Checkmate (shah mate = the king is dead)

I bumped into my best buddy from UKM matriculation days. So we took a trip down the memory lane over a quick dinner. Which mainly revolved around good old days, old flames and other long lost friends. We were quite close and had entered 2- 3 chess tournaments back in our glory years.

That somehow rejuvenate my interest in chess. I haven't played it for a while, reason mostly I got no-one in my circle whom enjoy the game or let alone plays it. Most of them who own a set would hide it somewhere underneath the staircase.

Fate had it that last weekend I stumbled across a poster at a local KFC outlet saying "Chess (catur) games this sunday at 2pm, join us and have some fun". I said to myself "why not.. this is too perfect to be a coincident". Thus with that in mind I felt the spirits of legendary chess players such as Bobby Fisher, Boris Spasky, Kasparov and Emmanuel Lasker had re-entered by body once again. The time has come for me to return back from my premature retirement.

I was the first to arrive, followed by other players who came and sat at the other table. So I said to myself this is just perfect... small number of players, small event (too small in fact). Just a couple of rounds to get it off my system and I'll have a merry weekend.

And finally they brought the box and to my surprise (I had bit too much of those this week)...

"What the....(toot!)... a local 'monopoly-wannabe gameboard!!" I shouted silently to my good ear. Oh come on guys, are you saying that when the brilliant mind whom invented this new game, suddenly ran out of ideas on what to name it. So I smiled politely and left.

Back in my bat-dungeon, I decided not to be disheartened by that mild hiccup. If I can't find a decent game in my own neighbourhood. I might as well cross the Pacific. And that was how I met my 2 new friends, from Nashville and New Jersey. I got few good opening moves and brilliant middle games.. up till the chess.com online server got disconnected, twice.

Well.. whadayaknow, nothing is perfect.. not even a clear blue sunday sky.