Chapter 612: After the Game
The whispers were not loud, but they were still enough for Sheva and Vincent to hear them. They both were so stunned, staring at each other for a moment before snapping their heads at table one, where the Indian prodigy was fighting.
There, they saw Gukesh put his head on the table, his shoulder slumped as if he just regretted everything in his life. On the other side, Nils Grandelius got up from his seat, and the local hero didn’t really hold back here, walking away with a huge smile on his face. It was clear, based on his rosy complexion, that he was more than satisfied with this result.
"Damn, he chokes..." Sheva couldn’t help but blurt out those words, just to cover his mouth immediately after realizing that Vincent was still here.
Unexpectedly, the German GM also chuckled for a moment, whispering back, "Yeah, I didn’t expect it at all. It seems there is still a chance for any of us to win this tournament..."
Sheva couldn’t really catch his words here, since his accent made it hard for him to understand what he whispered. Still, based on the man’s lit-up face, he could basically understand what was going on here.
It was a hope that flickered in Vincent’s eyes, one that gave him spirit to fight again.
After the defeat yesterday, he had basically given up winning the tournament, thinking that Gukesh would be untouchable here. However, now, he got a draw against the rising star of chess himself, and Gukesh also stumbled against Nils Grandelius?
It was as if the universe itself told him that it was still early for him to give up yet. Even though the competition was still quite tight, and his defeat yesterday brought him down to the fifth rank on the current standings, the point was still close from the first to the eighth spot, enough for anyone to make a miraculous comeback later.
Sheva himself was also in the same frequency here.
After a draw against Vincent, he was so afraid that he wouldn’t be able to chase Gukesh. This fear was justifiable, considering there was a reason why the Indian prodigy was the favorite to win it all in this tournament. However, since the draw result between Gukesh and Nils Grandelius really showed that all the stats on paper didn’t matter much, as only those who prepared enough would still be able to thrive further.
Still, the boy didn’t have time to worry about that. No, the matter of winning or losing the tournament was still too far from him right now. This time, he should’ve just focused on the game tomorrow, especially since his opponent the next day would be the one who created all the trouble here, which was Nils Grandelius.
The local hero was currently in great form, gaining 1.5 points in the last two rounds by beating Arjun and forcing a draw against Gukesh. It wasn’t easy to get something against those Indian prodigies, and yet, he could still come out without suffering even a single defeat, which meant the man was definitely way stronger than his current rating.
Also, Nils Grandelius’s resourcefulness and tough defensive approach would be a headache for Sheva to face. Just like in the game against Gukesh, even though he was in a bad position for most part of the game, the man could still stay calm, and once the Indian boy slipped, he managed to strike back and equalize the game.
That quality would be proven to be troublesome for Sheva to handle tomorrow.
As Sheva left the venue, though, he couldn’t help but feel confused at the sight of Bagas grimacing from afar. A frown formed on his face as he asked inwardly, ’What is going on there?’
Usually, Bagas would just wait in his media booth until he finished his live broadcast, and it was Sheva who approached him first. However, this time, he could see his best friend flinching, apologizing to him silently before giving Sheva the phone that was still connected to a call there.
Curious, Sheva picked it up, just to have the same expression when he saw Irfan sneering at him.
"Well, good to have a superstar willing to meet this lowly commoner!" The man’s tone was full of sarcasm.
"Urgh... Hello to you too, Master Irfan..." Sheva spoke with a grimace, still confused as to why the man was being sarcastic right now.
"So, how is it, Superstar? Is this draw enough to wake you up from your own arrogance?"
’Arrogance?’ Sheva blinked his eyes, confused. ’I am arrogant? How could I not know that?’
However, as his mind recalled everything that happened in the game earlier, the boy grimaced unconsciously, realizing what the man was talking about. ’Ah, he is talking about me wandering around, huh? Always forget that he hates when a player does that.’
"I see that you realize it, huh?" Irfan’s words echoed once again, this time with a sharp tone as well. "How many times do I have to tell you that you need to—"
"You cannot—"
"This is not something—"
The man kept scolding him, and Sheva himself had already grown tired of that. He just nodded lazily, pretending to listen while also glaring sideways at Bagas next to him. The fat boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, knowing that he was the one who brought this on Sheva.
Fortunately, while the nagging was like an eternity, it wasn’t quite long in reality, just about fifteen minutes. Once the call was cut, Sheva let out a deep, relieved sigh, feeling more tired than playing the game earlier.
"Next time..." He trailed his words behind, smiling wryly at his best friend. "Warn me first before dropping the bomb straight in front of my face, okay?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry..." Bagas laughed awkwardly.
"Anyway, just forget about it." Sheva sighed once again, waving off what had happened earlier nonchalantly. "Let’s go back first and have dinner. We still have a tough game awaiting us tomorrow, so we’d better be ready, or we will get scolded again later!"