Mar 11, 2026
Author's Commentary #18:
Time to talk about Chapter 18: Salem bishop and a Witch's Broom.
Mother Salem really hates bishops, so much that she'll even sacrifice the pieces with their namesake just to get them off the board. And ironically, it was a bishop that ended up mating her in the end.
I actually had this game written out a while back, but was unsure when I wanted the match to take place. I was debating having the encounter be in a Side Story, but ultimately decided it was best to have the Mother Salem match be a part of Season 6. As a result, I ended up giving Agatha a bigger role in the grander scheme of the story. It is also worth mentioning that Mother Salem's rating of 1692, is a reference to the year the Salem witch trials began.
Speaking of the game itself, it features a new opening, which I'll dub the Pirc Defense: Witch's Broom Variation. The reason for this is simply due to the fact that after either 1. d4 d6 2. c4 Kd7 3. e4, 1. e4 d6 2. d4 Kd7 3. c4, 1. d4 d6 2. e4 Kd7 3. c4, 1. e4 d6 2. c4 Kd7 3. d4, 1. c4 d6 2. e4 Kd7 3. d4, or 1. c4 d6 2. d4 Kd7 3. e4, the formation of the pieces resembles a witch's broom.
It does suck for Agatha though. She finally killed Mother Salem and will presumably be the next head of the Broadstone family, but Okisato seems determined to ensure she never leaves. It's time to finally see why the two have a history.
That's all for this commentary. I hope you enjoyed it.
