The Chess Champion

Geoffrey looked down at the chessboard and swallowed. He could feel sweat starting to form on his forehead. He glanced at this competitor across the table. The boy was staring at the chessboard with a smile on his face.

“Is it over?” thought Geoffrey, “or can I pull this off?”

Geoffrey shifted weight from his left foot to his right foot. He nervously moved one of his pawns. The game was reaching a climax. Geoffrey struggled to figure out what his competitor was thinking. If he could figure out his strategy, he could prevent any damage.

His competitor quickly moved one of his pawns as well. Geoffrey looked up at his competitor again. He could see a drop of sweat. Could it be? Geoffrey soon realized that his competitor was just as nervous as he was.

Geoffrey gained confidence and quickly moved his knight on his next move. After studying the board, he soon realized he could end the game with three more moves. Geoffrey smiled and wiped his brow dry.

Just then, Geoffrey’s competitor called out, “Checkmate!” Geoffrey looked down at the board in disbelief.