Chapter 33:

Learning from history

En Passant Grandmaster

Yuusuke trembled as Zanni opened by moving his pawn to e4. "No, I can beat this guy," he thought as he moved his pawn to d5.

"My, this looks familiar," Zanni chuckled as he captured the pawn at d5 with his e-pawn. "Scandinavian defense: Mieses-Kotrč variation, yes?" he chuckled as Yuusuke captured the pawn at d5 with his queen.

"I just like the setup," Yuusuke mumbled as Zanni moved his knight to c3.

"I do too, it's easy to predict and counter," Zanni chuckled as Yuusuke moved his queen to e5. "Next you'll go knight f6, yes?" Zanni sneered as he moved his bishop to e2.

"Yeah, and you'll go knight f3," Yuusuke glared as he moved his knight to f6.

"Well, it is the most efficient way to beat you," Zanni chuckled as he moved his knight to f3.

Yuusuke then moved his queen to e6 as Zanni castled on his king's side. He then took a deep breath before moving his knight to c6.

"My it is just like last time. But I need to be sure," Zanni thought as he moved his pawn to b3. As Yuusuke moved his pawn to g5, Zanni burst into laughter. "Oh Boy, it is just like our last match. Seems you failed to learn the most important lesson of history."

"What's that?"

"That history repeats itself," Zanni maniacally grinned as he captured the pawn at g5 with his knight.

"But isn't that a good thing, then we'll draw," Yuusuke said as he moved his queen to e5.

"My how innocent, but then again, you are a scared fool with a deluded sense of justice," Zanni sneered as he moved his bishop to c4. "And now, he'll go to e6 as-"

Smack!

Zanni stared in disbelief as Yuusuke captured his knight at g5 with his queen. "Well guess history ain't repeating itself then, cause now I'm gonna win," Yuusuke grinned.

"Oh what a fool, a queen for a knight, why- ...!"

Zanni's smile began to fade as he realized there was nothing he could capture Yuusuke's queen with. "Damn him, he baited me. ‘I shouldn't have moved my bishop out’, is what he probably thinks I'm thinking. What a fool, the queen's capture is only delayed," he maniacally thought as he moved his pawn to d4.

Yuusuke began to tremble and moved his queen to f5. "Hope I didn't screw up," he thought."

"Now, let's scare him," Zanni thought as he moved his pawn to g4.

This prompted Yuusuke to immediately capture the pawn at g4 with his knight.

"Oh? Then how about THIS!?" Zanni sneered as he moved his bishop to d3.

Yuusuke quickly moved his queen to h5 as Zanni glared and moved his pawn to h3.

"I just gotta remember what Inoue taught me," Yuusuke thought as he captured the pawn at h3 with his queen.

"Think I don't see what you're doing!?" Zanni glared as he moved his bishop to f4. Yuusuke let out a smile as he moved his knight to e3, causing Zanni to burst into laughter. "Oh look at you. The smile of a stupid child that thinks they accomplished something, when all they did was make a mess of things. You were supposed to first move your rook to g8, THEN move the knight. Oh well, there are no take backs, do agonize over my teachings when you're ground into burger meat," he sneered as he captured the knight at e3 with his f-pawn.

Tears began to pour down Yuusuke's face. "Nah, I'm almost there, just gotta pull this off, and you lose," he smiled as he moved his rook to g8.

Zanni stared at the board and scowled. "So you think you've got me, well I can easily sacrifice a diamond if it means I'll survive," he snarled as he moved his queen to g4.

Yuusuke happily captured the queen at g4 with his rook as Zanni moved his king to f2. Rather than continue the pursuit of the king, Yuusuke instead opted to move his pawn to e5.

"Like you'll get my bishop," Zanni scoffed as he captured the pawn at e5 with his d-pawn.

"Now I've got you," Yuusuke tearfully smiled as he captured the bishop at f4 with his rook.

Zanni once again burst into laughter. "You're even more deluded when you're smiling! That's another wasted piece for you!" he sneered as he captured the rook at f4 with his e-pawn.

"Nah, that rook wasn't wasted, it was sacrificed!" Yuusuke proclaimed as he moved his bishop to c5.

"You think I'm in danger, boy?" Zanni scoffed as he moved his king to e1.

"Yeah, mate in 5, check," Yuusuke tearfully grinned as he moved his queen to e3.

"'Mate in 5'!? Don't spout such delusions!" Zanni scoffed as he moved his king to d1.

"It ain't delusions, it's a fact, now say hello to my favorite piece on the board, the bishop!" Yuusuke shouted as he moved his bishop to g4.

Now reality finally began to set in as Zanni began to go pale. "No, I won't lose!" he trembled as he moved his bishop to e2.

"How bout a flex, check!" Yuusuke grinned as he wiped away his tears and castled on the queen's side.

Zanni began to sweat buckets. "No, NO! Where can I move!? I can't lose, if I do, I'll suffer a horrible prolonged death attempting to destroy the DESPER! AH, THAT'S IT! I offer a draw," Zanni nervously smiled as he moved his knight to d5.

"Thought you said the only way to draw was to either trigger a repetition rule or get a stalemate," Yuusuke glared as he captured the knight at d5 with his rook.

Zanni went pale. "Yes, b- But if we agree to draw, then we would just need to move our pieces accordingly. When I move my king to e1, just move your queen to g3, then I move my rook to f2, then you move your queen to g1, I my rook to g2, and we repeat until the repetition rule," Zanni nervously smiled as he moved his king to e1.

"Why would I spare a scumbag like you? You tried to kill me. Now accept your punishment to never hurt anyone ever again and destroy that DESPER thingy, CHECKMATE!" Yuusuke glared as he captured the bishop at e2 with his queen.

Zanni let out a terrified scream as the surroundings returned to normal. His body then began moving on its own as he picked up the DESPER and began punching it while walking out. His hand quickly began to bleed, but he was unable to stop punching the DESPER with all his might.

"No, NO! THIS IS A TORTUROUS EXECUTION! I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU'D BE A HERO!"

"Please don't shout in the playing room, sir!" an arbiter glared.

"Now don't be too harsh on him, he is going to suffer a fate worse than death," Raymond snickered as he approached Zanni. "Now allow my subordinates to fly you to a nice environment where you can attempt to destroy that DESPER."

Zanni screamed, but was unable to resist as he was dragged away by WWCF officials.

"Why was he so scared? Once he destroys that thing, he'll be free from the punishment. Though I guess he probably is mad that he won't be able to use that ever again, or hurt anyone ever again for the rest of his life," Yuusuke thought as he headed out.

"Oi Yuusuke," a voice angrily whispered.

Yuusuke turned and let out a yelp as he saw Hagemi standing right behind him.

"I take it you won. I finished and was taken out of the room. I wanted to ask you, have you seen Inoue-chan? Her opponent's been waiting and time's runnin’ out," Hagemi nervously whispered as she gestured over towards Peter.

Peter angrily turned the pages of his book as the move clock for Mimoko slowly ticked down. "Gunnerson, I hope you've made your peace, because if you win against Okisato Tanabe and kill Mimoko Inoue along with him, I'll force you to be my chess sandbag for the rest of your life! Okisato Tanabe, don't you DARE lose!"

...

"Ngh? MMPH!?"

Mimoko opened her eyes to find herself bound, gagged, and perilously dangling over an electrified lagoon via a crane hook. She then noticed a tiny platform hovering above the lagoon, and on it were Gyro and Okisato seated at a chessboard.

"Ah, you're awake. Now, let me tell you the stakes. The loser shall be plunged into the electric lagoon and electrocuted to death. Naturally, you will also fall into the river and die upon Okisato Tanabe's defeat!" Gyro cackled

"But if you stalemate, everything's null and void, and you're in a heap of trouble," Okisato glared.

"You think I'll allow you two to live!?"

"Well, in that case, I guess you are irredeemable. I'll make sure you lose," Okisato murderously glared.

The full game:

White: Dr. Arlecchino Zanni (2043) Black: Yuusuke Shousen (1487)

1. e4 d5

2. exd5 Qxd5

3. Nc3 Qe5+

4. Be2 Nf6

5. Nf3 Qe6

6. O-O Nc6

7. b3 g5