![](3D"mhtml:http://www.tarrantennis.co.uk/Short) Short Story: The Chess =
Player By James Tarrant |
It was early September. =
The crowds=20
still flocked to the sandy beaches on the Dnipro =
River, not=20
knowing if this day might be the year's last day of =
summer and=20
desperate to squeeze every drop from the richly-fading =
season.=20
The leaves in the city parks still clung tightly to =
the trees=20
with small hints of gold and yellow only now starting =
to brush=20
away their green. In a few weeks time, with the =
temperature in=20
decline and the trees suddenly bare, people would =
speak of=20
this summer as the best they could remember. But =
today, many=20
of these same people looked forward to the cooler =
autumn.=20
Peter was in Kiev for four days on business, =
sent from=20
England by a North London solicitor's office that had =
a client=20
buying some apartments there. On arrival at the =
airport, Peter=20
was met by a slim, self-possessed Ukrainian lawyer =
called=20
Natalia, who at twenty-four seemed to know everything =
there=20
was to know about Ukrainian property law. After three =
days of=20
hard work they found themselves relatively free, and =
Natalia=20
volunteered to show him around the capital.
They =
both=20
enjoyed walking. The day was fine and they strolled =
into the=20
park and sat on one of the benches by a large stone =
statue,=20
watching tiny children excitedly clip-clopping past on =
equally=20
tiny ponies. Every so often other tiny children, more=20
mechanically inclined, would career along in =
screeching=20
electronic cars. Peter waited with some trepidation =
for a car=20
to crash into a pony, but the children were clearly =
expert=20
drivers and all collisions were avoided. It was a =
pleasant day=20
and he could have sat longer, but Natalia was on a =
mission to=20
show him her city, and after a short while they stood =
up and=20
began to cross the park.
They walked along a =
wide,=20
white path. "What are all those people doing?" he =
asked. And=20
then, drawing closer, it became obvious. "Why, look. =
They are=20
playing chess!"
Peter considered himself =
pretty good=20
at chess. He had never joined a club or anything like =
that,=20
but when playing with friends he usually won. Also, he =
would=20
look at chess books sometimes and had learnt some of =
the=20
openings. He loved their names: The Ruy Lopez, The =
Queens=20
Gambit, the Sicilian Defence. Romantic titles for a =
topic most=20
of his friends would have considered as dry as dust. =
But quite=20
often he would copy down the moves from a particularly =
interesting contest between two Masters and replay it =
on his=20
board.
"Isn't that excellent," he exclaimed, =
and then,=20
seeing Natalia less enchanted, he said again, "Look, =
they're=20
playing chess."
"You play chess?" she asked. =
"Yes, I=20
enjoy it. Isn't it your National Sport?"
"Not =
mine," said=20
Natalia. "And not any more my country's. Maybe in my =
father's=20
time." And she smiled softly, and waved at all the =
men,=20
saying, "And these are all our fathers."
Peter =
could=20
see what she meant. The men who sat on the stone =
benches,=20
immersed in their games, the other men who stood =
leaning=20
across them, watching intently, even the men who stood =
talking=20
or eating, or sitting alone - none of them were young, =
maybe=20
all were older than he. They were all "fathers." =
"Many=20
do not work," said Natalia, "and this is somewhere for =
them to=20
come, to meet their friends, to sit and talk, to spend =
the=20
day."
"And to play chess," he added, for this =
still was=20
the most important thing. "It is like a club, and the =
park is=20
their clubhouse."
And so it seemed. Because surely =
the=20
space was set aside for this purpose. Two separate =
large=20
enclosures on one side of the park, filled with stone =
benches=20
set into pairs, and small tables between each pair of =
benches.=20
What a wonderful idea!
There were as many as =
fifty=20
people there. At least a dozen boards in play. He =
sidled=20
closer.
"Vy hateetye pa-eegrat?" asked a voice. =
Peter=20
looked hopelessly at Natalia. "To play?" added the =
voice in=20
stumbling English, before she could respond. =
The man=20
was small, with a short beard, and a cap pulled =
tightly over=20
his forehead. His clothing was dark and quite shabby, =
but his=20
eyes, just noticeable beneath the brim of his hat, =
looked=20
bright and friendly. Peter turned to Natalia for =
permission.=20
"Can I?" he asked.
The man led him to a pair of =
benches=20
where a wooden board was laid out. He gestured to the =
bench,=20
and Peter sat down. "Ten minutes?" said the man, =
motioning to=20
the clock beside the board. This was a chess clock, =
with two=20
dials and two metal plungers on the top, used to set a =
time=20
limit for each player's moves. Peter nodded. The man =
looked at=20
him again. "Five hryvnias?"
He nodded. "Of =
course."=20
Peter started with white, advancing the pawn =
to K-4.=20
He felt pretty good, playing the Ruy Lopez. After a =
few moves=20
he realised his opponent knew the opening too. After a =
few=20
more moves, he realised that he had forgotten what to =
do next.=20
Shortly after this things seemed quickly to go from =
bad to=20
worse. A couple of minutes more and Peter knocked over =
his=20
King.
The man looked at him, his expression =
hardly=20
having changed throughout the contest. "Vladimir," he =
offered,=20
pointing at his stomach. "Like Lenin." He offered his =
hand,=20
the skin rough, his nails worn down, and Peter shook =
it and=20
smiled ruefully. "Peter," he replied. "But not so =
Great." The=20
man looked at him blankly. Peter reached into his =
pocket and=20
searched for five hryvnias, and finding a ten gave =
this=20
instead.
Walking away with Natalia, he said =
nothing.=20
"Did you enjoy that?" she asked, finally.
He =
smiled.=20
"Of course, it was very interesting."
But inside =
he felt=20
less sure. To lose at chess in a park, in a foreign =
land, to=20
this small man with shabby clothes and callused hands. =
This=20
man whose expression had changed only once - when =
Peter had=20
made his first bad move and had looked away in =
disgust, but=20
glanced back in time to see Vladimir winking at a =
friend who=20
sat closeby, as if to say "this is the easiest five =
hryvnias=20
of my day."
Returning to England, Peter played =
chess much=20
more, seeking out friends to challenge, and rereading =
his=20
chess books. It was almost six months later, in early =
March,=20
that he found himself back in Kiev. Spring had not yet =
arrived, and the ground on the park floor was hard and =
frosty=20
as he made his way alone to the cluster of tables and =
benches.=20
The weather made his breath show like fog, and a light =
breeze=20
blew, but still there were twenty figures present in =
the=20
enclosure with five games of chess underway. =
He=20
stopped, standing up against the low wall where the =
nearest=20
game took place. He inspected all those present as =
well as he=20
could but was unable to identify Vladimir. It =
surprised him=20
how disappointed he felt. After waiting a few more =
minutes,=20
imagining himself a stranger, he decided to leave.=20
"Ekskooz mee, sir," said a voice. Peter turned =
to face=20
a man smiling at him. It was a friendly, open smile, =
only made=20
remarkable by a complete lack of teeth. "Game chess?" =
The man=20
lisped. Peter nodded, walking around the wall to join =
him. The=20
man was sixty, at least, and his clothes were gray, =
and shiny=20
from age. With the help of the man's pointing finger =
Peter=20
discovered his name was Ivan. He wore a cap pulled =
tight over=20
his head from which long strands of white hair =
escaped. Peter=20
felt a little guilty at finding such an aged opponent, =
but at=20
the same time was grateful to be playing. He was sure =
Vladimir=20
must have been one of the strongest players in the =
park, and=20
some practice would serve him well.
"Five =
hryvnias,"=20
lisped Ivan as they sat down opposite each other. =
"Are you=20
sure?" he asked, not wishing to take advantage. =
Ivan=20
nodded, and they shook hands.
The game =
started. Ivan=20
played white, and within a couple of minutes Peter =
realised=20
his opponent had left the Queen's Gambit behind for a =
variety=20
of moves he had never before encountered. To make =
matters=20
worse, Ivan played with his tongue pushed hard into =
one cheek.=20
After each move he rotated cheeks. Peter began to find =
this=20
extremely distracting and forced himself to look away =
and=20
concentrate on the board. He did not like what he saw =
there.=20
"Check!" Ivan announced suddenly in a triumphant =
voice, and=20
Peter realised he would be beaten in another =
half-a-dozen=20
moves.
This time he didn't even bother to =
knock over=20
his King. "Thank you very much, Ivan," he said, =
handing over a=20
ten hryvnia note. "Too good." And he shook the man's =
hand, and=20
stumbled away before his toothless smile.
Back =
in=20
London, Peter threw his chess books into the bin. He =
would=20
have ripped them up first for good measure except it =
is not an=20
easy task to rip up a book. But in thought, if not =
deed, they=20
were in pieces. It was maybe three months later, =
clearing up=20
his office, that he came upon a chess book hiding at =
the back=20
of a drawer. It was called "Winning in the Mind," and =
he soon=20
discovered himself sitting on the floor with the open =
book in=20
his hands.
"Positive thinking is most useful =
in all=20
sporting confrontations," it insisted. "But never is =
this more=20
true than in the static games - the confrontations of =
the=20
mind, such as chess, draughts and all competitive =
card-games."=20
There was more, and it made good sense. After =
a while=20
he got up from the floor and sat at his desk, but the =
book=20
never left his hands. Clearly this was where he had =
gone=20
wrong. He had not prepared himself mentally for the =
battle.=20
Chess was a confrontation of the mind - positive =
thinking=20
would be his salvation.
Peter returned to Kiev =
at the=20
height of Summer. He had made some acquaintances on =
his=20
previous two visits, and decided that a week's holiday =
would=20
give him a chance to look them up, and to explore the =
capital=20
further. His rented apartment was, coincidentally, a =
short=20
walk from the Park, but although arriving in early =
afternoon=20
he decided to wait until the next day after a good =
night's=20
rest to make his first visit there. He spent the =
evening=20
munching on food brought from England, playing =
automated games=20
against the computer program on his laptop, and =
reading his=20
secret weapon, "Winning in the Mind."
The =
morning was=20
very pleasant, a clear blue sky, a hot sun overhead, =
but a=20
hint of breeze washing away any discomfort caused by =
the heat.=20
Peter drank coffee and set out for the park. A few =
minutes=20
earlier, Natalia had phoned him on his mobile, but not =
wishing=20
any distractions he allowed it to ring. They could =
speak=20
later.
The Park was very green, and at the =
same time=20
very colorful. Grass, flowers and trees - a lovely =
place to=20
be. He made straight for the chess enclosure, his mind =
focussed, his thoughts positive. In such pleasant =
weather, the=20
benches were almost all full. Only half the tables =
featured=20
chess matches in progress, maybe twelve in all. The =
rest were=20
taken by people eating, drinking and talking. He felt =
a slight=20
distaste for these interlopers, and wondered if the =
other=20
chess players shared this feeling. He wished he could =
ask=20
them, but although he had lately been listening to =
some=20
Russian language CD's in his car, his knowledge was =
much too=20
simple to allow a complicated conversation. He would =
have=20
enjoyed speaking with them. He liked the feeling of=20
camaraderie, of belonging, that these men possessed. =
It seemed=20
such an excellent way to spend one's time. =
Today few=20
of the men wore caps, which made their appearance =
quite=20
different from before. He stared at the faces but =
could not=20
distinguish one from the other, until a stranger began =
speaking to him.
"Like Lenin," Vladimir =
repeated, when=20
he saw that Peter remembered him.
"Ya hatchoo =
pa-eegrat,"=20
Peter said carefully.
Vladimir smiled. "Very good. =
Want to=20
play, yes?"
They sat down. "Shakhmatty," Peter =
said,=20
pointing at the board on which the pieces were already =
in=20
position. Vladimir seemed delighted by this =
newly-acquired=20
grasp of the Russian Language. "Very good, very good. =
Chess,=20
yes?"
Peter nodded.
"Five hryvnias?" =
Vladimir=20
asked, almost apologetically.
He nodded again. =
"Ten=20
minutes, yes?" Vladimir said, gesturing to the clock. =
He held=20
out his hands, and Peter chose the left. He revealed =
the black=20
pawn, giving himself the first move. "Shakhmatty," =
Vladimir=20
chuckled to himself, moving a pawn forward two spaces. =
Peter faced him across the board. Before =
moving he=20
stared into his eyes, imagining the words from his =
book,=20
"Winning in the Mind."
"I am positive. I will do =
my best.=20
I am stronger than you. I will win." He repeated this =
five=20
times to himself until he could almost imagine himself =
floating above the bench, looking down at this small =
man who=20
he would now destroy. A minute had passed when he =
moved his=20
own pawn forward two spaces and pushed down the clock. =
He felt=20
calm and in control, and very confident.
It =
really=20
worked. Right from the start things went better. Peter =
blocked=20
the opening attack and set up a strong and commanding =
centre.=20
He began an attack of his own, marshalling his pieces =
into a=20
position around Vladimir's King. Before long, some of =
the=20
spectators standing nearby peeled away from other =
matches and=20
drifted into positions around their table. This felt =
like a=20
good omen.
He stared at Vladimir, who was =
biting his=20
lower lip helplessly.
"I am positive. I will do my =
best. I=20
am stronger than you. I will win," He repeated to =
himself,=20
moving another piece forward to attack the position =
around his=20
opponent's King. It was then that Vladimir took his =
Queen.=20
"Oh God," Peter said, stunned. "No, no, no! I =
didn't=20
see it!"
The men gathered around the table =
chuckled and=20
murmured sympathetically whilst Vladimir shook his =
head,=20
shrugged his shoulders and held up his hands: an =
international=20
expression that seemed to say that they all knew what =
Peter=20
meant. He studied the board and could see that his =
situation=20
was now hopeless. He bowed his head in some despair, =
then=20
pulled out his wallet to look for a ten-hryvnia note.=20
"Too good," he muttered, handing over the =
money.=20
He wandered back to his apartment in a daze. Where =
had he=20
gone wrong? He was tempted to take "Winning in the =
Mind," and=20
throw it into the bin, but Natalia phoned almost the =
second he=20
came through the door, so he left the book on the =
table and=20
went out to meet her.
It was the next day that the =
answer=20
came to him. He was in Kiev, and if he was going to =
win in his=20
mind then it would have to be in the Russian Language. =
Undoubtedly Ukrainian would have been even better, but =
he=20
already knew a little Russian so this would have to =
do. He=20
spoke to Natalia, who was kind enough to write a =
translation=20
on a piece of paper.
"I am positive. I will do =
my=20
best. I am stronger than you. I will win."
Or: "Ya =
positivno nastroen. Ya prilozhu vse usilya. Ya sil'nee =
tebya.=20
Ya boodoo pabeditelem!"
It took him a day to learn =
by=20
heart, then he returned to the Park for one more try.=20
It was late afternoon and again the Park was =
bathed in=20
sunshine and quite full. He walked across to the chess =
players, a few of whom acknowledged him with waves. =
This felt=20
pleasant, and he waved back cheerfully. Vladimir was =
there,=20
watching a game. When he noticed Peter he also waved =
and Peter=20
walked over. Today Vladimir had a thoughtful =
expression on his=20
face, glancing towards a man standing beside him, then =
Peter.=20
He seemed finally to arrive at a decision. "This =
Alex," he=20
said, motioning towards the man. "Today play Alex. =
Maybe=20
better." Peter looked at Alex. He was younger than =
Vladimir,=20
better dressed, with a hawk-like nose and a broad =
forehead.=20
His eyes were intelligent and piercing, behind =
functional=20
glasses. He looked the ideal of how a chess player =
should=20
look, and Vladimir had said he was better than =
himself. Peter=20
smiled. This would be a challenge.
"Maybe =
better,"=20
Vladimir said again, pointing at his friend. "Play =
Alex.=20
Alex..." And he searched for the English word but =
could not=20
find it. "Alex naveechok," he explained. Peter nodded, =
not=20
understanding, but impressed. Naveechok. It sounded =
pretty=20
good.
He sat down opposite Alex whilst Vladimir =
watched.=20
Alex held out his clenched fists and Peter chose =
white, which=20
meant he could go first. Before moving a piece, Peter =
observed=20
Alex for a moment. Alex sat still under this =
inspection,=20
staring back with a strong expression and piercing =
eyes. But=20
Peter felt good.
"Ya positivno nastroem. Ya =
prilozhnu vse=20
usilya. Ya sil'nee tebya. Ya boodoo pabeditelem!" =
He=20
said this silently with confidence. Then he moved his =
pawn.=20
The game was interesting and exciting. Peter =
developed his=20
pieces well but so did his opponent. Every move he =
made, Alex=20
seemed to have a strong reply. Peter was impressed by =
the=20
quality of his opponent's play, but by repeating the =
mantra to=20
himself he stayed positive. It was on his twentieth =
move that=20
Peter first felt an advantage. Five moves later, he =
captured a=20
pawn without reply. Another five moves and he gained =
his=20
opponent's rook for a knight. And then, with his heart =
beating=20
fast in his ears, on his thirty-sixth move, Peter =
captured the=20
Queen. He sighed with relief and glanced into his =
opponent's=20
eyes. Alex looked sadly at the board, and then reached =
forward=20
to knock over his King. Peter stood up and shook hands =
with=20
his opponent, then glanced across at Vladimir, who he =
was=20
pleased to see smiling. He shook hands with Vladimir =
and then=20
turned and made his way back to his apartment. Victory =
was=20
indeed sweet, and tasted better for the time it had =
taken to=20
achieve.
That night he took Natalia out for a =
meal to=20
celebrate.
"I really do enjoy this country," he =
told her.=20
"The place is so interesting, the company is so =
pleasant..."=20
And here he smiled and was happy to receive a smile =
back.=20
"I could maybe buy a small flat in Kiev, perhaps =
close to=20
the park. It would be an investment and I could spend =
my=20
holidays here. Maybe even find a job..."
"And =
you=20
could play more chess?" she asked, slyly.
Peter =
laughed.=20
"Perhaps." He had told her all about it, of course, =
and it was=20
fine for her to laugh at him a little. For he had told =
the=20
story at least three times - how he had come up =
against this=20
tremendous player called Alex with his strong forehead =
and=20
piercing eyes, and how he had managed to beat him =
eventually=20
after a titanic struggle. In what way had Vladimir =
described=20
Alex? It was a Russian word, but before it had escaped =
him.=20
Only now he remembered. Naveechok.
"A question," Peter =
said. "Can I ask=20
you what does a Russian word mean?"
Natalia =
nodded.=20
"Naveechok?" he said. "What is this?"
Natalia =
looked=20
at him strangely. "Naveechok? In English it means =
beginner.=20
Why do you ask."
"No reason." he replied. =
|
More in the section:
Cossack=20
Kicks
People=20
of the Ring
Read also previous issue'=20
articles:
More=20
Mors please!
Andrey=20
Kurkov: Ukraine's Literary Success
Avenue.=20
A Rock Group
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