Chapter 623: Anticlimactic Draw?!
"Oh! Oh! Oh! What is going on?!" In the broadcast room, Bagas shouted with his jaw dropped and both hands clutching his hair so tightly, staring at the screen in disbelief. "Gukesh just makes a mistake! The opportunity that we have been waiting for has arrived! I repeat again, Gukesh just makes a mistake!"
The excitement spread quickly like wildfire in the broadcast room.
Hilda99: Hell, yeah! This is what we are waiting for! Come on, Brother Sheva!
Froggies: There is no way Sheva will miss this chance! He cannot afford it now!
Jerkyt5: God, come on... Help Sheva get the best move!
All the viewers there prayed silently, hoping that Sheva would be able to capitalize on the situation. This was a rare mistake, after all, and if he couldn’t do it, Gukesh would never give the boy any chance to come back again in the future.
Still, they were underestimating Sheva here.
Even before everyone saw the computer move back to the center, the boy had already seen the advantage slip from Gukesh’s grasp. This one tempo might not be that much, but in the endgame, it was everything.
Sheva used that tempo full well to rush his H pawn forward, connecting it with the other two who had already rushed beforehand. This allowed him to control that side strongly, and Gukesh’s rook couldn’t stay to protect that pawn on the D file forever.
No, with the pawn not being able to move, it was bound to die eventually, and it flipped the game completely back to the equal state again. This time, Sheva had four pawns on the board, while Gukesh only had two on his side.
Still, yeah, even with all of the effort he made, the best thing Sheva could get was an equal game. After all, a rook against a bishop was indeed a bit too much, and the other supporting casts were not strong enough to make a big difference in this game.
Sheva still narrowed his eyes conspicuously, wanting to find any leak on Gukesh’s side. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, the Indian prodigy was about to bang his head on the table, and finally realized the mistake he had just made earlier.
’Stupid of me, stupid of me!’ He cursed himself inwardly, wanting nothing but to slam his head on the wall. ’The difficult opportunity that I earned, now everything is gone! Damn!’
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do right now.
Still, the more he thought and regretted the move he had made earlier, the calmer the boy became. His breath suddenly got steadier, and his gaze was also sharper than before. The nervousness was gone from his eyes, being replaced by the keen eyes of a hungry predator that was waiting for its prey to fall.
’Damn, so this is him when his Buddha and Endgame Master titles are activated? The intensity is crazy!’ Sheva could feel himself sweating on the back, feeling like he was about to be eaten alive. However, a huge grin also formed as he felt the thrill in this dangerous situation. ’Unfortunately, everything is too late! You can only bark, and nothing you can do will be enough to reach my side again!’
In the end, both teenagers were still trying to probe each other, exchanging more pawns before finally meeting a dead end. Well, of course, there was still a chance for Gukesh to win the game, what with the situation being him having a rook against Sheva’s bishop and a pawn. However, it would take a miracle for Sheva to make a mistake in this situation, and honestly, no one really believed that something like that would happen in this game.
So, even though they were so reluctant, the two teenagers had no choice, shaking each other’s hands wryly.
"Damn, you are so lucky!" Sheva mumbled while also setting the board back to the original position. "If only you slip a little bit earlier, I will be able to win this game and take the revenge I deserve!"
Hearing that, Gukesh snorted. "Ha! As if you can do that! It should be you who is so lucky today. If only I were a little bit more aggressive, I would’ve had your head right now!" He retorted.
Sheva’s face darkened for a moment before he clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch, whatever. At least, I am still at the top of the standings right now."
This time, Gukesh also showed a negative reaction, as he scowled in annoyance. "Well, yeah, but I still have the edge on our record!"
"Just wait until we play again next time, Brat!"
"Ha! Who is afraid of whom!"
Whoever was watching them bickering like that was so dumbfounded. In their mind, those two were the super teenagers in the chess world, wreaking havoc left and right, and making a name for themselves. They should be quiet and aloof, not acting like two obnoxious teenagers in the adults’ place.
"Anyway, just consider yourself lucky here." Gukesh snorted once again as he rose from his seat. "Also, don’t be cocky for not losing in such a long time. Don’t worry, Arjun will remind you of that feeling tomorrow."
Sheva was so stunned that he didn’t even have time to respond to that. Indeed, tomorrow, he would have to face Arjun Erigaisi, and honestly, compared to Gukesh, the older boy’s threat was slightly lesser in this tournament. Hell, Sheva himself also had a record against the oldest Indian genius among the four horsemen, beating the boy in the Dubai Master Chess last year.
However, Gukesh’s warning definitely meant something here. Combined with the raw, unadulterated mischievousness flashing in the boy’s eyes, somehow, Sheva was way more intrigued about tomorrow’s game than ever.
However, once he got off the chair, he felt all of his strength leave his body. Hell, his legs even wobbled, and if his hand was not on the table, Sheva was so sure that he would fall on the spot. After noticing his current state, the boy couldn’t help but smile wryly.
’Yeah, let’s not think too far right now. After such a long and brain-burning game, I deserve a treat tonight.’