CHAPTER 100: ANNA VS JODI! (II)

’Hey, Sheva, what do you think of Big Sis’s game?’ Claudia asked with a whisper as they watched the game from the sideline.

They were the only ones who watched this game since Jodi and Claudia themselves didn’t have a good result in this tournament. Their attraction force wasn’t as strong as when the tournament began a few days ago, and there was nothing wrong with that.

Still, Sheva could feel his mouth twitching when he heard how the little girl was addressing him. ’You know that I am older than Anna, right? How could you call her sister while I am just another stranger with a direct name? Isn’t that a bit rude?’ He asked casually.

’Don’t try to change the subject so abruptly like that!’ She slapped his shoulder hard, narrowing her eyes dangerously. ’Also, you are basically younger than me in terms of chess experience! It nullifies our age difference, so I am allowed to call your name directly like that!’ She smiled smugly, as if daring him to challenge her status.

Sheva felt his mouth twitching once again, inwardly screaming, ’From where did she get that twisted mind?! It doesn’t make any sense!’ Still, for the peace of his mind, the boy let it slide, deciding to address her initial question.

"Well, she got this game under her bag." He said nonchalantly, not even thinking for too long. The position itself was pretty obvious, and even an amateur player would be able to see it. "Although her doubled pawns on the E file are quite annoying, one of them has already advanced so far that it is close to the promotion line. She is also up to two pawns, which will be a massive advantage once they enter the endgame phase. Now, all Anna needs to do is force a queen exchange, and everything will be clear."

*Author’s note: If you want to visualize the position better, check the comment below.

Claudia smiled smugly at the assessment, always feeling proud whenever her sister was in a good position. Meanwhile, back at the table, Anna also noticed their presence watching her game from the sideline. Seeing them like this only fueled her desire to end this game as quickly as possible. She tried so hard to force a queen exchange and simplify the game. Unfortunately, Jodi also noticed that he was in such a bad position, and the more pieces he exchanged, the worse his chance to save himself would be.

’Damn! Why is he so stubborn?!’ Anna gritted her teeth, moving her queen straight to the eighth rank to give her opponent’s king a check. ’What is he waiting for? Me making a mistake? How ridiculous!’

In the end, since Jodi tried his best to avoid more exchanges, Anna went for the second-best option here, trying her best to improve her own position. She didn’t want to try so hard to exchange pieces and somehow accidentally made a three-fold repetition, ending the game with a draw. No, not when she was currently in the lead.

As the game went by, though, it was clear that Jodi was not in his best condition. He kept making inaccurate moves one after another, turning his own position into the worst-case scenario. His king was hunted by Anna’s hungry soldiers, and it even had to run away to the edge of the board while also using the pawn’s protection to protect itself. The king was in a humiliating position, not being able to get out as the enemy’s guillotine was approaching.

As the game entered a crucial stage, Anna’s eyes suddenly lit up as she realized something. ’Wait, wait, wait! Wait a second!’ She shook her head quickly, narrowing her eyes to get a better look at the chessboard. ’If I put my knight to the E3 square, my queen could infiltrate closer to his king! I could seal the escape route quickly with my pawns, and he is in a zugzwang! Whatever he does will not matter anymore, as I could just maneuver my knight and queen around and give him a checkmate! I have a checkmate in five!’

A zugzwang was a chess term referring to a situation where one of the players didn’t have any good moves, and whatever he did would only make his situation worse. This was Jodi’s current situation, and the man himself also realized that he was cornered right now. His king didn’t have any room to breathe, and Anna’s king was in a safe spot. Even sacrificing all of his pieces wouldn’t make a lot of changes here, as the final result had already been determined by now.

Jodi clearly saw the incoming checkmate too, but out of respect for Anna, he decided not to resign the game. He let his king on the run, knowing full well that it only led the enemy closer to the king’s head. Finally, once the sword had swung, killing his king in the middle of the board, the man smiled, offering a handshake.

"Good game. Congratulations." He whispered lowly.

"Thanks, Brother Jodi. I am beat." Anna grinned, feeling a burden lifted up from her shoulders. "Sorry, no offense, but I didn’t intend to lose against you." She added.

"Don’t worry about it. No need to apologize over something like this." Jodi waved his apology nonchalantly. "I am the only one to be blamed for my defeat. If only I had played my regular game instead of trying to outmatch you in a positional warfare, I am sure the game would have gone differently." He sighed in regret.

To his surprise, though, Anna shook her head, showing her disagreement here. "No offense, Brother, but whatever opening you chose wouldn’t matter. I will still win this game." She smiled confidently.

Jodi was dumbfounded for a second, then let out a chuckle as he stared at Anna in amusement. "That is indeed what a hot-blooded teenager like you should say, determined and fearless." The man heaved a sigh, reminiscing about his youth too even though he was only 22. "Anyway, congratulations on the win, but don’t let it get through your head, okay? There are still two rounds left, and I am sure you will not let that slide easily." He smiled knowingly.

In return, Anna smiled back, nodding her head with full determination. "Yeah, you are right, Brother. I will not let go of the last two rounds. Watch me."