Chapter 619: Gukesh’s Ridiculous Stats!
The next day, Sheva came quite early, just to find Gukesh already sitting next to the table. They just nodded at each other slightly, not even exchanging any polite words. No, for them, this was not just a game, but also a war.
Gukesh knew exactly that Sheva had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. Facing the opponent with the desire to kill him, of course, he had to answer it with open hands. It didn’t matter that he was not in good form, but once he entered the battlefield, he had to be ready to kill, or it would be him who got slaughtered later.
As for Sheva himself, the boy was trying his best to contain his excitement. Even though he put on his best poker face, his spirit was bubbling, as the desire for revenge was on the tip of his tongue. However, he was still sane enough to recognize Gukesh’s ability, so the boy didn’t want to charge blindly into this game.
Right after he sat on his chair, Sheva mumbled inwardly, ’System, please check his stats, and compare them with mine.’
DING!
[Comparison successful!]
[Name: Adrian Sheva – Gukesh Dommaraju]
Attacking: 92 (+0.92) (+4.6) – 94 (+1.88) (+4.7)
Defense 87: (+0.87) (+4.35) – 96 (+1.92) (+4.8)
Calculation: 88 (+0.88) (+4.4) – 92 (+1.84) (+4.6)
Strategy: 91 (+0.91) (+4.55) – 90 (+1.80) (+0.45)
Intuition 89: (+0.89) (+4.45) – 90 (+1.80) (+0.45)
Time management: 90 (+0.90) (+4.5) – 90 (+1.80) (+0.45)
Current state: 91% - 88%
Adrian Sheva’s Title Slot: [Endgame Master] [National Resonance] [The Strong Man Aura] [The King of Asia: White level] [The Conqueror of Europe: White level]
Gukesh Dommaraju’s Title Slot: [Buddha] [Indian Four Horsemen] [Endgame Master]
’Goddamn...’ Sheva had to hold back the urge to whistle as he saw the most ridiculous stats line that he had ever seen in his life. ’The only stat that I am higher in is strategy, and that is only by one point, huh? Wait, he also gets a two percent boost from the Indian Four Horsemen? Damn, I forgot that Arjun is here as well!’
Well, honestly, the only advantage Sheva had was the quantity of his titles. However, out of five titles in his slot, only one worked this time, since there was no Indonesian player in this tournament, and Gukesh himself had a higher rating than him.
Meanwhile, Gukesh only had three, and yet, besides the Endgame Master that Sheva also owned, the other two worked perfectly for this game.
The title Buddha, more specifically, was ridiculous. Sheva asked the system about it, and the answer left him bamboozled.
Buddha: The more the player is under time pressure, the calmer his mind becomes.
The description was short and simple, but the effect was way more powerful than any title that the boy had ever seen. This ensured the man would never make a stupid mistake in the later stage, and combined with the effect of the Endgame Master, honestly, Sheva couldn’t imagine how he could beat the boy in front of him today.
Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to get something. No, even after knowing that Gukesh’s stats were better than his, Sheva still set his eyes on winning. It might look impossible, but he had been preparing for this moment for the whole year, and it was time for him to show his research results.
’Still, to think that he is as on fire as I...’ Sheva couldn’t help but frown, having deep wrinkles as he was troubled by this matter. ’Sometimes, stats don’t really matter in a top game, with titles and current state affecting it more. However, if those two are equal, everything will be back to the basic stats again, and it is clear that I am losing.’
It would be a lie if Sheva didn’t feel any wavering in his spirit. He tried his best to calm his nerves, and yet, the boy could still feel his heart pounding fast.
Little did he know that Gukesh was also in the same boat. Even though he looked calm, right now, the boy was trying his best to remember all the meditation methods that he learned from his father, his teacher, and some of his mentors in the past.
Even though this game itself wasn’t specifically important in the grand scheme, for both players, this was definitely their do-or-die game.
Tension built slowly, and yet, everyone could feel it. The smell of the gunpowder was so strong in the air, promising that there would be a violent confrontation later on. People also gathered around them unconsciously, and the number was definitely bigger than before.
This time, not just local, but some Asian men were also on the sidelines to watch. Some cheered for Gukesh, while the others also waved at Sheva strongly. The polarizing crowd also added excitement to the table.
Hell, this commotion is also enough to attract the other players’ attention. It was clear that the game was big here, as the rest of the players couldn’t really concentrate on their own at the fullest, too busy glancing at table one every five seconds. If only they were not playing today, all six of them would’ve gone to the sideline and joined the fun, watching the game together with the crowd.
Time was ticking by, and as it was closer to the game, the crowd also started to get quieter. The moment the bell rang, though, as both players shook hands, dead silence fell, and everyone held their breath unconsciously.
"Let’s have a good game!" Those two nodded at each other silently.
Right after that, Gukesh didn’t hesitate to make the first move. The boy pushed his D pawn two squares forward before hitting the clock immediately. He pulled this one not because the boy thought it was Sheva’s weakness, but because this was his strong point.
Yeah, Gukesh was confident that he had mastered most of the 1.D4 openings, and what better way to show it than when facing an opponent that was trying to kill him?
However, the boy was so stunned when he saw Sheva’s reply, snapping his head immediately with a disbelief gaze.
’Are you kidding me? The Dutch?!’