The Grandmaster

The Chess Player who beat the devil

Alex Vidal and Boy Espejo's pictures in Facebook concentrating on chess game has propelled me to write a fiction about the Chess Grandmaster who beat Lucifer - the devil. This Grandmaster has just returned home from a chess tournament in Sweden where he earned an award - First Asian Grandmaster. Let's name the guy - Alex.

One rainy night at about 11:45 in the evening, a foreign looking visitor clad in Abraham Lincoln's attire with attache case at hand, knocked on Alex apartment. The latter opened the door. After saying "good evening" in a modulated voice, the visitor asked Alex if he can come-in to play Chess-in-Millions with him.

Surprised, Alex murmured; "sino kaya ang disturbong eto?" But to his surprise the visitor retorted in Tagalog; "Ako ay pumunta rito para subukan lamang ang galing mo sa chess at pwedeng kitang gagawing pinaka-mayamang tao dito sa mundo kung matatalo mo ako."

Intrigued, Alex allowed the man to come in, offered a seat and again asks; "Bakit ako ang napili mo at napakaraming grandmasters dito sa mundo na pwede mong kalabanin?" The man replied; "Asian Grandmaster ang pangarap kong makalaban at ikaw ang una."

The visitor opened the attache case to Alex where bundles of US, European dollars and Sterling pounds are placed and said: " If you beat me, this will be yours and will be multiplied million of times for you and your family's lifetime pleasure."

Alex asked: "Ano ang kondisyon sa labang eto?" The man said; "Kapag tinalo kita, I will bring you with me, yon lang." Alex pondered for a while and thought that if he lost the game, this man will bring him as sidekick or a second in all chess tournaments his visitor will soon join.

They agreed and Alex asked once more; "Are you aware of all the game's rules to be followed?" The man replied; "Sure, alam ko." Alex; "Ok, gentlerman's agreement, susundin natin and lahat ng patakaran sa chess ha?" Bisita: "Aprob!" And so the game started.

After the 13th move, nakita ni Alex ang brilliancy ng kanyang kalaban dahil kahit anong move ang gagawin niya, ma-mate ng kalaban ang kanyang "king" sa anim na sulong lamang. Pero kung mag kamali eto, magiging tabla ang resulta. Matapos maisulong ni Alex ang kanyang huling piyesa ay humalakhak na ang kanyang kalaban; "Ha ha ha...talo ka na!"

Pero bago magalaw ng bisita ang piyesa nito para maisulong, nagtanong muna si Alex; "Pwedeng malaman kung sino ka ba talaga?" Sagot ng kalaban niya; "Ha ha ha ako ang demonyong si Lucifer pumunta lamang dito para hamunin at talunin ka at magiging akin ang kaluluwa mo, ha ha ha!"

Nagtanong ulit si Alex; "Kung toto-ong demonyo ka, pwedeng bang i-prove mo sa akin?" Lucifer: "Ha ha ha, ok, anong gusto miong gawin ko?" Alex; "Gawin mong pilak (silver) ang chess board natin." Bisita: "Da-da-diang... ayan nagiging pilak na, ha ha ha talo ka na!"

Alex; "As last evidence para maniniwala akong si Lucifer ka nga, gawin mong ginto (gold) na 24K ang iyong "king." Lucifer: "Ha ha ha... ok last request mo na yan ha? (biglang dinampot ang "King" at naging ginto kaagad) Ayan kagatin mo at malambot na 24K yan, ha ha ha... talo ka na!?

Alex: "Ha ha ha... tabla na, patas na ang laban...ha ha ha!" Lucifer: "Bakit magiging patas?" Alex: "Ha ha ha... TOUCH MOVE di ba? Kaya patas na...ha ha ha!" Lugo-lugong umalis si Lusifer dahil naisahan siya at si Alex lang pala ang katapat niya, he he he.

(Sa chess parlance, ang "touch move" ay isa sa mga patakaran na kapag ginalaw mo ang isang piyesa, isulong mo yan. At sa malas, ang "King" ang nagalaw ni Lucifer na paugod-ugod lamang at hindi pwedeng makahabol at maka "Mate" sa "King" ng kalaban).