The two men lock eyes across the battlefield. Everything has started. They both live in the heat of the moment, knowing that one wrong move could mean the end.
Joey is 95. Tom is 94, and he hopes his young mind will give him an edge over the more experienced tactician. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he waits for his chance.
“This is a story of friendship, love and drama,” begins Joey, motioning to the chessboard in front of him. “Look how your pawns cluster together around your king. They’re terrified. The poor villagers cling to each other, paying lip service to defending their lord when really, they want his protection.”
Tom laughs. From a certain angle, it just might seem that way. The clock keeps ticking as Joey continues.
“Your knight here is this bishop's cousin. Younger cousin. He always looked up to that good man of the cloth, so he follows him around like his personal guard dog. Why, if I tried to move against your bishop he'd cut me down in an instant! You see? That's loyalty, a true Platonic bond.”
Tom drums his fingers against the table, beginning to lose patience. “Yes, Joey, you’re very clever. I see that philosophy degree you decorate your wall with wasn't a complete waste of money after all. Now, can we get on with it? You have less than a minute.”
“Settle down, my dear fellow, I was just getting to the point. The point being your queen. War is no place for a lady like that, but she still stands by her king instead of running to sanctuary. So devoted.” Joey moves his bishop down the line. “But now, I'm afraid your knights won't reach her in time. Tell me, will she stand and fight, or run away?”
Tom studies the board. If his queen takes out that bishop, she's lost to Joey's knight on his next move. Of course Joey expects him to back down. A queen is too valuable to trade for a bishop, everybody knows that.
But not everybody knows numbers. Tom does. Tom knows numbers better than most people who do know numbers, and after spending a lifetime balancing multibillion dollar books, assessing this game is like child's play.
“You always did have a romantic streak, old friend, but the simple truth of the matter is that we're down to a war of attrition, and I have twice as many resources.” Tom nods at the board, keeping his own words short and to the point. “Once a company starts to bleed too red, there's nothing to do but salvage the wreckage. If your king were a CEO, he might notice that he has only six pieces left beside him.”
Tom picks up his queen. Joey is his best friend, but it needs to be done. Capturing his opponent's bishop, he finishes his story. “And now he has five.”
Joey smiles. There is only one piece he neglected to mention in his story - Tom's rook. That forgotten castle is the only thing in his way. His knight stays in place, standing guard while his own queen moves forward, angled to the left. The empty towers capitulate before her.
“Checkmate.”
The sound of leaves blowing across the sidewalk can be heard as the two men shake hands. Today, Tom and Joey accept what they had always suspected to be true.
Tom is still the smartest accountant in town, but Joey is the master of the game.
Written for Task #2 of the Second Creative Writing Challenge run by 