A Dubious Move

Recently I found the April/May 1983 issue of CHESS 'n stuff which contains the very first chess story that I had ever had published. It was fun to read through it again, although it made me groan as much as when I wrote it.

A Dubious Move

The Grandmaster had played the move. The Master, as his second, had recommended it. The Patzer, in a blaze of glory, had invented it.

It had cost them the World Championship.

Each now faced a very certain future in a country that tolerated no failure: the firing squad.

The Grandmaster eyed his executioners with ill-concealed contempt. As they raised their rifles, his eyes flew to the snow-covered mountains, and he bellowed "Avalanche!"

The troops scattered in disarray. When some thought to look back, they saw nothing – save a set of new foot prints disappearing into the deep woods. The GM was gone.

The Master, in turn, took his place. No sooner had the recovered men shouldered their weapons than they heard the ringing, fear-laden phrase, "Earthquake!"

The ranks did not hold. As they returned in their embarassment, the soldiers noted a new set of treacks, and one less pawnpusher.

It was the Patzer's turn, but he was prepared. At the appointed time he confidently gaped at the forest, gesticulated wildly in its direction, and conjured up his own natural disaster.

"Fire!"

That was the first thing that anyone got right all day.