novelzi Chapter 629: Pettiness & A Dead Draw Game
Chapter 629: Pettiness & A Dead Draw Game
Chapter 629: Pettiness & A Dead Draw GameTak!
Tak!
Tak!
Time passed by, and the only sound that could be heard right now was the pieces hitting the board. All the people around were trying their best to hold their breath, too afraid that it could distract the players from their current lock-in mode.
No one really knew how many moves the two players had made at this point, and yet, somehow, the tension was still palpable around that table. Both geniuses of the generation were still getting entangled with each other, as no one was really willing to show any sign of weakness first.
"It should be a draw, right?" One of the spectators nearby whispered to his friend.
"Well... At first, I thought Arjun could still create something. But so far, nothing really happened, so I don’t think the game will end up with a winner here." The other spectator said, albeit hesitantly.
The consensus around was that the game wouldn’t have any change until its end, so they were just waiting for the main characters there to agree on a draw. Arjun himself could also be seen with a deep frown on his face, clearly getting stressed as he tried to find the win he had envisioned to be there earlier.
’How is it that I couldn’t penetrate through his defense and get that pawn on the back? I should still be able to do something, right?’ The boy couldn’t help but mutter. ’Should I maneuver my rook through the back door first? No, that damn bishop will be able to cover that distance immediately. How about moving my king back for one round to have a zigzag maneuver so that it can get through his side? No, that is not feasible as well. What should I do, then?’
So many lines jumping around his head, giving the boy a massive headache in picking one that was suitable for him. It was a miracle that he hadn’t made any blunder yet, but considering Sheva only had one bishop, only a real fatal mistake could give the Indonesian boy the advantage here.
In the end, out of frustration, Arjun finally accepted the subtle signal that Sheva had been giving way earlier, trying to repeat the move three times in a row. However, to his—and everyone around—surprise, Sheva just smirked, before refusing outright the draw offer from the boy.
’Hah! Earlier, you wanted to exhaust me, right? Let’s see how you will handle it once I flip the table!’ The Indonesian boy laughed villainously in his inner monologue.
The boy really forgot that it was he who wanted to get a quick draw first. He was blinded by his pettiness, wanting to drag Arjun to hell with him.
’If I have to be exhausted to death, at least, I will drag him with me! Muahaha!’
Well, that only made things worse for himself, as his resting time would be decreased as well. Hell, from wanting to get a quick draw, now, Sheva was in for the longest game of the day, what with everyone having already finished their game already.
Now, the only table that was still busy was his, and based on the situation there, it didn’t look like they were going to end soon.
’Yeah, Sheva is going crazy again.’ Bagas smiled wryly when he saw the situation on the board. ’He just let his vindictive side take over himself. Idiot forgets that his brain is too tired for this shit.’
True enough, though, Sheva really intended to drag the game to hell. Pieces kept flying back and forth, and yet, none of them were able to make any advancement to let the game progress further. The two pawns were still getting locked into each other, and now, the only chance the game ended up in a draw was due to the 50-move rule.
Sheva himself had already lost count of it. He didn’t notice that the scoresheet was almost full, meaning that they were so close to the 100th move of the game. With both players being low on time, it was clear that the end was finally close.
The move kept getting faster, as the battlefield turned more chaotic. Unfortunately, the situation was still pretty much the same, and in the end, after surviving for about four hours, Arjun finally claimed the 50-move rule.
"Good, God! Finally!" Someone in the crowd let out a loud sigh unconsciously. "I mean, what the hell are they trying to prove here? It has been a dead draw for a long time, and they are still going! This just wastes our time!" He couldn’t help but complain.
Of course, Sheva, who was in the vicinity, could hear that complaint clearly. However, the boy ignored it completely, too exhausted to acknowledge the man’s point. He himself also felt stupid, finally only realizing that he had gone astray from his original purpose.
’Yeah, stupid of me! Why the hell would I do that?!’ He groaned, his shoulder slumped down in the chair as if he was about to melt on the spot. His stomach gurgled in the next second, as he was so in need of anything to fill his hunger.
’Damn! This is because of him!’ Sheva glared at Arjun, shifting the blame to the Indian prodigy.
Arjun, who didn’t know that he was getting blamed here, also glared at Sheva with eyes full of resentment. He was also blaming his opponent here, since it was Sheva who dragged the game much longer than necessary.
In the end, they both finally smiled wryly, accepting the handshake from each other.
"Good game, eh?" Sheva joked lightly. "There is not a single point where the game shifts from the equal state. We both seem to be in our best state today."
"Indeed." Arjun nodded in return. "Congratulations as well. You might be able to win it all tomorrow." The boy added politely.
That reminder was enough to snap Sheva out of his thoughts, and now, he turned around to see the current situation here. "So, what are the others’ results? Did Peter Svidler slip or what?" He asked people nearby.
The closest one to them was the arbiter, and hearing the question, the man hesitated for a second.
"This.... How should I say it? You know what, just see it for yourself. You will be surprised by the other results."