novelzi Chapter 648: Tough Pairings for the Girls
Chapter 648: Tough Pairings for the Girls
Chapter 648: Tough Pairings for the Girls In fact, it wasn’t just his three students who needed Sheva’s help. Hell, if anything, the girls were in a more desperate situation. After all, the three girls won the first round of the tournament, so their second opponent was bound to be a high-level one, even a GM, probably.
True enough, the pairing result showed the worst-case scenario for them.
After winning the first game, Laysa was paired against Bharath Subramaniyam, the next generation of prodigy who managed to get the GM title when he was just 14. Facing a 15-year-old genius in chess was definitely a nightmare for everyone else, because no one really knew where the limit was.
It was also difficult to have solid research about Subramaniyam, since the boy was still in his exploration stage. His playing style changed a lot in recent months, with his opening arsenal being so wide that no one really knew what he would pull tomorrow. Coupled with his computer-like calculation, it would be hard for Laysa to steal a point against him.
Anna was even more unfortunate.
She had to fight against Daniil Yuffa, an experienced Spanish GM with many years of experience in top-level chess during his youth. Even though he was not a prominent player in the chess community, the man’s rating was still around 2600, being one of the four players here whose rating was above 2600.
Also, the man was still quite young, around 26 years old. Well... Not that young, in the chess world, but he was definitely in his prime right now. Coupled with his origin being from Russia and learning so much in the Russian Chess School, surviving was definitely not an easy task for Anna.
However, if they talked about being unlucky, the one who suffered the most was definitely Claudia.
After winning her first game against a high-level IM, the girl thought that she could celebrate it for now. Who would’ve thought that her next opponent would be way more difficult than before, even stronger than anyone else in the section?
Yeah, his next opponent would be the top-seeded player of the tournament, Bu Xiangzhi.
This was the legendary figure in the chess world, being the second GM from China who managed to break through the 2700-rated club in 2008. Hell, in his youth, he even became the youngest player in the world to earn the GM title before that record was beaten by Sergej Karjakin from Russia a few years later.
Some said that before Ding Liren, he was the strongest Chinese player in the world, having to fight toe-to-toe against the prime Vishwanathan Anand for the best one in Asia.
Even though he was far from his prime, his rating was still 2676, the highest in the tournament. Hell, he was even higher than some players on the master section, for God’s sake!
If Laysa and Anna had a difficult task to get a point, Claudia was basically on a mission impossible, just hoping that she could make the legendary man remember her name in the future.
"Don’t worry too much about trivial things, Ia." Sheva couldn’t help but pat the girl’s shoulder when he saw how restless she was the next morning. "Remember, don’t get dragged into his rhythm. Just play slowly to your pace, try to get into a comfortable position, and don’t take any bait, no matter how tempting it is. He is a master in launching a lightning counterattack." He didn’t forget to warn the girl.
Indeed, Sheva himself also didn’t forget to do his own research, and Bu Xianzhi was definitely what the Chinese chess community hoped to be, the current Ding Liren before Ding Liren even existed.
The man’s attacking style was so entertaining to watch, and his decisiveness when he saw a chance was no match for any player. In the era when the computer engine wasn’t widely used, he was definitely one of the best players in the world.
"Why would you worry about her, Brother Sheva?" Devi pouted in jealousy when she saw the scene. "She will definitely lose her game, you know? Isn’t it better to think of the others who still have a better chance?"
In return, Sheva just frowned in disapproval. ’You remember that you promised to be civil, right?’ He mouthed silently.
The girl just huffed, knowing that she was being an asshole right now. She took a deep breath before apologizing silently, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
Claudia herself was still quiet. She stared at her phone, especially at the extensive research that Sheva had done last night to help her prepare better for today’s game. There, she saw all the statistics about Bu Xiangzhi, like his win-rate percentage with the black piece, his opening style in the last five years, and even the man’s time distribution during the game.
The research was so well made that if Sheva decided to sell it to the Chinese Chess Federation, Claudia was so sure that the boy would cash in a lot of money.
"So... What do you recommend I do?" She finally spoke, asking a question here.
Yeah, the girl didn’t say anything like ’thank you’ or something like that. It would mean nothing for Sheva right now, not when the game itself hadn’t been played yet. No, the best way to show her gratitude was definitely to get a positive result, not waste all of his time just for her to get a quick defeat.
"Well, if you ask me, I would say just play with your usual style, but that man’s calculation skill is also top-notch," Sheva explained carefully. "So, just try to play passively, wait on the back, and act timid. He would never settle for a draw against you, so just wait until he gets impatient. Who knows, maybe your chance will come in a later stage."
Claudia just nodded before saying, "Thank you, Sheva." And left the group to read more of the content there.
Sheva himself could only sigh right now. One thing he didn’t say was that even with all the preparation he had done, it wouldn’t be enough to fill the gap between her and Bu Xiangzhi. The difference was too big, and now, the girl could only hope for a miracle if he wanted to gain something.
"Let’s just hope that... The Chess God is kind enough and blesses her with some luck today..." Sheva muttered under his breath as he stared at the girl walking straight into the battlefield, knowing full well that she was on the verge of getting slaughtered by her enemy.