Chapter 199 - Chapter 199: Self-Teaching Chess
Chapter 199: Self-Teaching Chess
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Song Yin, aware of her limited chess skills, turned to Song Fan and said, “She’s still playing chess. I have to finish watching.”
Wang Lu sneered. “Just don’t run away quietly later.”
She had resolved to play a game of chess with Song Yin to seek revenge for being manipulated as a pawn. She despised being treated as a fool and found Song Yin’s actions insulting.
The chess game between Song Fan and Xiao Zhi wasn’t easy to conclude. Both players were evenly matched, and able to anticipate each other’s moves. The game was filled with unpredictability.
Onlookers were amazed by this intense match. Song Ting, too, couldn’t believe Song Fan’s chess skills were so advanced. He prayed silently for his sister’s victory.
At this moment, Xiao Zhi inquired, “I wonder where Miss Song learned to play chess. Your teacher must be very skilled.”
“I’m self-taught,” Song Fan responded nonchalantly.
This response surprised everyone. Self-learning to reach such a high level seemed nearly impossible. How could they, who had spent years studying chess, compete with this?
“Miss Song, are you not willing to reveal your mentor?” Xiao Zhi was skeptical of her response.
Playing chess required both talent and guidance from a master. Trying to master the game alone would be a daunting challenge.
“It’s not that I don’t want to reveal it, but I genuinely don’t have a mentor,” Song Fan truthfully replied this time.
Song Fan’s words were all true. She had learned chess in her previous life. An old professor had introduced her to the game, and they played together daily.
The professor handed her a book as he knew that she didn’t play chess, letting her learn on her own. He promised that if she could play chess with him, he would help her acquire a very rare instrument.
During that period, Song Fan was utterly dedicated to studying, even to the point where she did nothing but eat, sleep, and read books. All for the sole purpose of mastering chess as quickly as possible to obtain the desired instrument.
The book was extraordinarily detailed, and coupled with Song Fan’s gifted ability to learn, she swiftly grasped the intricacies of chess. She excitedly challenged the old professor to a game, only to suffer a crushing defeat.
Nevertheless, the book served as an effective starting point. Song Fan’s chess style strictly adhered to its rules, rather than pursuing unconventional and unorthodox methods.
Defeat did not discourage her. She played chess with the old professor daily, and two months later, she emerged victorious for the first time, securing the coveted instrument she had longed for.
Over time, playing chess became a hobby, and she often played with the old professor in the laboratory.
Even when coming to this world, Song Fan continued her passion for chess. However, no one in Yongping Village knew how to play chess. Therefore, she could only engage in online matches, which is how she met Old Master Fu.
At that time, Old Master Fu was feeling lost in his chess career, so he hoped to shed the halo on him and engage in matches with other chess players as ordinary people. With Fu Nian’s help, he created an online account.
However, those who played chess online were just beginners, and he eventually lost his patience. But at this moment, Song Fan appeared, and the two of them immediately rekindled their passion for chess.
Every day, one-third of their time was dedicated to chess matches, and this was the key to Old Master Fu’s emergence from his confusion.
Xiao Zhi smiled and didn’t say anything more, continuing to make his moves on the board. It didn’t matter who Song Fan’s master was; the game in front of him was the most important.
Upon sitting together, they could be considered evenly matched, and in the end, the speed at which they placed their pieces slowed down, with the chessboard turning into a deadlock.
Song Yin, who had been eagerly watching. She had hoped Song Fan would admit defeat, but the match showed no sign of ending.
She said, her voice filled with regret, “If you can’t win, just admit defeat. Why keep dragging this out?”
In her opinion, Song Fan was bound to lose against Xiao Zhi. She had just looked up Xiao Zhi’s achievements online and was convinced that he was the top chess player in Hua Country.
Even if Song Fan had talent, she definitely couldn’t surpass him. In Song Yin’s view, these mentally demanding activities were usually better suited for boys, and she believed that girls didn’t have a future in playing chess.
She completely disregarded the fact that half of the players present were female, or rather, she was willfully blind.
In her perception, women were inherently delicate and needed male protection to survive.