Cote Crossovers | Alternative Universe.

『Chapter 7 - Real Introduction』

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Checkmate.

This two-syllable word ranked among the coolest in the English language, at least in my opinion. I realized others might disagree, each with their own reasons, but for me, there was something captivating about it.

Ironically, “checkmate” wasn’t even originally English. It was derived from the Persian phrase “shāh māt,” meaning “the king is helpless.”

The fact that my favorite English word wasn’t English at all added to its allure. Despite its foreign origins, it held a mysterious vibe that I’ve never quite been able to pinpoint.

I first encountered this arrangement of letters as a child, playing chess with my father, who reveled in defeating me. At the time, I didn’t understand its meaning; I just knew that he said it whenever our games ended. That was why I assumed it meant something like “game over,” though I later learned that wasn’t the case.

Checkmate was not just an ending, but a declaration of victory in chess. It occured when a player’s king was in check and there were no legal moves to escape. Reaching checkmate meant the outcome was clear and undeniable. However, everyone knew that not every chess game concluded with victory or defeat.

There were other potential ‘endings’, most notably stalemates and draws. While all stalemates were draws, not all draws were stalemates. This subtle distinction was often lost on casual players, leading to confusion and debate.

All in all, many disliked these ‘outcomes,’ and I used to be one of them. Everyone wished to see a checkmate, rather than a draw caused by a miscalculation or a minor oversight. It was definitely frustrating when victory slips away from our grasp at the very last second, especially after dominating the game.

I felt this frustration frequently when playing against my old man during my childhood. He never let me win, even out of pity. But over time, I improved and managed to secure a few victories, but that didn’t last for long.

My father, taking the games more seriously as I grew older, often maneuvered them into draws. I disliked that.

Whenever I neared victory, he would somehow turn the tables, not just forcing a draw but often achieving a stalemate.

Back then, I didn’t know the difference between the two. I initially thought they were just different types of “game over,” but I was wrong again.

In a sense, stalemates were worse.

Interestingly, many others also struggle to distinguish between the two. Some even use the terms interchangeably, which wasn’t accurate and has led to many heated debates.

The truth was, the relationship between them was one of implication, not equivalence.

A stalemate occured when a player has no legal moves left, yet their king wasn’t in check. It was a frustrating position — so close to checkmate, yet still so far. The anguish it caused should never be underestimated, especially if it happened unexpectedly.

Other situations could also lead to a draw, such as when both players agree to a tie, or when they repeatedly engage in a repeated sequence of moves or perpetual checks, which were international rules.

There were other additional rules — that high-level chess games, especially online ones, often had that casual players who don’t participate in tournaments might not be aware of — which also resulted in a draw.

But that raised some questions.

What could there be to add?

Were they even necessary?