The tournament hall wasn't grand. No red carpets or golden trophies on display.Just rows of folding tables, plastic chairs, and dozens of boards—all identical.But to Alexei, it may as well have been an ancient coliseum.
His heart pounded. Not with fear.With readiness.
He clutched the old wooden board under his arm—not the standard one they gave him, but his board. The one from the shop. The one that shimmered under torchlight and whispered in dreams.
"Table 17," the organizer called.
Alexei's name echoed in the hum of the room. Players rustled score sheets. Pieces clicked like distant drums.
His father patted him gently on the back.
"Play your game, Alexei," he said. "Forget the room. Forget the clock. Just listen to the board."
Alexei nodded. But what he was really listening for… was him.The Magician.
The shadow behind the sacrifice.
The Opponent
A boy sat across from him. Slightly older. Confident. Maybe too confident.
He smirked as Alexei pulled out his antique board.
"Nice prop," the boy muttered. "You sure you know how the pieces move?"
Alexei didn't reply. He simply set the board.
White.He would play White.
The Opening
The clock was hit.Alexei moved.
e4
The game began.
The first few moves were smooth. Classical. Safe. Alexei had prepared for these.But something in his gut began to shift by the 10th move.
His opponent was fast, aggressive—pushing him into an uncomfortable position.
A fork threat. A pin. His rook looked cornered.
Don't panic.Listen.
The shadows in the corners of his mind stirred.And then, like a ripple from a far-off memory… he saw it.
It was not in the books he studied. It wasn't what his coach would've suggested. But it had that same whisper Tal spoke of.
A knight.A brilliant, terrifying knight sacrifice.
He hovered his hand over the board.
The boy across him chuckled.
"Go ahead. Blunder. Makes it easier."
Alexei looked straight at him. Calm.
And dropped the knight.
Boom.
The tournament hall didn't notice. But something shifted.The rhythm.The pace.His opponent paused.
Then… panic. A slight tremble of the fingers.He hadn't expected that.
Within five moves, the board flipped.Now Alexei was the one pressing.
Check.Pressure.Precision.
Every piece sang. Every move clicked into place like a melody only he could hear.
By move 27, the boy resigned.
He didn't even look up.
Aftermath
Alexei sat still for a moment, hands on his knees. The board in front of him now looked… ordinary.
But inside him, everything had changed.
A whisper curled through his mind.
"Good."
The voice was faint. Familiar. Proud.
His father rushed up from the sideline, wide-eyed and stunned.
"What… what was that final move? Where did you learn that?!"
Alexei looked at the board one last time.
And smiled.
"I didn't. I felt it."
The first win lit a fire.
By Round Two, word had spread about the kid with the old wooden board and strange, risky moves.
Some watched with curiosity. Others with doubt.
Round Two: A Fierce Counter-AttackerThe next opponent was sharper. Tactical. Every misstep Alexei made was punished. But still, he found a line—a trap, subtle and deep.Another win.
Round Three: The Queen's Gambit DeclinedA quiet boy with calm eyes and a steel grip on theory.Alexei's sacrifices didn't land this time. His position slowly collapsed.His first loss.
He stared at the board after the handshake.Cold. Heavy.A silence that felt like failure.