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The young boy with short black hair which stuck in all directions loomed over the table with his head in the palm of one of his hands. His black narrow eyes scanned the board but weren’t exactly sure what he was looking at. It was a square, with black and white squares. The kids at school were playing this game, but he wasn’t sure how to play it. “It’s chess,” one of his aunt’s workers explained. She sat him down in her short skirt, her long brown hair was braided to the side and over her shoulder. He watched her slender fingers pull each piece from a pile and put it on a specific square. “This is a rook,” she said as she held it up to him. “It moves in lines, only vertical or horizontal,” she explained as she showed him.
He tilted his head to the side. “It only moves one space?”
Belle shook her head. “No. It can move how many spaces as you want it to. But it’ can’t jump characters.”
“So it’s not like checkers?”
She shook her head. “The knight can,” she held up a horsed figure. But it moves in L shapes. Either this way,” she moved the knight in an L move. “Or this way,” as she showed him an L laying on its side.
“This is already confusing.” He groaned into his hand.
“It can be,” Belle smiled. “Come on, I will teach you.” Step by step, Belle patiently showed him each piece, showing him the ways it moved. He followed along, memorizing all that he could for a ten-year-old. She then picked up the tall piece with a crown. “This is the queen. She’s the most powerful character. She can move anywhere she wants.”
“Why not the king,” Roy asked pointing to the piece with the cross on the top. “The king is the one who rules the country.”
“The queen as always been more powerful, even in history.”
He turned to see Andrea, another one of his aunt’s employees leaning over him. Her big breasts hung over his shoulder. “The king is powerful,” she corrected. “He commands his army, and the army protects him.”
“Then why does the Queen get to move everywhere? A queen doesn’t lead the battle.”
Belle giggled. “I suppose she’s powerful in her own right. She’s going to be there for her king and she’s going to protect him.”
The board was set, and Andrea leaned over Roy’s shoulder as she guided him in the game. “Control the middle of the board,” she said softly, guiding him to move his knight. “To retreat constricts your movements, but if you advance too fast, you leave your pieces open to attack.”
“Should you take this piece,” Belle asked, pointing to a pawn.
Roy rubbed his chin. He wasn’t doing very good for his first game, but he already was understanding the concept of it. “Then the pawn behind it will kill me.”
“Yes,” the large-breasted woman behind him agreed. “But if you don’t, you will be killed.”
“But if you do, then you will leave this rook an open way.”
“But if I let the pawn take mine, I can use my Bishop to kill him.”
“Then the Rook will get you.” Her finger tapped the castle-like piece
Roy dropped his head into his hand balanced on the table by his elbow. He looked over the board. “I don’t want to lose any of my people.”
Belle nodded. “Valiant thoughts, but if you kill me, it will leave you more open and your King vulnerable.”
“So I have to sacrifice him?” He looked up at Belle, pouting at his situation. He felt vulnerable without his army which was quickly disintegrating.
Belle nodded.
“This is why you back up your pieces.”
“Belle,” Andrea giggled. “Pawns are there to be disposed of in need.”
“Andrea,” Belle countered gently. “Pawns can become Queens.”
Roy hushed them as he moved his Queen forward, preparing an attack to her knight. Not only was he boggled by the complexity of strategy, but also the individual and diverse moves of each piece. He was already noticing that each had their own squares, their own sides. The way the Bishops were on white and black, and the Knight’s could move in unison and mirror on each side.
His eyes grew as Belle giggled and killed his queen with her pawn. His jaw fell into his lap and he looked horrified. His queen, his most diverse and influential piece of his army gone. One by one, pieces fell and it took everything for Roy not to cry. He’d lost by the fall of his queen. He’d never forget that.
“It’s okay, Kiddo,” Andrea ruffled his black hair. “You get there through practice. Just remember, all pieces have their own purposes, their own roles to play in the success of the game. Keep control of the center of the board, establish a false sense of security to the enemy.” She leaned close to his ear. “Let Belle believe she’s going to win.” She winked.
“What are you two up to,” his Aunt asked as she entered the room.
“They are teaching me to play chess.” His childish eyes beamed at her.
His aunt smiled walking slowly up to them and looked at the board. “Chess is all about deception.”
Roy tilted his head. There was too much to learn, to fast. It wasn’t presented as a game anymore. It was presented as a tactical training game. Where could he move his armies, what armies should he use to inflict the most damage, how would he take the other side of the board and put the King in checkmate. Everyone had their own way to play and there were too many variants to memorize in one day.
Aunt Chris ran her hand along one side of the board. You can put pressure here, the enemy will watch there.” Her fingers tapped the other side. “Chances are, they will move this side to enforce the incoming attack over there. They want to defend their position. You then have prepared an open way to your enemy. Remember, Roy, every piece is important to the game.” He nodded, looking seriously at the board as his aunt looked over them. It was a lesson that he’d remember. “Don’t blatantly sacrifice pieces,” she reminded. “Deceive them into believing that you will.”
“Which pieces are the most important ones?” He asked the same question that had raised the starting argument of the game.
She laughed loudly. “That’s who you place around you. I promise one thing, a Pawn is as powerful as a Knight, if you are playing the pawn like you would a Knight. But if you play your Knight as a Pawn, you’ve lost the value in the piece.” She lit her cigarette. “You’re a smart boy. I think that you will be very good at this game.” She smiled as she walked away in her confidence.
“Come on, Roy-Boy,” Belle grinned. “Let’s practice advances and defenses. Your defense should always be stronger than your advancements.”
“Oh, Belle. A strong offense will have no need for a defense.”
Roy ignored them as they bickered, looking at the board. Appear weak, move confidently, let the enemy believe you are going right, while you go left… The smart child smiled. Move each piece to its full extent. “I got this,” he whispered.