small extract from queenswap, which should be updating in a few days :) i know i said no writing before my exams, but this one is different cus it’s a vent fic.
“Alright, so one of the endings to a game of chess is called a stalemate. It’s when the enemy’s king isn’t under direct attack, but the player has no legal moves, because all the squares surrounding their king <i>are</i> under attack.”
“So he’s stuck?” Anne’s voice ascended with uncertainty, as she gazed at the board between them. A solitary white king stood, trapped on his square by the enemy’s queen, but not in check.
“Exactly!” Marcy explained. “He’s trapped from all angles, but safe exactly where he is.” She gestured to the board, pointing at the forlorn king. “In chess, because you can’t skip a turn by choosing not to play, a stalemate means the game is over. If you can’t move anywhere, but you have to move, the game ends in a draw.”
“That’s kinda sad,” Anne muttered. “Poor king’s got nowhere to go.”
Marcy shrugged. “At least he’s alive.”
