"What kind of chess game is this?"
Chess!
Due to a historical deviation, the homeland disappeared after the Spring and Autumn Period. Without the Chu-Han Contention, there was naturally no more chess.
But when he had nothing to do, he made it himself. He often played chess with Ai at home, but he was always the one who got beaten.
With the intelligence of a research-oriented girl, beating a terrible chess player like him would be a piece of cake.
Even Ai is now reluctant to play with him, fearing that Yuzuru's terrible chess skills will affect her level. She would rather play against Ai's Nendoroid cards, where neither of them can break the other's dead moves.
"The Chu River and Han Border, that sounds pretty good."
"Ikehashi Shizuka said softly. After listening to Yuzuru Nan's explanation of the rules, she picked up the black general in front of her with great interest and examined it carefully in her hand.
"How about it, Master? Want a couple of rounds?"
Yuzuru smiled, looking slightly impatient.
Although his skill level isn't particularly high, he could definitely bully a complete beginner who's just started playing chess.
If his opponents weren't all familiar faces, he would have at least shown them what it meant to be a chess master of the Han Dynasty.
If you're playing chess without a helmet, what kind of chess are you playing?
"Alright, then your master will play two rounds with you." Chibo Jinghua smiled slightly and put the black general back in its original position.
She holds black, while Yuzuru holds red.
Just as they were about to begin, Yu Sheng Nan suddenly suggested, "Master, playing chess isn't fun without stakes. Shall we bet something?"
His tone carried a hint of cunning.
Hearing her clumsy apprentice want to wager something on her, someone who was playing chess for the first time, Ikeba Shizuka was both amused and annoyed. She gently tapped his forehead and said, "Fine, then tell me what you want to wager."
Yuzuru tilted his head and thought for a moment before saying, "Let's stick a note on it. Whoever loses has to stick a note on their forehead."
He was secretly plotting something, thinking that since Master Jinghua was still a novice, he should take advantage of her and bully her a bit.
When Ai was a beginner, he beat her badly and she lost a lot of bets. The first time she called him "Dad" was because she lost a game of chess to him and was forced to fulfill her own bet.
However, since the relationship with Master Jinghua hadn't reached that level yet, the stakes weren't that high.
Meanwhile, Shizuka Ikemura watched as Nanami Hanyu happily cut paper strips, and she was also somewhat surprised.
She had originally thought that her clumsy apprentice, whose thoughts were written all over his face, would propose some difficult bets, but to her surprise, he was satisfied with just a childish sticky note. This made her feel guilty for the little thoughts she had had earlier.
The bet was made, and the game began.
Yuzuru Hanyu confidently set up his first cannon, exuding an imposing aura and appearing determined to win.
Meanwhile, Shizuka Ikemami calmly familiarized herself with the rules, taking each step with extreme caution and seriously responding to Nanami Hanyu's attacks.
The horse moves in an L-shape, the elephant moves diagonally, and the pawn moves forward and never returns.
The rules of chess are not too difficult and are easy to learn, but being able to learn does not mean being proficient. The real test is a player's ability to strategize and react.
"Master, the general is drawing the chariot!"
Yuzuru looked at the black pieces on the board that he had almost finished capturing, a smug smile on his face, and then casually removed Ikenami Shizuka's last rook.
The outcome is decided; it's time to post the results.
Under the calm gaze of Chi Bojinghua, he breathed on her and placed the note on her smooth forehead.
However, Yuzuru's smugness didn't last long. He forgot something crucial: besides being a kendo master, Shizuka Ikenami had another identity—she was Kazuha's karuta teacher and the former karuta queen.
She possesses both the strategic skills and adaptability required for chess.
Karuta games also require quick reflexes and precise strategic planning, abilities that can play a significant role in chess games as well.
Unfamiliar with the rules, Ikenami Shizuka lost a few matches, her forehead covered in notes. But she quickly figured it out and fought fiercely with Hanyu Nan.
At one point, a smile suddenly appeared on Ikebami Shizuka's face. She gently moved her horse and said, "Xiao Nan, your chariot is dead~"
As Yuzuru looked at his chariot, which had been lured into a corner and was now trapped under the hooves of a horse, the furrowed brows that had been tightly furrowed since the start of the game relaxed.
He calmly picked up the cart, made a turn in the air, ate her horse with his backhand, and then said, "No, Master, it was your horse that died."
Ikeba Shizuka didn't speak, but simply raised her head, her eyes, as clear as autumn water, quietly looking at him.
"Master, this is an off-road vehicle. It can not only go straight, but also turn corners," Yu Shengnan explained without blushing or skipping a beat, his expression completely calm.
Ikeba Shizuka looked at him, nodded slightly, and continued playing chess. After a moment, she looked up again.
Then, Yu Sheng Nan casually removed her rook from the chessboard and said, "This is my swift horse, it can move in a square, is that alright?"
Ikenami Shizuka: "..."
In the following game, Shizuka Ikenami fully demonstrated to Kusunoki Hanyu what it means to be the queen of karuta, with each move carefully considered and cleverly laid out.
Hanyu Nan also showed Ikenami Shizuka what the final interpretation right means.
“Master, I’m a special forces soldier, I can turn back.”
"Isn't it said that elephants can't cross rivers?"
“Alas, Master, you don’t understand. This is Dumbo, of course it can cross the river.”
"Then why can your cannon hit my cannon even though it's two pieces away?"
"Of course it's because..."
Yuzuru smiled and took away Ikenami Shizuka's cannon, saying, "This is called a mortar."
It must be said that Master Jinghua's chess etiquette is truly excellent.
Despite being covered in notes and cheating by Yuzuru, she remained calm and composed as she rearranged the pieces and began playing a game of Go.
"So, how did you outmaneuver me this time?"
Looking at the game before her, where she was just one move away from winning, Ikeba Shizuka's chest heaved slightly.
"Soldiers!"
Yuzuru replied matter-of-factly.
Chibo Jinghua narrowed her eyes slightly, "You took my soldiers and used them to checkmate me?"
"No, no, no, Master, you're wrong!"
Yu Shengnan held up a finger and shook it in front of her eyes. "This is not your soldier, Master. This is an undercover agent that I have been training for many years, waiting for this crucial moment."
"..."
"Hoo~" Ikeba Shizuka silently took a deep breath.
After a moment, her breathing became steady. She picked up her training sword from the side and said calmly, "I suddenly remembered that it seems like it's been a long time since your master has tested your swordsmanship progress..."
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