Maestro Wiley Frisch

The next day, the chess club gathered at the secret puzzle cafe at Lagoon pathways.

"I see, so that's what happened," Okisato nodded as Zago informed him of what happened with Safumi.

"Who'd have thought that Michiko bitch would mess everyone up like that so badly. ...I hope Okaa's ok," Yuusuke sighed.

Yuusuke's mother, Hagemi Shousen, was currently the highest-rated female chess player in the world not counting maestros and WWCF executive board members. She had ended up helping the chess club in facing down Michiko, Xiao Lin, and the brainwashed SPCMs. However, after defeating Xiao Lin in a DESPER kung-fu chess match, she had gone missing. Her whereabouts were unknown and she wasn't picking up her phone. Okisato theorized that the most likely probability was that she was being held captive by the Desperado league. However, there were no leads.

"Is that w- Why you are hesitant to be an SPCM?" Utami asked.

"Guess it's part of the reason, but I mainly wanna build up my rating and become one of the world's greatest. Bein' and SPCM is the kind of thing I'd do when I retire or become so paranoid about droppin' elo that I decide to preserve my rating. Not to mention, you are required to play at the level of your rating when facing challengers, and I just can't do that. I like playin' at my best and not nerfing myself."

"Not like you're even good enough to nerf yourself," Iori snickered.

"You sure got confident. Is this all because you started cheatin' on the puzzles?"

"With all due respect, young Shousen, Miss Ishikiridokoro has not cheated in any way shape or form during the daily puzzle challenges," Himitsudono stated.

"Yeah, I'm just unleashin' more than 1% of my power," Iori smirked.

"Though I wonder, what exactly happens now that most of the SPCMs here are out?" Okisato asked.

Himitsudono began to sigh. "That has been a fierce topic for debate at the WWCF headquarters. Some have floated the idea of temporarily using AI technology to compile the match data and play style of the SPCMs in order to keep the challenges alive. After all, there is quite a large number of WWCF members that have begun their journey to challenge all the SPCMs here. Though to make things even more complicated, it seems Japan's secret puzzle cafes aren't the only ones having trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"Naturally, China is in disarray over Maestro Xaio Lin's defection to the Desperado league, however, other countries like Russia and America have also been having issues."

"So Russia does indeed have a maestro. Though I imagine they are likely having problems with Tsar Grigori, yes?"

"That is correct. The Russian maestro greatly opposes the tsar, which has led to a shadow war between him and the tsar. As for America, the situation is a bit more complex."

"How so?"

"Perhaps it would be best to simply ask the American maestro himself."

Mimoko shot Himitsudono an odd stare. "But then wouldn't Tanabe-kun have to go all the way to America, or are you implying that the American maestro is here?"

"Neither. I just need to request a rematch with him," Okisato stated as he pulled up his point menu.

"A rematch? WAIT! You've already beaten him!?"

"Yeah?"

"B- But I thought my mother was the first maestro you beat."

"Not at all. Wiley was actually the 1st since he's the easiest, and I'm actually close to challenging another maestro as well."

"Oi, you're sayin' you've been one step ahead of us this whole time?" No fair," Yuusuke cried.

Once the points were exchanged, Himitsudono checked to see if the American maestro was available. After confirming he was, he motioned for Okisato to take a seat at the main table. Shortly after, a well-dressed man with grey hair that appeared to be in his late 50s or early 60s emerged from the back.

"Ah, it's you... I take it the SPCM here blabbed a bit about my grievances," the man grumbled.

The man was 59-year-old American Maestro, Wiley Frisch. In addition to being a maestro, he was also a US senator from Kansas as well as his party's leader in the senate.

"Hey Wiley, I'm here for a game. This time you play as white, standard time control," Okisato nodded.

"Very well. Though I'd request you keep conversation to minimum and avoid sensitive topics, unless your friend plan on giving us privacy," Wiley grumbled as he sat down.

"In that case, I'll compromise and play normally."

"What exactly do you wish to ask about," Wiley glared as he moved his pawn to c4.

"Your SPCMs," Okisato replied as he moved his pawn to e6.

Wiley glared as he scanned the room before moving his pawn to d4. "I'm not going to discuss such information publicly."

"Everyone present is qualified to hear about it," Okisato replied as he moved his pawn to f5.

"You're implying that they were all part of the group that solved the crisis with the maestro of Japan. Even so, that doesn't mean they're qualified to hear this," Wiley glared as he moved his pawn to g3.

"Then who would you deem qualified?" Okisato asked as he moved his knight to f6.

"Arguably, you're the only present that I'm confident could grasp the full gravity of the situation," Wiley replied as he moved his bishop to g2.

"I take it the problem is something that can't simply be solved by us simply uniting as a team to take down a group of enemies?" Okisato asked as he moved his pawn to c6.

"That is your opinion," Wiley replied as her moved his knight to f3.

Okisato began to scowl as he moved his pawn to d5. Wiley was a seasoned politician, and as such, probing him for information was a herculean task. Okisato himself was a good judge of of character and could usually get a read on people. However, he often struggled to get a read on those smarter than him. There were exceptions in some cases, but generally, he tended to struggle to get a read on those smarter than him. Even if he knew a person really well like Mimoko, there would still be some areas where he would never be able to get a read on someone.

Wiley moved his bishop to f4 in silence as Okisato began thinking. "He seems to believe that only I'm capable of handling his problem. That says he's willing to enlist outside help, but likely only trusts me. I imagine the Desperado Maestro Himitsu mentioned, Manny Pewler, is likely the source of his ires. From the research I've gathered, it seems the two are also bitter political enemies and have been at each other's throats for years. I could try bringing up Pewler, but that might sour his mood. In fact, I should only press him on Pewler if he brings him up first," he thought as he captured the pawn on c4 with his d-pawn.

Wiley castled on the king's side while Okisato moved his bishop to d6. He then moved his pawn to a4 while Okisato opted to capture the bishop on f4 with his bishop, prompting Wiley to capture said bishop with his g-pawn on his next turn.

"Do you feel as though my clubmates are not skilled enough chess players to handle the problem?" Okisato asked as he moved his knight to d5.

"This is not a matter that can simply be solved with a game of chess," Wiley grumbled as he moved his pawn to e3.

"Bingo. It's likely got to do with something political then. I'm aware that both Wiley and Pewler are running for president so I'm assuming that's the root of it. Though sadly, I don't have much info on Pewler. If he's like Tsar Grigori though, it's possible he's threatening those close to Wiley in order to try and get a leg up on him. Though the thing is, I don't think Pewler would be able to get away with the stuff Tsar Griori does," Okisato thought as he castled on the king's side.

Wiley moved his pawn to a5 while Okisato moved his knight to d7.

"Just curious, but how much do you know about my clubmates?" Okisato asked as Wiley moved his queen to c1.

"Simply their names," Wiley replied as Okisato moved his 7-knight to f6.

"So you've heard of them, then you know of their skill as chess players, yes?"

"I have not properly analyzed their performances," Wiley replied as he captured the pawn at c4 with his queen.

"Do you think any of them are capable of giving you a run for your money?" Okisato asked as he moved his bishop to d7.

"Why are you changing topics so suddenly?" Wiley glared as he moved his knight to e5.

"Don't politicians change topics on the fly all the time? Anyway, the reason I ask is because some of my friends wish to challenge all the maestros, but if your SPCMs are out of commission, then that means they won't be able to challenge you," Okisato stated as he moved his knight to g4.

Wiley went silent as he moved his knight to f3. Okisato decided to move his queen to e7 and waited for Wiley to move his b-knight to d2 before talking to him again.

"I could always rematch them all, which would allow everyone here to at least get the option to challenge them without having to go to America," Okisato mused as he moved his g-knight to f6.

Wiley began to glare as he moved his f-rook to c1.

"Looks like I got a hit. He seemed a bit upset at that proposal. Now I just got to figure out what's going on with his SPCMs. Hmm, I might need to bring up Pewler- No, there's an easier way," Okisato thought. "Did the Desperados corrupt your SPCMs like they did here in Japan?" he asked as he moved his queen to e7.

"I believe I requested that conversation be kept to a minimum," Wiley snarled as he captured the queen at b4 with his queen.

"So that's what happened. So requesting a rematch with them is off the table then," Okisato sighed as he captured the queen at b4 with his knight.

"You're attempting to get under my skin," Wiley snarled as he moved his knight to e5.

"I'm just inquiring about the well being of your SPCMs. The ones here got really messed up thanks to the Desperados," Okisato shrugged as he moved his bishop to e8.

"Then let me assure you, they are fine," Wiley glared as he moved his rook to a3.

"So it's not the Desperados then. Perhaps its a personal problem, but what could be causing such a schism between Wiley and his SPCMs?" Okisato thought as he moved his rook to b8.

The others meanwhile, awkwardly watched the game.

"Wow, talk about feelin' unwelcome. That guy's been glarin' at us since he got here," Yuusuke groaned as Wiley moved his rook to b3.

"He should show more respect to Mimoko-sama," Utami glared as Okisato moved his f-knight to d5.

"Don't worry about me. Though I must say, conversation aside, the game has been quite intriguing," Mimoko stated as Wiley moved his bishop to f1.

"You're impressed with this guy? He seems kind of lame-o to me," Iori shrugged as Okisato moved his king to h8.

"I'm also impressed that Tanabe-kun is taking the game seriouly. However, he's getting outplayed," Mimoko frowned as Wiley moved his bishop to c4.

"'Outplayed'!? No way! Oki-kun's supposed to be the one doing all that!" Iori pouted as Okisato moved his king to g8.

"The maestro hasn't been making the best possible moves either, however, that doesn't necessarily mean those moves were bad, more like good, but not the best," Mimoko stated as Wiley's eye twitched while he moved his d-knight to c4.

While it had been subtle, Okisato had noticed Wiley's reaction to Mimoko's comment. "Hmm, he seemed to take offense to that critique. I wonder," he thought as he moved his rook to h6.

"You are Mimoko Inoue, yes?" Wiley asked as he glared at Mimoko and moved his knight to d6.

Mimoko nodded in affirmation as Okisato moved his bishop to h5.

"Then Mimoko, allow me to counter your critique. It is the end result of the game that matters. While I may boast a rating of 3050 and be considered a maestro, I am still a human, and an aging one at that. You young people need to realize that you don't know everything there is to know in the world," Wiley glared as he captured the bishop at h5 with his bishop.

That line was all it took for Okisato to solve the mystery. A sadistic grin began to form on his face as he captured the bishop at h5 with his rook and stared Wiley in the eye. "So how are your poll numbers doing?"

Wiley scowled, but mainted his composure as he moved his rook to c4.

"Not the greatest I assume. And if I recall correctly, most of your SPCMs are younger than 30. I'm assuming you're upset because none of them are going to vote for you," Okisato snickered as he moved his knight to a6.

"That's nothing to get excited about!" Wiley shouted as he moved his knight to d7.

"Hit the nail on the head. So you're just embarrassed your own SPCMs don't wanna vote for you," Okisato taunted as he moved his pawn to b5.

"Brats don't get anything. Alright, I'm shcooling you for this!" Wiley growled as he performed en passant and captured the pawn at b5 with his a-pawn.

"Uh oh, looks like I pushed too far," Okisato thought as he captured the pawn at b6 with his knight.

"What!? Oki-kun got en passanted? No way! That lame-o boomer stole his move!" Iori cried as Wiley captured the rook at b8 with his knight.

"Iori-chan, en passant is not exclusive to Tanabe-kun," Mimoko groaned as Okisato captured the knight at b8 with his knight.

Things were looking dire for Okisato. He was now down a rook and Wiley was enraged.

"You're not weaseling out of this one," Wiley snarled as he moved his rook to a4.

"Yeah, yeah," Okisato grumbled as he moved his 8-knight to d7.

Wiley then launched a massive attack, starting with him capturing the pawn at a7, prompting Okisato to move his king to f8. He then moved his knight to c4, prompting Okisato to swiftly capture said knight with his knight.

"Oi, he just hung a knight," Yuusuke trembled as Wiley captured the knight at d7 with his rook.

"Lol, poor timing dumbass. Guess that's why you're low elo-L," Iori snickered as Okisato moved his knight to d6.

"S- See? Just like I said, he hung the knight!" Yuusuke stuttered as he tried to mask his blunder.

"Lol, you thought the boomer hung his rook, Shouben-kun," Iori taunted as Wiley captured the knight on d6 with his rook.

Okisato moved his king to e7 in an attempt to salvage things, but Wiley made his defeat more imminent by capturing the pawn at c8 with his rook. He then slid his king to e7 as Wiley moved his rook to a6.

"So this is it. Well, at least I got SOME information out of him," Okisato thought as he moved his king to c7.

"Check," Wiley snarled as he moved his rook to c3.

Okisato sighed and moved his king to d8 as Wiley moved his rook to a7. "Well, guess I won't drag this out," he thought as he moved his pawn to g5.

"So he's resigned himself to his fate, not like he had much of chance at salving things anyway Mimoko thought as Wiley moved his rook to b3.

From that point forward, things were pretty simple for Wiley. After Okisato moved his king to c8, Wiley moved his b-rook to b7. Okisato then moved his pawn to g4 while Wiley moved his rook to g7. With little moves left, Okisato opted to move his king to b8 while Wiley moved his a-rook to e7. Now no matter what, Okisato would be mated, and with a loud sigh, he moved his king to c8.

"Checkmate. That's what you get for disrespecting your seniors," Wiley snarled as he moved his rook to e8, winning the game.

The full game:

White: Maestro Wiley Frisch (3050) Black: Okisato Tanabe (2550)

1. c4 e6

2. d4 f5

3. g3 Nf6

4. Bg2 c6

5. Nf3 d5

6. Bf4 dxc4

7. O-O Bd6

8. a4 Bxf4

9. gxf4 Nd5

10. e3 O-O

11. a5 Nd7

12. Qc1 N7f6

13. Qxc4 Bd7

14. Ne5 Ng4

15. Nf3 Qe7

16. Nbd2 Ngf6

17. Rfc1 Qb4

18. Qxb4 Nxb4

19. Ne5 Be8

20. Ra3 Rb8

21. Rb3 Nfd5

22. Bf1 Kh8

23. Bc4 Kg8

24. Be2 Rf6

25. Ndc4 Rh6

26. Nd6 Bh5

27. Bxh5 Rxh5

28. Rc4 Na6

29. Nd7 b5

30. axb6 Nxb6

31. Nxb8 Nxb8

32. Ra4 N8d7

33. Rxa7 Kf8

34. Nc4 Nxc4

35. Rxd7 Nd6

36. Rxd6 Ke7

37. Rxc6 Kd7

38. Ra6 Kc7

39. Rc3+ Kd8

40. Ra7 g5

41. Rb3 Kc8

42. Rbb7 g4

43. Rg7 Kb8

44. Rae7 Kc8

45. Re8#