It was with a heavy heart that Yuri trudged over to the abandoned chess board. The cadet rarely attempted to play on his own, as he found it rather tedious and difficult to battle himself in a game of strategy and deception. He bent down to sweep up the board and pieces, strewn across the pristine floor. A bit too loudly, he placed the board on the nearest free table so he could swiftly move the pieces to starting position. His expression stoic—a rare sight, as he was usually bubbling with excitement and puppy-like grins—he began the game with the Ruy Lopez. The beginning moves were always the easiest, almost done out of rote memorization as the experienced rarely deviated from the usual chain. Each time he set down a piece in its predicted position, he immediately spun the board by the corner in order to counter appropriately.
“Mind if I jump in, cadet?” A deep voice interrupted Yuri’s thoughts and left the chess board spinning until a broad hand reached down to carefully grasp one of its sides. When the boy looked up, he found himself face to face with another recruitment officer. His demeanor morphed to suit the situation. Smiling genially, he held out a hand toward the empty chair.
“Certainly, sir. It’s black’s turn right now,” he replied. He lowered his head so he could examine the white pieces in front of him. Curious eyes wandered up to stare at the burly man as he moved a rook forward.
“Tell me, cadet,” the officer began. They exchanged one move after the other, almost as if they intended to end the game in a matter of minutes, but the rapid pacing set Yuri’s heart racing and his mouth stretching into a wild grin. “Do you play chess often?”
“It depends on what you mean by often, sir. I do play it a couple times a week, but sometimes more dependin’ on my mood.” The cadet answered faithfully. “I wouldn’t want to take too much time away from my schoolwork.”
He heard the grin in the man’s voice as the officer made a counter. “Speaking of schoolwork, how is it? Heavy burden on your shoulders?”
Yuri paused from the game, looking up to smile reassuringly. No matter what the cadet actually thought, the smile seemed genuine and the reply convincing, “Not at all, sir. I’m doin’ perfectly fine, and I have high hopes I’ll do well.”
The officer nodded. “Good, good, and on that note, what do you expect to be doing post-graduation?”
The conversation continued in that matter, with the man casually asking one question after the other and Yuri faithfully answering to the best of his abilities. He sat with his back straight and always grinning or smiling when he answered like he was in an interview, but the boy had a way of making it appear natural, like he always did it. Over the course of the questioning, the two had gone through a number of games, each with a unique strategy or set of moves showcased by one or the other. The cadet had even managed to steal a couple of wins from the adult.
Yuri stood up, stretching his arms and rolling his neck. “It was a pleasure talkin’ with you, sir. You really pushed me to my limits.” He laughed as he reached for the man’s hand and shook it firmly.
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