Mister Rogers woke up as he heard a noise coming from outside the bedroom. He got up slowly and sneaked to the door of the living-room. He opened it carefully. The lights were on and he wondered if he had forgotten to turn them off last night. He entered and saw suddenly a burglar sitting at his desk. The man was dressed in black, studying a position on the chessboard that Mr.Rogers had left there last night.
Last evening before he went to bed Mr. Rogers had set up and replayed a game from the American chess genius Paul Morphy. The position that has fascinated him, was still on the board.
He went back slowly to another room, opened a drawer, grabbed the pistol that was put aside here years before, just in case. Then he went back to the living room terribly nervous. Something like that never had happened to him before.
"Hey!...you! What are you doing in my apartment? Who, the hell, are you?"
"This rook sacrifice here is just ingenious", the stranger said.
"Morphy was the greatest..oh yes..he surely was."
Mr. Rogers came closer, his hand shivered a bit as he cramped his fingers around the pistol.
"But Black could have defended better", the stranger continued, starring at the board "simply playing king e7!"
"That doesn't work because of Rook e6+," answered Mr. Rogers unfriendly, "and Black loses his queen or Morphy gets a devastating attack."
"I don't believe that. Black can retreat with his king eventually and then he should be pretty save."
"Let's see!" said Mr.Rogers came closer and had a close look at the board.
This stranger seemed to be a good player because his move made a lot of sense, thought Mr.Rogers. He wondered why he didn't see this move himself last night.
To retreat with the king looked a bit sick, but this move seemed to hold the position together.
"This can't be! Morphy would have seen that move. There must be something else that we have overlooked." said Mr. Rogers excited.
"Even world champions don't see everything", commented the stranger. Somewhat upset Mr. Rogers hand came down and put the pistol on the edge of the table. Was it possible that Morphy could have overlooked that?
"But no! When the king retreats Morphy sacrifices his knight on f7!", exclaimed Mr.Rogers getting really excited, "then the whole position will collapse." Mr. Rogers made the move on the board immediately.
"Hmmm...yes...looks damned dangerous", murmured the stranger "but the position is unclear..."
"Unclear? Why? Move something!" Mr.Rogers encountered.
"Well I don't have to recapture the knight, I can sacrifice the exchange on c3 instead. After that the attack is gone ...I got more material and win in the endgame."
"Before the endgame the gods have placed the middlegame," recited Mr.Rogers a chessmaster. He couldn't remember from whom this quote originated but it seemed to fit well here. "and we are still in the middlegame!" Mr.Rogers continued and then he gave first a check with his knight and recaptured the rook afterwards.
"Now you are finished! Your position is wrecked." exclaimed Rogers.
"Yes..damned! I didn't see that! I haven't played chess for a long time. Okay! I better go now. I still have to work."
The stranger stood up and went to the window while Rogers still thought about the position..
The stranger left finally through the open window and Mr.Rogers was still not quite sure if the king's retreat suggested by the stranger, was the saving move.