Ход королевы

           Sherecognizedhimfromsomewhere,andwhenheintroducedhimselfasAndyLevitt,sherememberedthenamefromChessReview.Heseatedhimselfstiffly.AtournamentdirectorcameuptothetableandspokequietlytoLevitt.“Youcanstartherclocknow.”Levittreachedout,lookingunconcerned,andpressedthebuttononBeth’sclock.Sheheldherselfsteadyandplayedherqueen’spawn,keepinghereyesontheboard.

           Bythetimetheyhadgotintothemiddlegame,therewerepeoplejammedinthedoorwayandsomeonewasshushingthecrowdandtryingtomaintainorder.Shehadneverseensomanyspectatorsatamatch.Sheturnedherattentionbacktotheboardandcarefullybroughtarooktoanopenfile.IfLevittdidn’tfindawaytopreventit,shecouldtryattackinginthreemoves.Ifshewasn’tmissingsomethingintheposition.Shestartedmovinginonhimcautiously,pryingthepawnsloosefromhiscastledking.Thenshetookadeepbreathandbroughtarooktotheseventhrank.ShecouldhearatthebackofhermindthevoiceofthechessbuminCincinnatiyearsbefore:“Boneinthethroat,arookontheseventhrank.”ShelookedacrosstheboardatLevitt.Helookedasifitwereindeedachickenboneanddeeplyimbedded.Somethinginherexulted,seeinghimtrytohidehisconfusion.Andwhenshefollowedtherookwithherqueen,lookingbrutalontheseventhrank,heresignedimmediately.Theapplauseintheroomwasloudandenthusiastic.Whenshecamedownfromtheplatformshewassmiling.