The semifinal against Gustav felt different from everything that came before. Maybe it was the crowd that had grown larger, or maybe it was because I knew I was two wins away from the tournament title. Either way, my hands felt steadier than they had all day.
Gustav looked nervous. He kept fidgeting with his pieces during setup, arranging and rearranging them like he couldn't get comfortable. I'd watched some of his earlier games during the break—solid player, but he made predictable moves under pressure. That was something I could work with.
Game One: Setting the Trap
Gustav opened with 1.e4, and I responded with my usual 1...e5. When he continued with 2.Nf3 and 3.Bc4, I recognized the Italian Game setup. Perfect. I played 3...Nf6, and then Gustav made the move I was hoping for: 4.Ng5.
He was going for the Fried Liver Attack—one of the most aggressive openings in chess, where White sacrifices a knight to drag Black's king out into the open. Most kids my age would panic seeing this attack coming. But I'd spent hours studying it with Jay's old Fischer tapes.
I played 4...d5, and Gustav's eyes lit up like he'd just found treasure. He captured with 5.exd5, and I took back with 5...Nxd5, exactly as the opening requires. Then came his knight sacrifice: 6.Nxf7.
Gustav was grinning now, probably thinking he had me trapped. But here's the thing about the Fried Liver—it only works if Black doesn't know the defense. And I'd memorized every single line.
I captured his knight with 6...Kxf7, and he brought out his queen with 7.Qf3+. My king had to move to e6—the only square that kept my knight protected. Gustav played 8.Nc3, adding more pressure to my pinned knight.
This was the critical moment. Instead of the panicked moves Gustav expected, I calmly played 8...Nb4, simultaneously defending my knight and threatening to fork his king and rook with ...Nxc2+. Gustav's confident expression started to fade.
His attack had run out of steam, but I was up a full piece. A few more moves and his position collapsed completely. He resigned with a frustrated sigh, probably wondering how his "killer attack" had backfired so badly.
Mikhail Tal – Beginner (790 / 10,000) +30
Game Two: Grinding It Out
Gustav looked shaken as we set up for the second game. This time, he played more conservatively—a Queen's Gambit that led to a quiet middlegame. We traded pieces methodically, both of us trying to avoid mistakes.
The position simplified into a rook endgame where I had a slight advantage—better pawn structure and a more active king. Gustav defended well, but I slowly improved my position, pushing my passed pawn and coordinating my pieces.
After nearly an hour of maneuvering, I managed to win his weak pawn and convert the extra material. Nothing flashy, just solid technique grinding out the win. Gustav shook my hand gracefully—he knew he'd been outplayed.
Mikhail Tal – Beginner (820 / 10,000) +30
Two wins. I was in the finals.
While I was finishing up with Gustav, the other semifinal was wrapping up. Spencer, who'd looked confident all tournament, was packing up his pieces in disappointment. His opponent—a thin kid with wire-frame glasses and an intense stare—was calmly organizing his board.
Sanjay Patel.
I knew that name. Alex had mentioned him before, usually with the kind of exasperation reserved for people who made her work harder than she wanted to. "He's so annoyingly good at everything," she'd complained after some school competition. "Like, who needs to be that prepared for a first-grade math quiz?"
Watching Sanjay analyze his game with Spencer, I could see what Alex meant. Everything about him screamed methodical preparation.
If I remember correctly, there was an episode where Alex and Sanjay competed for valedictorian in middle school through sports, that was before they got into a relationship , In that episode his father had mentioned that sanjay was the best player in the state at chess , i guess that probably checked out as he reached till the finals here, but there is no way i am going to let him beat me , besides looking at his game i have a rough idea of how to beat him .
During the break, Cam practically tackled me with a hug. "Finals, baby! FINALS!" His voice cracked on the second word, and several parents turned to stare.
"Easy, Cam," Mitchell said, though he looked pretty excited too. "Don't jinx it."
Jay pulled me aside while Cam was busy explaining my "strategic brilliance" to anyone who'd listen. "You're playing well, kid. But this next one's different. I watched some of his games—he's not like the others. He's thinking three moves ahead while they're still figuring out what piece to move."
"I know," I said. "Alex talks about him sometimes. He's the one who beats her in school competitions."
Alex:"I don't always talk about him and you don't have to mention that "
Phil materialized next to us, having apparently snuck away from Claire's supervision. "Want some magic advice for the finals?"
"Phil," Jay warned.
"No, seriously! Sometimes the best magic trick is making your opponent think you're doing one thing when you're really doing another. Misdirection, you know?"
Actually, that wasn't terrible advice, maybe I could use that .
The Finals: Game One
The tournament director announced the final match with more ceremony than the earlier rounds. Cameras from the local news station set up around our table. Suddenly, this felt like a big deal.
Sanjay and I shook hands across the board. His grip was firm, confident. No nervous fidgeting like Gustav or cocky smirking like Drake. Just calm focus.
"Good luck," he said politely.
"You too."
I had White for the first game. After some thought, I decided to open with 1.e4. If Sanjay was as prepared as Alex suggested, he'd probably have studied all the main defenses. But I had something special ready.
He responded with 1...e5, and I continued with the Italian Game: 2.Nf3, 3.Bc4. When he played 3...Nf6, I pushed 4.Ng5, just like Gustav had tried against me.
Sanjay paused. I could see him calculating, running through the variations in his head. But instead of the solid defense I expected, he played 4...d5?!, walking right into the Fried Liver Attack.
I couldn't believe it. Either Sanjay had made a rare mistake, or he was more confident in his defensive skills than I'd given him credit for. Either way, I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.
5.exd5 Nxd5, 6.Nxf7!
The sacrifice landed on the board with a sharp click. Sanjay stared at the position for a long moment, then calmly captured: 6...Kxf7.
7.Qf3 + Ke6, and we'd reached the critical position I'd studied so many times. But unlike my practice games, this felt different. Sanjay wasn't panicking or making desperate moves. He was calculating calmly, even with his king exposed in the center.
I played 8.Nc3, and he responded with the sharp 8...Nb4!—the same defense I'd used against Gustav. But I was ready for it this time. Instead of letting him consolidate, I launched a direct attack on his exposed king with 9.Qe4, threatening multiple checkmates.
Sanjay found the best defense, but the pressure was mounting. His king was running all over the board while I brought more pieces into the attack. Finally, after a brilliant queen sacrifice that opened up all the lines to his king, I forced checkmate in the center of the board.
The room erupted. Even Sanjay looked impressed as he studied the final position.
"That was beautiful," he said, extending his hand. "I walked right into it."
Mikhail Tal – Beginner (850 / 10,000) +30
The Finals: Game Two
For the second game, I had Black. Sanjay opened with 1.e4, and I was ready with my prepared defense: the Sicilian Dragon. 1...c5.
Sanjay raised an eyebrow—probably expecting me to stick with more classical defenses. But the Sicilian fit my mood perfectly. Sharp, unbalanced, full of tactical possibilities.
The game developed along typical Sicilian lines. Sanjay played precisely, trying to build up a kingside attack while I worked on the queenside. Both of us castled on opposite sides, setting up for a race where whoever attacked faster would win.
The middlegame was intense—piece sacrifices, pawn storms, both kings coming under fire. I could feel Tal's influence guiding my moves, pointing out tactical shots that looked impossible but somehow worked.
But Sanjay was holding his own. Every time I thought I'd gained an advantage, he found a resource to stay in the game. We were both down to minutes on our clocks, playing rapid-fire moves in a position that was getting more and more complex.
Then, with about thirty seconds left on both clocks, Sanjay pushed a pawn that opened up his king just a fraction too much. I saw the tactic immediately—a queen and rook battery that would force his king into a mating net.
But instead of going for the flashy checkmate, I played a simpler move that won his queen for two minor pieces. Sanjay looked at the position for a few seconds, realized his time was almost up, and resigned.
The tournament director stood up. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have our champion!"
Mikhail Tal – Beginner (900 / 10,000) +50
Tournament Victory Bonus: +100
Mikhail Tal – Beginner (1000 / 10,000)
The trophy was smaller than I'd expected, but holding it felt incredible. Cam was crying—actual tears—and taking pictures like I'd just won the World Championship. Mitchell looked proud but was trying to play it cool. Jay gave me a firm handshake and a rare smile.
Even Alex grudgingly congratulated me. "Don't let it go to your head," she said. "Sanjay probably just had an off day."
But I could tell she was impressed. Beating the kid who usually outscored her in school competitions was no small feat.
As we packed up to leave, Sanjay approached me one more time.
"That was a good match," he said. "I underestimated the Fried Liver preparation. Next time, I'll be ready."
"Next time," I agreed.
Something told me this wouldn't be our last encounter. Smart kids like Sanjay didn't forget lessons like this—they used them to get stronger. And honestly? I was looking forward to the rematch.But i would probably be way better than this level by then .
For now, though, I was content to be the elementary school chess champion of the district. It wasn't the World Championship, but it was mine.
Walking to the car with my trophy, I reflected on what had changed over these two days. When I first sat down for that first game against Drake, I'd been playing chess to improve my templates, to grind EXP and unlock new abilities.
But somewhere during the tournament, that had shifted. The system rewards were still nice, but they weren't the main draw anymore. I wanted to win for the pure satisfaction of it—the thrill of outmaneuvering opponents, of seeing a complex plan come together, of proving that preparation and hard work could overcome natural talent.
Maybe that was what growing up really meant. Not just getting older or unlocking new abilities, but finding something you genuinely cared about beyond the mechanical rewards.
Chess was becoming that for me. And with opponents like Sanjay around, I had a feeling the best games were still ahead.
I guess I should start working on that Youtube project of mine now.
[Status Screen: Updated]
Mikhail Tal – Beginner (1000 / 10,000)
Tournament performance: Multiple opening traps executed successfullyFried Liver Attack mastery: +60 EXP total from gamesTournament victory: +100 EXP bonusNext milestone approaching: Intermediate rank at 1000 EXP
Kazuma Satou – Intermediate (10 / 10,000)
No change during chess competition.
Patrick Jane – Beginner (235 / 15,000)
+5 EXP: Reading opponent psychology and crowd dynamics during tournament play.