Ход королевы
Chapter 9
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***
BytheendofthethirdweekshehadgonethroughhisfourShakhmatnibulletinsandmostoftheothergamebooks.Onedayafterhehadbeeninanengineeringclassallmorningtheywerestudyingapositiontogether.Shewastryingtoshowhimwhyaparticularknightmovewasstrongerthanitlooked.
“Lookhere,”shesaidandbeganmovingthepiecesaroundfast.“Knighttakesandthenthispawncomesup.Ifhedoesn’tbringitup,thebishopislockedin.Whenhedoes,theotherpawnfalls.Zip.”Shetookthepawnoff.
“Whatabouttheotherbishop?Overhere?”
“Oh,forChrist’ssake,”shesaid.“It’llhavethecheckoncethepawnismovedandtheknight’straded.Can’tyouseethat?”
Suddenlyhefrozeandglaredather.“No,Ican’t”hesaid.“Ican’tfinditthatfast.”
Shelookedbackathim.“Iwishyoucould,”shesaidlevelly.
“You’retoosharpforme.”
Shecouldseethehurtunderneathhisanger,andshesoftened.“Imissthemtoo,sometimes,”shesaid.
Heshookhishead.“No,youdon’t,”hesaid.“Notanymore.”
***
OnSaturdayshestartedplayinghimwithoddsofaknight.Hetriedtoactcasualaboutit,butshecouldseethathehatedit.Therewasnootherwayforthemtohavearealgame.Evenwiththeoddsandwithhisplayingthewhitepiecesshebeathimthefirsttwoanddrewthethird.
Thatnighthedidnotcometoherbed,nordidhethenext.Shedidnotmissthesex,whichmeantverylittletoher,butshemissedsomething.Onthesecondnightshehadsomedifficultygoingtosleepandfoundherselfgettingupattwointhemorning.
