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English Chronicles 2025 26printed 104 · PDF 110
113 pagesrevision 50822
printed 104 · PDF 110
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AC Chronicles
104
I was still intrigued by how much time he took for that one simple move. I
would later find out that he was fighting the biggest internal conflict of his
life while playing that game. When their handshake ended (which took a
while
because
Ralph
was
instructing
Solomon
on
something
simultaneously).
I got up from my chair to see the board better, and only then did I realize
how well balanced all the pieces on the board were. It felt as if you pushed
one piece; every piece would fall in a domino fashion. I went near the
chessboard after they both stood up to meet the hosts, and then re-imagined
how the entire game played out. Then everything clicked, and it almost
made me scream. I realized how every move after his G3 move left half his
pieces in a weak position and half safe, so he could always turn back on his
choice to ruin his game on purpose, but still pose a gimmick.
For example, his second-to-last move to the knight (that caused his king to
be nearly pinned in the next move), if it had been played to the correct
block, would have resulted in a major sacrifice of the pieces for Solomon.
One of Solomon’s rooks would have been taken first, and then his other
rook would have been locked in.
I gasped a breath of relief and looked down. I was getting all my wits
together and trying to get what in the world happened to Ralph today, but
when I looked up, I saw Solomon shaking hands with Ralph. I got upset for
the first time with Ralph because I thought that Ralph had finally resigned
instead of playing on after saving his king. I was still intrigued by how
much time he took for that one simple move. I would later find out that he
was fighting the biggest internal conflict of his life while playing that game.
When their handshake ended (which took a while because Ralph was
instructing Solomon on something simultaneously).