan shouted as her queen moved to h5.

"Your bloodlust is obvious, and so is your strategy," Okisato stated as he moved his pawn to g6.

Nyoan merely purred as she moved her queen to h4, unphased by Okisato’s provocations in the slightest.

"You really are an annoying one," Okisato glared as he moved his knight to c6.

Nyoan simply laughed as she moved her bishop to c4. "You can't comprehend my genius, nya."

Okisato let out a sigh as he moved his knight to f6 while Nyoan confidently moved her pawn to d4.

"Seems the difference in skill is beginning to show," Okisato thought as he captured the pawn at d4 with his knight.

"YOU FELL FOR IT, NYA!" Nyoan shouted as she moved her pawn to e5.

"Ah, I'm gonna lose a knight. Inoue-senpai's going to scold me for getting in this scenario," Okisato sighed as he moved his knight to h5.

"NYOW your Nyight is gone, nya!" Nyoan snickered as she captured the knight at d4 with her queen.

"No, now your plans are foiled," Okisato stated as he moved his bishop to g7.

Nyoan smirked and moved her queen to d5, followed by Okisato nonchalantly moving his pawn to e6. Nyoan scowled and moved her queen to f3 as Okisato moved his rook to f8 causing her to hiss in frustration and move her queen to g4 on her next turn.

"Now I can get rid of the pawn," Okisato thought as he captured the pawn at e5 with his bishop.

Nyoan responded by moving her knight to f3, while Okisato countered by moving his pawn to d6.

"You're wide open! CHECK, nya!" Nyoan shouted as she moved her bishop to b5.

Okisato effortlessly countered by moving his pawn to c6, causing Nyoan to hiss and move her bishop to d3.

"Now, it's time to get wild," Okisato thought as a sadistic grin spread on his face.

Maida's eyes widened as she suddenly found herself moving at a rapid pace. "What's happening!? Is he moving me!? W- What is he thinking!?" she frantically thought as she came to a stop. Okisato had moved the queen she was imprisoned in to b6, causing a sadistic grin to spread over Nyoan's face.

"Nyahaha, you brought your queen out," Nyoan maliciously laughed as she moved her bishop to e3.

Maida began to moan in terror as Okisato burst into laughter. "Yes, I'm playing with Maida-sensei! Did you really expect me not to put such a valuable piece to use!?" Okisato maliciously grinned as he captured the pawn at b2 with his queen.

Maida shut her eyes as she found herself charging towards the pawn, but didn't feel any impact or recoil as the pawn was captured. As soon as she came to a halt, she opened her eyes. "No impact? Is this truly just a holographic simulation, or did the gelatinous substance holding me in place absorb all the impact," she thought.

A dumbfounded look appeared on Nyoan's face before it was instantly replaced with an unsettling grin. "You fell for my trap again, nya!" she chuckled as she moved her bishop to d4.

"What trap?" Okisato grinned as he captured the bishop at d4 with his bishop.

"THIS trap, nya!" Nyoan exclaimed as she captured the bishop at d4 with her queen.

Maida moaned in terror as she once again found herself in peril.

"Nyahaha, you're trapped, nya. Nyow, your teacher is gonna die when we exchange queens. Then, just like all the others I played, you'll fall into despair and give up, allowing me to win," Nyoan thought as Okisato's face went dark.

"Again, I ask, what trap!?" Okisato maniacally smiled as he moved his queen to c1.

Nyoan's face contorted as she shot Okisato a murderous glare. "Huh? Why the hell are you actin’ like tough shit, nya? You're just squirmin’ like an ugly caterpillar that needs to be squashed. Next turn, your teacher’s dead, nya" she snarled as she moved her king to e2.

"Guess third time's the charm, WHAT TRAP!?" Okisato sadiscally grinned as he moved his knight to f4. "Now, you can only make one move.”

Nyoan immediately began to go pale as sweat began to pour down her face."Nyo, NYO! 'One move'!? The only move is- ...! Nyo... NYO!" she tearfully glared as she captured the knight at f4 with her queen.

"Now, I will win without losing my queen," Okisato sadistically smiled as he captured the queen at f4 with his queen.

"NYA! I'LL KILL YOUR QUEEN!" Nyoan frantically shouted as she moved her pawn to g3.

"No, you're going to experience payback, check," Okisato maliciously smiled as he captured the knight at f3 with his queen.

Color rapidly vanished from Nyoan's face as she quickly moved her king to d2.

Maida then let out a muffled gasp as the queen she was imprisoned in captured the pawn at f2, putting Nyoan in check once more. "That boy, he's using me like a tool, and he's enjoying it," Maida thought as she turned her eyes towards Okisato.

Nyoan meanwhile panicked and moved her king to c3.

"So now YOU'RE going to try and postpone your imminent demise," Okisato snickered as he moved his rook to f3.

"NYAHAHA! YOU BLEW IT!" Nyoan maniacally laughed as she moved her rook to f1.

Okisato quickly captured the rook at f1 with his queen. "For the fourth time-"

"YOU'RE QUEEN IS DEAD NOW!" Nyoan shouted as she moved her knight to d2.

"...For the fifth time-"

"NYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Nyoan screamed as Okisato captured the bishop at d3 with his queen.

"What's wrong? I thought this was a "trap"."

"I HATE YOU, NYA!" Nyoan cried as she moved her king to b4.

"Perfect, now I win, Checkmate!" Okisato sadistically laughed as he moved his queen to b5, winning the game.

The full game:

White: Nyoan Nyakuoji (900) Black: Okisato Tanabe (2434)

1. e4 ---

2. Qh5+ g6

3. Qh4 Nc6

4. Bc4 Nf6

5. d4 Nxd4

6. e5 Nh5

7. Qxd4 Bg7

8. Qd5 e6

9. Qf3 Rf8

10. Qg4 Bxe5

11. Nf3 d6

12. Bb5+ c6

13. Bd3 Qb6

14. Be3 Qxb2

15. Bd4 Bxd4

16. Qxd4 Qc1+

17. Ke2 Nf4+

18. Qxf4 Qxf4

19. g3 Qxf3+

20. Kd2 Qxf2+

21. Kc3 Rf3

22. Rf1 Qxf1

23. Nd2 Qxd3+

24. Kb4 Qb5#

Mario Nakano 64
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