Chapter 628: Defending Your Friend!
Just as expected, the game went quite slowly, with both players savoring their time carefully, not willing to make any hasty movement in the beginning. Hell, it was rare to see Sheva being stumped so many times when it was still far from being an endgame, but this was the reality.
It wasn’t like the position was bad, or Sheva was facing any imminent danger here. No, everything was still as equal as the original position was. However, the complicated nature of this middle game position was enough to force all of his brain cells to work overtime, trying to find the best solution for himself.
Of course, there would always be a person who was always nitpicking everything here, finding every single mistake, even though there were basically none. In this case, it was Irfan who was somehow dissatisfied with Sheva’s attitude.
"What is this? He doesn’t play as aggressively as usual. Is he trying to prove a point here, that he could still win even without his best style? Does he look down on Arjun too much just because he won their last encounter in Dubai?"
Bagas just rolled his eyes exasperatedly, deciding to ignore the man’s nonsense. After all, it seemed Master Irfan had already decided that whatever Sheva was doing right now would be due to his arrogance, so it wouldn’t matter what Bagas said, because he would never be able to change that prejudice.
So, it was better for him to ignore the man’s pointless rambles for the sake of his sanity. Hopefully, the man would grow tired of his negative vibe and realize that he didn’t do anyone any good with this.
Well... At least, that was what he hoped. Unfortunately, the more Bagas listened, the more outrageous the man’s claim to be, and since Sheva wasn’t here to defend himself, it was his task to do that for his best friend.
"Master Irfan, don’t you think you are being too harsh on Sheva here?" Bagas cut the man’s ramble with a wry smile.
"I mean, even Sheva knows that Arjun Erigaisi is not someone he can underestimate. However, do you really think that after playing so many high-level games in the last couple of days, he would still be able to maintain that intensity? It is normal, you know, to back down like this a day before the final one? I mean, you should know, you are a player himself, right?"
This... This was definitely a huge slap in the face, and Irfan could feel his face burning after realizing what Bagas said. However, the boy didn’t have any intention to stop. He took advantage of Irfan’s silence to continue his barrage of attack.
"Please, he is also our pride, so don’t think of the worst of him all the time, okay? You don’t know how much energy he uses to prepare for every single game in this tournament, so if he got tired like this, please, understand that it is not like he doesn’t want to win or he is looking down on his opponent, but because he is so close to burning out right now. Even Magnus Carlsen has a moment when he goes for a tactical draw like this, right?"
The man was so quiet right now as he was too dumbfounded to say anything. It was the first time he had been lectured by someone younger than him, and after the humiliation feeling was washed away, the man could see the point that Bagas was trying to convey.
The viewers on the broadcast chat also gave their approval here, feeling like Irfan was indeed a bit too harsh on Sheva.
Froggies; I mean, I didn’t expect him to win all the games, anyway. He is not Magnus Carlsen, let alone God. He can be tired, and I think it is okay to get a quick draw at that time.
Hilda99: Exactly, exactly! That old man is a bit too much, targeting Brother Sheva non-stop! Who the hell does he think he is?!
Mehler82: Also, good job, Bagas! Stand up for your boy, Dude!
Bagas couldn’t help but smirk when he got such a positive response from his audience. While his initial target was to defend his best friend, it was nice to get people’s approval. Then, Bagas turned his gaze back to the screen, looking at the boy who was still in the middle of the battlefield, and he couldn’t help but murmur unconsciously.
’Now, I have cleared the path for you back here already, so don’t worry and just go all out and have fun out there!’
-0-
Sheva himself didn’t know that his best friend had just defended his dignity out there. No, his mind was completely focused on the chessboard in front of him, trying to find the best way to end this game completely.
Unfortunately, Arjun was so stubborn, ignoring all the hints he threw for a quick draw. No, the boy went berserk, going straight for his blood. Hell, there were some points in this game that Sheva thought he would slip due to the pressure from the other side, just to be able to find a rope to save himself.
Still, this game was really not a good thing for his heart, as it was threatening to jump so many times today.
’Bastard, is he a machine or what? Why isn’t he feeling tired right now?!’ Sheva gnashed his teeth in annoyance, picking his rook before slamming it to the other side of the board with a little bit of force. ’Come on! This is a dead draw position! Give up!’
Well, he couldn’t blame Arjun for trying here, since the position indeed looked appetizing for white. Even though the computer engine said that the position was equal, any player would be crazy to say that, especially since it was a rook and two pawns against a bishop and two pawns.
The Indian prodigy had a two-point material advantage here, so there was no way he would accept the draw.
In the end, Sheva couldn’t help but growl, finding this game to be irritating.
’Fine! You want a stamina battle? I’ll give you one! Let’s see if you can outlast me here!’