Honestly, it was like having a microsleep after driving for so many hours nonstop. Claudia didn’t even feel tired, but sohow, her consciousness slipped for just thirty seconds, making a move like an instinct, and the next mont, she realized what she had just done; the disaster was already on her side.
She had done so well since the beginning of the ga, defending her territory with her life for more than 3 hours non-stop. However, one slip in the 68th move was enough to destroy everything, as she basically just gave Bu Xiangzhi a way to sneak his pawn into her territory.
The mistake itself was not that obvious. It was so subtle that the man had to think carefully for a second. However, the Chinese GM figured out a mistake was on the board even before he realized what it was. The instinct honed over more than 20 years of playing definitely didn’t disappoint him, as he found the correct move to capitalize on the situation.
"Yes, he found it... There is no way he couldn’t find it..." Sheva’s tone was so dejected when he saw Bu Xiangzhi’s last move. "With him retreating his bishop, he could reroute it to block Claudia’s route to bring back her rook to protect the promotion square. Combined with how the man’s rook is blocking the route for her king to cross the C file to go to the promotion square, she has to sacrifice her bishop if she doesn’t want a new queen to invade her side."
Froggies: Damn it! All that fight... Just to get nothing...
Dreria: Hey, hey, this should be within everyone’s expectation, right?
Froggies: Can a man dream a little here?
Everyone basically had written Claudia off after this mistake. In their mind, the situation was so dire right now, and coupled with her ti that was almost up, with no additional ti, there was no way the girl could create a counterplay.
The girl herself also noticed this. She started to panic, her forehead sweating furiously. Hell, she might not notice it, but her hand was shaking when she picked her piece to make a move.
’What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?!’ She shrieked inwardly, her brain froze even just for a second. ’I have to sacrifice my bishop! Yes! That is the only way! At least, it is still better than letting him get a new queen!’
After convincing herself with that move, the girl didn’t want to waste more ti here, knowing that every second would be precious for her panicked state. With her letting her bishop off the board, that ant she only had a rook on her side, with Bu Xiangzhi having a light bishop and a rook trying to take advantage of this position.
Of course, even with her being down one bishop, that didn’t an Claudia wanted to give up. No, she still fought relentlessly, trying her best to let her king run as far away as possible while also trying to trick the Chinese GM into exchanging rooks. That was probably her only chance to survive this ordeal, since one bishop was definitely far from enough for him to checkmate her.
Unfortunately, ti was not on her side this ti.
She had less than two minutes to go, and the girl had to defend this delicate position with her life. This, combined with her first mistake, was like a domino effect, with her suffering from more mistakes later on.
’No, this cannot do.’ Claudia shook her head slightly. ’My king is already cornered, and if I let my rook out of my king’s sight, I will not be able to defend it. I have to find a way...’
With one minute left, though, nothing she could do to save this position. Bu Xiangzhi played like a well-oiled machine, so precise without making even a single mistake on the board. When Claudia realized that all of her moves for the rest of the ga were forced, she knew that a mate was on the horizon, and it was ti to accept reality.
So, she just stopped the clock, offering a handshake to show her resignation.
"Good ga." She smiled, albeit a bit forcefully.
"Good ga too." Bu Xiangzhi replied with a heavy Chinese accent. "You are... You are..." The man seed to struggle with his words, clearly showing his lack of English ability. After waiting for a while, Claudia finally heard what the man wanted to say. "You are... Very good in surviving."
It was just a short complint, but this was enough to trigger a genuine smile on her face. This might be the first ti Claudia received such praise from a high-level GM, and honestly, this was probably sweeter than the defeat itself.
Of course, the praise she received from Sheva didn’t count here. The boy was her teacher, so it was his obligation to do that if she had done a good job. However, this? This Bu Xiangzhi basically praised her for her own ability, and there was nothing more she could ask for from this ga.
Well... Maybe anything but an L, but the girl herself was quite realistic, knowing that she was not his opponent since the mont the pairing was out. Sheva was probably the only one who still hoped that she could get even half a point here, but the boy was the definition of a miracle since the beginning of his career, so his expectation was definitely too high for her.
In the end, Claudia just nodded slightly and said, "Thank you," before leaving the table with her head held high. That was when the girl felt like all the strength she had was drained, the after effect of having to fight for about four hours non-stop.
However, before she could collapse on the spot, soone suddenly grabbed her arm, enough to keep her steady. The girl was startled, and when she turned around, she could see that Sheva, the big brother figure of her life, was there to support her once again.
The boy didn’t do a lot, just patted her head fondly and said, "You did a good job. Now, have a little rest, your fight is not over yet."
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