Haley's pov
Hi I'm Haley Harmon and I'm a chess player I started when I was eight years old and I'm in high school now and I still play. I'm an orphan and at the orphanage the janitor taught me how to play and a nice family adopted me. My dad left my mom so it's just me and my mom and I'm really good at chess everyone i play I beat and the last chess tournament I went to I beat everyone. My mom and I are Cincinnati for a chess tournament.
We get to our motel room and I run up to the bed and plop down on it.
Haley says"this is awesome!
Mom laughs.
A few minutes later after we're all settled in I go downstairs to put my name in for my game in a few minutes and figure out a few details and then I go to the lounge area and as I'm walking up the stairs I hear a conversation and stop to listen in.
Man says"and the rook comes to the seventh rank. That right there...that is a bone in the throat. Guy takes one look at this, he pays up, 20 bucks. The caro-kann defense, genuine bummer.
Person says"what's wrong with Caro-kann?
Man says"it's all pawns and no hope. Here, look, I'll show you, all right? This is caro-kann.
Haley turns to see the chess board and thinks about it.
Haley says"I'd take the night.
Haley walks the rest of the way up the stairs and stands by there table.
Man says"you're um...
Man looks at me.
Man says"aren't you that kid from Kentucky who wiped out Harry beltik?
Haley says"if you take his knight, then you double his pawns.
Man says"big deal. Like I said, it's all pawns...and no hope. Let me show you how you win black. Watch this. What does white do here?
Person and Haley say" queen takes pawn.
Man says"queen takes pawn. Room to eight. Check queen falls.
Person says"that's Mieses-Reshevsky.
Man says"yeah.
Person says"from the 30's.
Man says"very good. Margate, 1935.
Person says"white played rook to queen one.
Man says"what else has he got? All right, I gotta go.
Man starts packing up his chess.
Man says"hey you know what for reshevsky, he was playing like that...
Man turns and looks at me.
Man says"back when he was you're age little girl. Or even younger.
Man stands up and I look at him.
Haley says"are you playing?
Man says"oh, what here? Nah, nah. Just come through, see some old friends. And plus, playing to man opens...it can only hurt me, you know what I mean right.
Man smiles at me.
Man says"good luck.
Haley says"thanks.
Later that day I beat everyone I played and now I'm in the room going over my chess games to make sure I didn't make any mistakes.
Mom says"how was you're day?
Haley says"good. I met another chess player today.
Mom says"is it a guy?
Haley turns to her mom.
Haley says"yes.
Mom says"tell me everything.
Haley smiles.
Haley says"there nothing to tell.
Mom says"I can tell gg the look on you're face that you like him.
Haley says"I do not!
Mom says"mmhmm.
Haley says"I don't know he's different then everyone else that I've met playing chess and we both like it and we have stuff in common and he's good looking so yeah maybe there's a chance that I like him.
Mom says"theres not a chance you definitely like him.
Haley blushes and looks away.
The end of the chapter.
