Ход королевы
Chapter 14
Ittookaverylongtimetofindtheway,butshekeptatitremorselessly.Herrookwasthekey,withathreatenedhurdle—fourmovesinall—butthepawncouldmakethestep.Nowithadtomoveforwardagain.Thiswasinchmeal,buttheonlywaytodoit.
Foramomenthermindbecamenumbwithwearinessandtheboardunclear.Sheheardherselfsighassheforceditbacktoclarity.Firstthepawnmustbesupportedbytherookpawn,andtogettherookpawnupmeantadiversionbysacrificingapawnontheothersideoftheboard.ThatwouldgiveBlackaqueeninthreeandcostWhitetherooktoremoveit.Thenthewhitepawn,safeforamoment,slippedforwardtotheseventhrank,andwhentheblackkingsidleduptoit,thewhiterookpawncameuptoholditinplace.Andnowthefinalmove,theadvancetotheeighthrankforpromotion.
Shehadcomethisfar—thesetwelvemovesfromthepositionontheboardthatBorgovsaw—byfollowinghintsandguessesandmakingthemconcreteinhermind.Therewasnoquestionitcouldbedone.Butshesawnowaytomovethepawnthatfinalsquarewithouthavingtheblackkingsnipitoffjustbeforequeening,likeanunbloomedflower.Thepawnlookedheavyandimpossibletomove.Shecouldnotbudgeit.Shehadgotitthisfarandtherewasnowaytogofurther.Itwashopeless.Shehadmadethestrongestmentaleffortofherlife,anditwasawaste.Thepawncouldnotqueen.
Sheleanedwearilybackinherchairwithhereyesstillclosedandletthescreenofhermindgodarkforamoment.Thenshebroughtitbackforafinallook.Andthistimewithastartshesawit.
