The Snake in the Waters [Tom Riddle]

Chapter 19 - [Chess II]

Scotland, Hogwarts: May 1944

Maélys let Tom lead her towards the big table that stood in the middle of the room. She sat down opposite to him and watched as he conjured a chess game.

It was, again, her who had the white pieces which meant that she was the first to begin. Maélys smiled inwardly. She didn't know why he wanted to play the game again. He'd never beat her.

She looked up to him: "Are you sure? Last time we played-"

He silenced her with a look.

"All right," she whispered, but then said loudly, "Pawn to E5!"

This move has several advantages. First, it stakes out the territory. Whichever player controls the center with pawns will probably be able to find good squares for his pieces. Secondly, it opens a diagonal for the king's bishop to move out and attack. And thirdly, the queen could also move out and attack.

"Pawn to E4," he answered. He did that move for the same reasons as her. The pawns are not threatening to capture each other, because pawns capture diagonally. Instead they merely block each other until something breaks the logjam.

"Knight to F3."

Maélys' knight was now in an attack position. She could easily take Tom's black pawn and his choice is restricted that either defend that piece or he might lose it.

"Pawn to F6."

It was a worthless move on Tom's part. It appeared to defend his threatend pawn but it was an illusion. He has weakened the king which meant that now nothing other the king itself protects it.

"Knight to E5."

Maélys attacks immediately, sacrificing her white knight for two of his black pawns. She knew that with the pawns out of the way she can attack his open king forcing him to either surrender more pieces or allow a checkmate.

"Pawn to E5."

Tom didn't make a bad move, but if he put his queen to E7 he would've indirectly attacked everything in the e-file. After the white knight was moved, the queen could take on E4 with check.

Maélys would, however, have a large advantage becaue of her lead and his weakened king. Taking her jnight now merely invites her queen to jump into the fray witha simple check.

And she did exactly that.

"Queen to H5."

It was the game's first check. And Tom had multiple ways to respond it it. It was impossible for him to capture her queen because he had nothing which could move to her position. Or he could interpose a piece between his king and her queen, moving a pawn to G6 but then he'd lose a rook.

So, he simply moves his king out of check:

"King to E7."

That leaves Tom's king in a dangerous position because it's exposed and furthermore, his rooks, bishops and queen have no way to get out.

"Queen to E5."

Another check. Tom now has only one move that he could do:

"King to F7."

The white queen might be a dangerous attacker but because it was too valuable to trade for anything it can only take undefended pieces. Which meant that Maélys had done everything that her queen could do by itself. It was time to bring reinforcements.

"Bishop to C4."

It was an excellent move to keep the pressure on Black because it develops a piece and gives check while preventing Tom from consolidating.