novelzi Chapter 643: Laysa is About to Win?!
Chapter 643: Laysa is About to Win?!
Chapter 643: Laysa is About to Win?! Meanwhile, far from the center of attention on the front board, Laysa was smiling happily, humming her favorite song as she enjoyed how her opponent was squirming on the spot right now.
No, she wasn’t a sadistic person. The girl would be the first one to deny that accusation if someone made one. However, her goal in this tournament was to get another IM norm, and the quicker she won, the more she could preserve her energy to face stronger opponents in the next few days.
’Come on... Just be nervous and make more mistakes, I need to win this game as quickly as possible!’
His opponent was Romain Gemelli, a local boy with glasses and a rectangular face. Poor boy, he seemed to be so nervous, with his hand trembling in every move he made. Even though this didn’t reflect his ability, at least, his body language was enough to give Laysa a boost of confidence here.
They were playing with the English Opening, Laysa’s favorite, and within a few minutes, she had already charged forward, trying to control the center while also taking advantage of white’s open queenside.
The game hadn’t even passed the tenth move, but the girl had already had two bishops and two knights sitting comfortably, protecting the chain pawn in the center while also controlling more strategic squares at the beginning of the game.
It also helped that Romain Gemelli was so passive, always moving his pawn just one square forward here. It was as if the boy didn’t dare to challenge Laysa’s pawns on the fifth rank, opting to wait for the girl to do so.
Of course, Laysa just used this tempo advantage to develop her own pieces. Why would she want to go crazy when her opponent gave her a chance to build up a safer attack?
However, that was not the boy’s biggest mistake. No, it was the fact that the first time he wanted to push his pawn two squares forward, it was the H one, right after he castled on that side. This definitely opened up his king’s defense, inviting all of Laysa’s pieces to strike on that side.
Even though she hadn’t started taking action yet, Laysa had already set her eyes there, regrouping her pieces so that they could go to that side easily.
’With that H pawn going out of control, he would need to move his king to that side, right? What should I do to start the attack? Taking that knight? No, my knight is in a stronger position. Taking it would only make my advantage disappear. Pushing the pawn on that kingside? Is that worth the risk, though? Would I just do the same as he has done earlier?’
So many lines were jumping inside her head, and now, it was her turn to take some time to find the best move to capitalize on the situation.
"So, what do you think, Sheva?" Meanwhile, in the broadcast room, Bagas asked for his best friend’s insight. "If this were you, what would you do?"
Froppies: Oh! What a good question, Bagas!
Rene95: Are we finally going to hear Sheva’s train of thought?! I cannot wait to listen to the genius’s insight!
Liyra01a: Damn! Count me in here! I am ready for a lesson!
Sheva just ignored all the teasing in the chat room, watching the position carefully. He didn’t even look at the evaluation bar, just scanning the entire board over and over again. In the end, the boy let out a deep sigh, leaning his body back against the chair while also folding his arms in front of his chest.
"Well, it is clear that her opponent is playing passively, so the best way is definitely to march her pawn on the F file first. Not only does she still have that E pawn so that those two can support each other, but this is also a good way to check her opponent’s reaction. If he is flustered and pushes his bishop back before Laysa could even threaten him, that means he will just back down more under pressure, and that’s Laysa’s chance to strike!"
That was not the best move that the computer engine offered, but damn, the explanation made sense, so no one could complain about that.
"Oh, so you want to turn this into a psychological battle?" Bagas asked, intrigued.
"Yup!" Sheva nodded lightly. "In low-level chess, a computer engine’s evaluation sometimes doesn’t mean a lot, since both players tend to make a lot of mistakes. It is the one who grasps the opponent’s mental state first who can thrive."
This was also the lesson he imparted to everyone, and fortunately, Laysa listened well when the boy explained the concept. After thinking for a while, she did exactly what Sheva wanted, and when her opponent backed down, a huge grin formed on her face immediately.
’So, does that mean I can just charge forward blindly with no problem? Oh, this is going to be a massacre...’
Yeah, this open battle with so many tactical approaches on the board was definitely her favorite game. She had so many choices here, from sacrificing her dark bishop to open up the opponent’s defense forcefully to just a slow and patient move like rerouting the knight back to concentrate all the pieces on that side first before launching a devastating attack.
The computer also liked the position a lot. It showed -3.0 for the black piece. Even if the material was still equal, the black’s position was so good and overwhelming here. This was definitely the most progressed game so far out of the seven Indonesian players here, so the focus of the broadcast was definitely on that side.
"This should be easy to convert, right?" Bagas asked.
"Well, not that easy, but Laysa should have no problem in doing so." Sheva nodded. "This is Laysa’s favorite tactical problem. In the training session, she could spend an hour watching this kind of position and thinking of every possible move that could be made, so we really don’t need to worry about her."
Bagas nodded slowly, staring at the screen in front of him. Seeing that the girl’s opponent was still thinking so hard that it would probably take a long time before he moved, the boy decided to slide onto the other game.
"So! While we are waiting here, let’s see how the others are faring in their own game!"