Ход королевы
Chapter 6
Shelookedbacktotheboardandbegantoconsidertheeffectsoftrading,topicturewherethepawnswouldbeifthepiecesthatcloggedthecenterwereexchanged.Ifshetookhiskingknightwithherbishopandheretookwiththequeenpawn…Nogood.Shecouldadvancetheknightandforceatrade.Thatwasbetter.Sheblinkedandbegantorelax,formingandreformingtherelationshipsofpawnsinhermind,searchingforawayofforcinganadvantage.Therewasnothinginfrontofhernowbutthesixty-foursquaresandtheshiftingarchitectureofpawns—ajaggedskylineofimaginarypawns,blackandwhite,thatflowedandshiftedasshetriedvariationaftervariation,branchafterbranchofthegametreethatgrewfromeachsetofmoves.Onebranchbegantolookbetterthantheothers.Shefolloweditforseveralhalf-movestothepossibilitiesthatgrewfromit,holdinginhermindthewholesetofimaginarypositionsuntilshefoundonethathadwhatshewantedtofind.
Shesighedandsatupright.Whenshepulledherfaceawayfromherfists,hercheeksweresoreandhershouldersstiff.Shelookedatherclock.Fortyminuteshadpassed.Wattswasyawning.Shereachedoutandmadethemove,advancingaknightinawaythatwouldforcethefirsttrade.Itlookedinnocuousenough.Thenshepunchedtheclock.
Wattsstudiedtheboardforhalfaminuteandstartedthetrade.Foramomentshefeltpanicinherstomach:Couldheseewhatshewasplanning?Thatquickly?Shetriedtoshakeofftheideaandtooktheofferedpiece.Hetookanother,justasshehadplanned.Shetook.
