#chess course for beginners

[arjunchessacademy]

Abu Dhabi International Chess Festival Glimpses.

A celebration of brilliant moves, intense matches, and global talent. A memorable event for chess enthusiasts everywhere.

chess classes near me in bahrain

[chessbrainzind]

What May Children That Are Learning Chess Stand to Gain from a Beginner Course?

For centuries and, in fact, millennia, chess has been holding people’s minds as a game that demands patience to win, as well as thinking and logical calculations. Apart from the regular process of mastering a board game, it may be quite fulfilling to teach kids to play chess. Kids can learn important skills that go far beyond the chessboard with the aid of a beginner chess course for kids, which can offer many advantages. This post looks at the advantages that kids can have when they start playing chess.

[theorphicangel]

levi thinks he loves you.

it’s taken him a while to figure his feelings out. of course you were kind enough to understand. to not take his reserved manner personal and to give him space.

but now that you’ve given him time. he’s figured it out.

the realisation totally came upon him unexpectedly.

the feeling occurred randomly, on a quiet saturday afternoon. the two of you sat on the couch, playing a 1v1 videogame.

he’d let you take the first win of course, letting you boldly celebrate around your apartment, unbeknownst to you that this would be your first and final win against him.

he was just warming up.

by the third round, the warm living room filled with your spews of curse words. sitting down on a huff, you placed your controller down, crossing your arms in frustration.

“I’m not playing anymore.”

it’s a lie that you and him both know. and for Levi the second he asks for an update in your shared world on Minecraft this loss of yours is already forgotten.

maybe that’s what he loves about you.

he loves the way you scrunch up your nose in annoyance once you lose a game with him. whether it be a videogame or chess.

which always ends in you, crying out for mercy that you’re a beginner having no experience in chess despite knowing the rules for the past year.

he loves the way you refuse to change. you’re as stubborn as he is, not afraid to butt heads. it’s only now that he’s met you that he’s learnt that communication and understanding is what works for the two of you.

he loves the way you have a soft spot for any stray cats that you see on the street. he loves the way you look up at him with your own puppy eyes begging to take them in as your own.

and if he had let you, he’s sure there would be hundreds running around.

he loves the way you announce your little random facts, or the way you get excited and kick your feet once the protagonist and the love interest in your book finally kiss, and how you’ll listen with deep interest of how his day went at work. Adding in your own input here and there.

he loves the way you show your affection. a simple kiss on the cheek always does the trick in getting him embarrassed. yet somehow always leaves him in wanting for more.

and he loves the different ways that his name can slip from your tongue. the stark contrast heard between your tone of frustration and the sweet tone that you have once he’s between your legs.

he loves the way your half lidded eyes stay focused on him, his name all high pitched and breathy as he sees you through your climax .

it all hits him now and it’s definite.

he loves you.

reblogs and comments are much appreciated!

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@notgoodforlife @youre-ackermine @lovolee3 @the-milk-anon @imkumichan , @levi-supreme , @leviismybby @bejewelledd @searriously @luvjiro @cometlevi @humanitys-strongest-bamf @idkks4m @secretmoneybearvoid @clownysr @thevelria , @lamees_004 @clownysr @burningxaces @loveackermannn @sad-darksoul @crazychaoticizzy @sleepyfairyxo @elnyrae @kamona-levi @spyraaaa

[wheresmymilliondollarman]

reader x xander Hawthorne please 🥺

xander hawthorne x fem!reader

hcs about meeting & dating xander hawthorne

a/n: HI IM BACK! & tysm for the request!! xander is so underrated 👎 thats my bae fr🫶 currently working on other stuff but wanted to do this request bc i immediately had ideas for this!! i still don't completely get how school worked in the books, so if there's any wrong info please bare w me. if this wasn't what you had in mind feel free to send a specific request! again, this is kinda fic like but still calling it hcs.

word count: 7.3k

warnings: long backstory again, mentions of death, sexual themes. (pls lmk if you see anything else that should be labeled as a warning)

you’ve always lived on the middle side class of things. you were, thankfully, never poor, but also never rich enough where you could afford the more luxurious things in life.

your mother owned a small bakery 3 blocks away from your home, while your father worked for an electrician company. both jobs were stable enough to provide for necessities and both your parents enjoyed their occupations.

your parents always told you to never worry about money, but it still made you reluctant to ask them for things you wanted in fear they couldn't afford it. which is why you always tried to fix your problems yourself.

if you ever needed money, you would work for your mother at her bakery in exchange. while it was still your mom giving you the money, it made you feel better that you earned the cash. 

you later found yourself working at the bakery even without needing money. you liked working with your mom, and it was fun to learn how to make different types of sweets. 

at school, you were always a studious person. you worked hard to get a's and never anything below. you wanted to make your parents proud and feel as if their hard work toward the family wasn't for nothing. 

you knew it would be practically impossible for your family to afford your college career without going into debt. so you always looked at scholarships and what they looked for in students, so you tried to make yourself appear well-rounded. 

you joined student council, mathletes (although math wasn't your forte),library club, chess club,art club, film club, yearbook, culinary club, asl club, and a few others over the years. to say your schedule after school was always booked was a major understatement.

although your favorite was always the art club. you never even knew you had an artistic side until you joined. you explored it more with your membership and soon became quite good. 

during your freshman year you took your first art class. you were excited to learn under a professional for the first time. 

after a few lessons, your first major assignment was realism project; draw somebody in your everyday life. 

you were both excited and a bit nervous. you had drawn people before, but never someone you knew, and you wanted to make a great first impression on your teacher. 

you ended up choosing your mother as your muse; your father could never stay still enough to be drawn. it took a lot of long nights when your mother wasn't working to finish your drawing. you could've just taken a photo of her and drawn that, but you pushed for the extra mile of drawing her from real life.

you were satisfied when you finished, and your parents were in awe by your work - telling you over and over how talented you were and your teacher would surely be impressed. still, you were anxious about turning it in the next day in class. 

your assignment was a big hit with your teacher, you got a perfect A+. she commented on your beautiful handiwork, noting that your drew from real life. she also advised how you should consider switching to an advanced class since it was obvious you were already beyond a beginner course. 

you wanted to decline at first, being intimidated by the thought of being in a class with others who were just as good or better than you - but your gut instinct told you it was the right choice to make. 

it proved to be right because by the spring you were already one of the best in your art class. you expanded into all types of art: abstract, realism, expressionism, digital, etc. your favorite and most notable works tended to be the realistic ones of people, place, and objects. art had become a part of your life in the best way. 

you entered a numerous amount of competitions and always come back on top; it got to the paint your shelfs had all been filled to the brim. you parents of course were elated with your success and were never prouder. 

you soon were able to make some money with your art skills as well. you got commissioned for mainly portraits of family and friends, mostly to give as gifts or to have in their household. it made you feel proud someone out there had a piece of your art and that people loved your work enough to want you to paint their family. 

the biggest commission you've ever taken was a 40x30 portrait of an older man. the request was anonymous, so you weren't sure who the man was or if the request was for himself or another person. 

the project took a few weeks due to your work load and having to paint such fine details on a huge canvas. you were happy with the outcome and were astonished to find out the anonymous buyer had given you 10k for your work. it was way over your normal pay grade.

your success didn't end there. in the summer before your sophomore year, you received a fancy envelope in the mail. it was addressed to you and sent from heights country day school. 

at first, you were confused as to why they would send you anything. everyone in texas knew of heights country day, it was one of the best private schools in the state. almost all parents want their kids to be a student there, but the tuition was awfully expensive, so if you weren't rich you were most likely not getting in. 

you didn't wait to tell your parents before your ripped open the envelop in anticipation. you unfolded the letter inside and skimmed over the introductions.

you were shocked to find out you were being awarded a full paid scholarship to attend heights country day school for the rest of highschool. 

your first thought was to assume it was a prank, or a scammer trying to get your info. but you examined the letter further; the seal of the school and the dean signature did look quite authentic. then you noticed the number listed on the bottom of the page. 

you figured you should just call and check for confirmation. you told yourself the worst case scenario would be they laugh at your face and tell you the letter isn't real. 

you definitely did not want to inform your parents until you made the call, that way if it wasn't real, their hopes wouldn't be crushed and they would never even know about it. 

it took an hour of pacing in your room to finally work up the courage to make the call. you kept tour expectations low to avoid disappointment. 

the secretary of the school was quick to pick up after two rings, and you briefly explained the letter you received. you held your breath for a second until she told you to "please hold for a moment." 

when she returned she informed you you were being transferred to the dean's phone. your nerves were through the roof at this point. you wanted to believe it was a good sign the dean wanted to talk to you, but maybe he wanted to tell you himself the letter was unfortunately a phony and they do not give scholarships to art students.

the dean finally picked up the call and you both exchanged greetings. from there he explained how the letter was, in fact, very real.

the school had seen a work of yours and dug deeper into your portfolio and academic career. they were very impressed with your achievement, especially given your age. the board was all unanimous in agreeing to offer you the scholarship because of your artistic talents and would love for you to become a part of their school. 

the rest of the call was a blur to you. when the call ended you stood stunned in your room for a minute. you had to pinch yourself to remind yourself this was real and happening. 

once you snapped out of it, you were jumping up and down in joy. you truly were elated to possibly be a student at one of the top private schools in texas or even the country. 

you wasted no more time informing your parents when they arrived home. they also thought you were just pulling their leg, but after you told them you had confirmation - you swear their jaws hit the floor. 

your parents were just as excited for you. your mother took the liberty of baking all your favorites in celebration, even lemon scones, which were your favorite.

before you knew it, summer was over, and it was time to get back into school. you spent the rest of your break prepping to attend heights - gathering books, supplies, and a uniform (which was mostly paid by the school). 

this was your first time wearing a uniform, and you were a bit delighted to wear it. it was a burgundy blazer with a navy crest embossed, with the school motto in latin, a white dress shirt, and a pleated plaid skirt. 

it screamed, "i go to a really expensive private school."

it was nerve-wracking that you were now going to school with some of the richest and elite children in america. you'd hope it wouldn't be obvious where your social class stood, or if it was, they wouldn't think of you any less for it.

you did your best to stray from stereotypical assumptions, but then again you've never interacted with people of a such higher social class - you really had no idea what to expect. 

nonetheless, you wanted to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, so you held your head up high when the first day came around. 

the school in no way looked like a regular public school, it shared way more similar qualities with college campuses. it was beautifully constructed, and you had a feeling the inside was even more stunning.

your parents dropped you off in front of the twin archways of the school, wishing you a good first day, and they were only a call away if you needed anything. you responded with your goodbyes and now stood on the pavement of heights day.

a part of you was glad your parents left so soon; you loved them to death, but their older modeled car stood out amongst the other deluxe cars parked and driving into school grounds. the last thing you wanted on your first day was to stick out like a sore thumb.

you took a deep breath before you took your strides through the front door.

you were happy to see no one gave you obvious looks and stares when you walked through, like those of a movie. everyone seemed preoccupied with their own things. you were silently thankful for that.

you made your way to the office on your own; luckily it was very near the front entrance with a big sign that said 'office of registrar'. making it very easy for you to find it without having to awkwardly ask another peer.

you walked to a desk of who you assumed was a secretary and gave her your name and stated your business. she instantly recognized your name and made a swift move to hand you your schedule.

the secretary informed you about the school's modular scheduling, which means they operate on a six-day cycle, and classes meet anywhere from three to five times a cycle. you were free to fit in lunch where you saw fit. you honestly didn't quite grasp it, but you figured you'd just learn along the way.

she also let you know another student had been assigned to show you around school. that's how you ended up meeting rebecca laughlin.

rebecca was a shy and a bit nervous girl, but seemed sweet nonetheless. you briefly got to know her as she showed you the different rooms; the archive room, the reflector (basically the cafeteria you realized), gym, the art center etc.

she was in the same grade as you, and had a twin sister named emily also in the school. from the small mention of her sister you sensed it was likely a sore subject. you took over from there talking a bit about yourself and your interests.

rebecca mentioned she was also new this year, having moved to texas just recently with her family but frequently visiting before that. she was able to go on a private tour with her sister over the summer, which is why she knew the place quite well already.

you two chatted a bit more until the tour ended. the last stop was the art center, and you were more than thrilled to go inside and check it out. rebecca was about to enter along with you before she saw her twin sister and people who you assume were her friends , a boy and a girl.

you turned around to glance at them and saw they were waving her over. you could tell rebecca was hesitant to just leave you for them, but you reassured her she provided an excellent tour. she reluctantly went off toward her friends, not before giving you her number and letting you know if you had any questions you could reach her.

you took a peak back at where rebecca and her friends were walking away. they all look straight out of a teen vogue catalog. emily was identical to rebecca, same red hair, eyes, and face. you could tell emily was more confident than rebecca however. there was another girl, dark eyes and even darker brown wavy hair - she was so beautiful it felt unreal. and lastly with them was a boy, he was quite tall, dark-skinned with light honey brown eyes, and a head full of curly hair. he was handsome and easily fit in with the rest of the model-looking girls.

you must've looked a second too long because he turned his head in your direction and you both made eye contact.

you quickly snapped your head away,not waiting for his reaction, and made your way to the arts center. you cursed yourself for being caught looking a bit, and now you were slightly embarrassed.

when you reached the arts center, you were amazed. it was a big building with different rooms, it was decorated as if was a museum, marble floors and pillars, archways, etc. and everything about it was engaging.

you took the time to explore the whole place; you found several different art rooms you assumed were open to students, different supply closest, classrooms for teaching, and even a few soundproof rooms. at some point you ran into a few teachers and got to know them and what they taught. you had a few of them in your schedule, so it was great to know where their classes were.

before you knew it, it was time for your first class and then eventually to your last of the day. for lunch you had opted to eat what you brought from home in the archive because you didn't feel like going through the anxiety of finding somewhere alone to sit in the refectory.

it ended up being ironic because you made a friend in there who was also eating lunch. you were sitting alone at small table when a blonde haired girl with her lunch approached you.

her name was mia, and you both instantly clicked. mia had noticed you eating at the table alone and thought she'd introduce herself since she hadn't since you on campus before. she was also a sophomore, seventeen, and she was part of height country day dance team.

she has almost always eaten in the archive since her freshman year; she enjoyed the quiet and privacy since few students ever ate or hung out there too long - you both had that in common.

after that great first meeting, the two of you became best friends. you would occasionally have a class or two with her depending on the schedule, but you both always made time to see each other throughout the day and eat lunch in the archive room.

she later on introduced you to a few of her other friends, that were now your friends as well. they were all pretty wealthy, but it didn't change the fact they were all genuine and friendly people. the fear of making friends at your new school was gone by the end of your first week.

that's set up the rest of your fantastic first year at heights country day school.

you fit in immediately with the art center and other art peers. you all carried the same passions, and it was very fun to learn from others. of course, you all intimidated to be around people so advanced and mostly rich, but it only pushed you to work even harder.

your teachers were all so great. they were also tough critiques, being professionals and all, but you took any critique you got with stride- making you a better artist.

your non-art-related classes were more difficult and work-loaded than you were use to, but you were quick to catch up with the rest of the class.

a few kids at school were stuck up and pretentious, but mostly the students weren't too far off from normal teenagers. and like high school there were cliques and popular people. you never bothered yourself with any of that, yet you always heard three reoccurring last names - hawthorne, laughlin, and calligaris.

you knew laughlin meant rebecca and emily, and it didn't take you long to figure out the other last names must belong to the other two people she was with during your first day. it made sense to you they were well-known, just their looks alone made you feel like they're superior to you.

you could've asked mia or literally paid attention to gossip around you if you wanted to know the first names of the boy & girl with the laughlins, but it honestly slipped your mind. frankly, you were too occupied with navigating your new school life to really care too much about it.

the most shocking event to happen that year was the dead of emily laughlin.

you weren't close friends with rebecca - you two did have a few chats and texts here and there; she once or twice joined mia and you in the archive. but you still felt horrible her sister died and felt the need to reach out.

you gave her your condolences when you saw her back at school, and let her know you were there for anything. she thanked you, but you could tell she needed space to grieve.

you still felt the need to do something, so you came up with the idea to make her a portrait and gifted it to her wrapped. you didn't see her reaction to it (she opened it when she got home), but she let you know she deeply appreciated it.

after that the rest of your year was quick to come and go. and before you knew it, it was summer again.

your summer stayed uneventful, but fun. you worked almost full-time with your mom in her bakery and spent time with your friends.

one afternoon, you were working the counter and you saw a familiar face walk in - a certain handsome, honey-eyed, curly-haired guy.

you greeted him as you normally did customers and asked for his order. he replied, asking for blueberry scones.

you nodded and went to get the scones from your display. that's when he spoke up again, commenting on how he'd seen you from school.

you were taken aback he’d remembered you but you nodded agreeing and replied you were new sophomore year.

"what happens to be your name, baker girl?"

"y/n. and what happens to be yours, new customer?"

he gave a dramatic offended look, hand over his heart - "you mean your telling me you don't know the name of the most dashing man at heights country day school?"

you shrugged, "i suppose not."

"when then i ought to fix that, the name is xander, milady," bowing down to give a kiss on the dorsal side of your hand.

oh he was charming alright. 

to hide your blushing face you busied yourself with packing his scones into a paper bag and rang him up to the register. 

"very serious question...how do you feel about blueberry scones?"

"they're good, but i think the lemon ones are better." 

you've never seen someone look so taken aback as xander did in that moment. he looked as if he'd just got the news his favorite boy band broke up. 

"are you alright-"

"what do you mean you prefer the lemon ones!"

xander then went into a tagent on blueberry scones stomp the lemon ones any day, and only psychos favored the lemons. you countered his claims, defending your favorite treat. you both were going back and forth until a bell rang throughout the bakery, signaling a customer has entered. 

"i suppose that's my sign to take my leave, but trust this debate is not over."

you rolled your eyes playfully, but you fought back a smile at the implication you two would speak again. 

he handed his black card to pay, and you tried not to look astonished at his casual display of the card. as you were swiping his card, he pulled a scone out of his brown bag and laid it on the counter in front of you. 

"here, it's my treat. this is the start of my fool-proof plan to convince you blueberry scones are far more superior." 

you tried to decline or offer him a refund for that scone, but ever the gentleman, he wouldn't allow it. he was out the door before you could protest anymore. leaving with a, "until we meet again," and a wink. 

you hated yourself for liking his annoying handsome beautiful smirk. 

as he requested, you did eat the scone. you admit blueberry is delicious, but nothing compared to the citrus of your lemon ones. plus, you found a new motivation to keep favoring them. 

that was the first of xander's many visits to the bakery that summer. always the same order, and always leaving one for you to eat. he really was on a mission to change your mind. 

sometimes out of spite you'd slip in a lemon scone into his bag to rile him up when he opened it. it always resulted in xander coming back the next day throwing a dramatic hissy fit. you kinda found it cute. 

you two continued your light banter about scones, but ventured into different topics such as school, hobbies, and exploding robots (his favorite topic). even as you worked behind the counter aiding customers, he was there talking your ear off. not that you minded at all, it was nice to have someone other than your mom to talk to. 

you found out xander was very smart; he builds replicas of star wars droids and was a three-time world champion at building machines. you'd never known someone with such intellect. whenever you brought it up, however, he'd brush it off saying it's a family thing and his brothers are much wiser. 

you briefly got a synopsis of his family, and it was quite intriguing. he had four half-brother; nash, grayson, and jameson - all sharing the same mother, but none of the boys' fathers seemed to be in the picture. all of them were basically raised by their grandfather, tobias hawthorne, who was obsessed with riddles and games. he sounded like an interesting man to say the least. 

you opened up to him a bit about your family and getting a scholarship into the school. which now looked not as impressive talking to a genius yet, xander was amazed at this, asking to see some of your work. 

you were suddenly self-conscious about your art. you thought a rich guy like himself probably had seen hundreds of artworks better than yours and done by people younger than your age. 

so, you lied and said you didn't have any pictures, and that you'll show him another time. you're gonna stall that as much as possible.

you guys later exchanged numbers, now being able to communicate outside your bakery hours during the week.

xander favorite thing was to spam you with pictures of himself eating blueberry scones, and you swore you were gonna block him everytime.

summer went by in a flash, and the school went back into session; you were entering your junior year. 

xander and you continued to hang out all the time, even more than you did with your own friends. he was always the one to find you around school, no matter the schedule you had that day.

he loved to sneak up on you and jump scare you, making your heart leap out your chest everytime. you would hit his arm in retaliation everytime and swore you were gonna unfriend him if he didn’t stop. you never actually did though.

xander made sure to pull you out your comfort zone. he sometimes dragged you (sometimes physically) to the refectory to go and eat with him. occasionally, his friends would join as well. rebecca was easy to talk to since you already knew her, and thea was…. complicated, but she had her good parts once she warmed up to you. 

you then demanded xander eat lunch with you and mia to compensate for eating at the refectory every now and then.

he obliged, but you told him it was better if he didn’t after he got kicked out the archive for talking loudly. he swore the archive keeper had it out for him.

he continued the ritual of giving you a blueberry muffin made by the chefs of his home. sometimes you'd bring your own lemon scone and give it to him, negotiating that you'll eat your scone if he eats his.

he'd always agree, but eat it begrudgingly. you swore he was warming up to the scone.

you two took your hangouts to after school. if you worked, it'd be at the bakery and if not, you'd go to the park and just walk.

you invited him over to your house one day after school, xander excitedly accepted. you were a bit nervous he'd think poorly of your home since you were sure he lived in a glorious mansion.

you introduced him to both of your parents, and they greeted him kindly, but your mom embarrassingly asked if he was your boyfriend.

you were quick to make a joke to cover your pink cheeks, "mom, we'd never work out we have complete different tastes in scones."

xander cut in, "well, you know what they say, opposites do attract."

was he flirting with you, or were you reading into it? and why did you like it.

xander ended up really enjoying your house; he even once said he found it more peaceful than his own. so, you guys now frequently hung out at your house after school to talk, banter, study, and or even help each other with projects.

even though you tried to avoid it, xander ending up seeing your art.

it was unintentional; you were seated at a table in an art space working on a sketch, of whatever came to mind, with your earphones in. you didn't hear xander walk in and call your name.

you noticed his presence when he swiped your drawing book. you quickly took out your earphones and tried to reach for it back, but he'd already seen your drawing. and to make matters worse it was a sketch of him.

you were mortified, but he just looked at it in admiration.

he asked if you made it, and you shyly said you had.

"can't believe you were trying to hide your talent from me. now, as an apology ur going to let me keep this."

you immediately said no, and went to take it out of his hand. but xander was quicker and took the page from the journal and held it above his head, out of reach.

after a lot of jumping to reach it, which was required because he's very tall, you gave up and let him have it. xander was pleased with that, and has carried it everywhere in his wallet since then.

he now always pestered you about your art, wanting to see it or wanting you to make a piece for him. you had to admit, you found it flattering.

to make it fair, you wanted to see him in action working on something. he was delighted to show you his robots, and some of his process making them.

you were amazed at his talent, but he could be careless at times.

for instance, you two were in the lab room and you were watching him working on a new formula to fuel his robots. he turned on bunsen burner and before you knew it, it exploded.

he ended up with a missing eyebrow, and you were laughing hysterically. you still have pictures of him without it much to xander's dismay.

you knew you'd grown a crush on the charismatic guy, but you were too scared to admit it.

you weren't sure if he felt the same way, and a part of you felt silly for even thinking he would.

you confided in mia about it, and she was convinced xander was head over heels for you. but you still weren't quite sure, and you didn't want to damage a really good friendship.

in middle of october, xander's grandfather, tobias hawthorne passed away.

he wasn't at school that day, but you assumed he was out sick or doing something important. it wasn't until you heard the news from peers talking about it did you put it together.

you immediately sent him a text sending your condolences and asked if he needed anything.

you didn't hear from him for the rest of the week, which worried you - but you knew, like rebecca, people tend to want their space when loved ones pass.

it was a friday night, you were studying for an upcoming test in your world history class on monday, when you hear a sound from your window.

you ignored it at first thinking it was a wondering animal or just trees against each other. but then you heard it repeatedly, and you realized it was sounding more like a tap against the glass.

you carefully slid your curtains from the window and took a peak outside. you then came face to face with the boy you hadn't seen all week.

it took you a moment to register it was him, you yelped at the first sight of someone outside. but then he started motioning for you to open the window and then you noticed it was xander hawthorne.

you unlatched the lock on your window and slide it open enough he could fit through. but it didn't stop him from tripping on your window still and falling onto the ground with a 'thud'.

"shh! my parents might've heard that!"

"wow, instead of helping a poor fallen man up, you scold him. what ever happened to warm hospitality?"

you ignored him and held your hand out to help him up. once he was stood up, you waited for him to explain why he was here.

he went on to say he didn't have a specific reason, he just needed to get out of his mansion home. "the first place i thought of to go was here, with you."

you swore your heart leaped when he said that. you were praying to whoever was listening that your face wasn't a tomato. how do you even respond to such a heartfelt statement?

luckily, you didn't need to respond to that because he was quick to follow up his words.

"actually, you seem to be the first person i think about every day. no matter what i'm doing, I'll start to think of what'd you be saying if you were there. anytime i see the sunset, my thought shifts to what it look like if you painted it. hell, i've even found myself eating, yes eating, lemons scones because they bring me reminiscence of you."

xander crept closer as his words flowed out. and you were frozen to your spot. heart pounding louder as he took another step closer to you - leaving less than a foot of space between the two of you.

unsure of how to react you said the first thing that came to mind.

"well, uh, maybe you should think about inflation that usually keeps my mind busy." idiot. why do you open your big mouth.

xander gives you a grin, obviously amused at your nervous rambling like the little jerk he is. he was so close to you, you were embarrassed at the possibility he could he your heart pounding.

he moves his right hand to the side of your face, brushing his thumb over your cheek - eyes never leaving yours. you didn't have the strength to look away or even move, as if he was a vampire who compelled you to stay still.

"i've never known someone to get red so easily as you."

you then realized how much of your face was burning, and then after that statement it heated up even further. stupid nervous system.

"i didn't think your face could get a deeper scarlet than it was a moment ago," he laughs, "it's quite adorable honestly."

oh, god. this guy had your heart fluttering at after calling you adorable.

"i wonder how red you'll get when i kiss you."

you did not have a moment to process what xander utter because at the next second his collided his lips upon yours.

nothing prepared you for how exhilarating kissing him felt. your knees gave out a little, and xander was quick to keep you steady. you weren't even ashamed, stuck in a trance by the kiss. it was as if a scene from a jane austen novel had come to life.

boy, was he a good kisser. it was unfair really, how perfect he could he at anything he wants.

when the two of you pulled away, he was the first to speak up.

"you're about as red as crayon right now."

that was enough to bring you back to reality and shove him.

immediately after that night, the two of you began dating.

at first you thought it was unsaid that the both of you were now dating, but you should've known better than to believe xander hawthorne would take the subtle way.

the following monday you were in the refectory waiting on xander, who'd ask you to meet him there. however, you hadn't seen him yet, so you just sat down at an open table.

suddenly, you hear some sort of a mechanical noises coming from behind you. you turned you heard toward it and nothing could have prepared you to see a life sized R2-D2 robot gliding straight towards you - holding flowers in its utility arm.

what the hell was in your breakfast that morning?

when it made it way in front of you, you were completely stunned. you could feel the gazes of people in the room also witnessing this. the robot look scarily realistic to the ones in the star wars movies, xander really was a genius.

the robot extended another arm to reveal a small envelope. you took it in your own hand, along with the flowers.

WILL YOU BE MY GIRLFRIEND?

a. yes

b. a

c. kiss me

you rolled your eyes at his antics, maybe genius was an overstatement. then you noticed some scribble at the bottom.

p.s. NUTR NUAORD

at first sight of the words - you thought you were having a stroke, but then you figured out you had to unscrambled it to reveal the words 'TURN AROUND'.

of course, xander was always one for puzzles.

you follow the directions of the note and saw the man himself standing before you with a basket full of both lemon and blueberry scones.

"a tough choice, i know. personally, option c is the most appealing."

you wanted to smack the smugness of out him, but instead you opted to answer with letter c.

dating xander was chaotic to say the least, but you wouldn't have it any other way.

you two were never allowed to go on ordinary dates, xander always made sure they were memorable.

for your first date he took you to an escape room, but reserved the whole thing just for the two of you. xander was obviously a pro at the game, but you were quick to figure things out as well. the two of you got the quickest escape time.

at the end of it, he gifted you gold chained necklace with an 'x' and a golden key. you wore it all the time after.

another time you were taken to a amusement park, also reserved for the two of you. you clung on to xander on the scariest rides, much to his enjoyment. it wasn't until the end you saw how there had been pictures taken of you both while on the rides - your expression being fear on almost all of them while your arm was tight grabbing xander's. of course his face was just his charming giant grin of excitement.

he made sure to keep them all and put it as had lock screen despite how much you told him not to.

xander was now way more lenient about the lemon scone thing, and you can proudly say he even enjoys them now. nonetheless, the tradition at lunch is still on-going.

the most nerve wracking part of your relationship was meeting his family.

you learned just how rich xander and his family are. you knew he came from a lot of money, but you were never informed he was related to a billionaire. you couldn't comprehend how having that much money was possible, but xander, of course, acted nonchalant about the whole thing. rich people.

his brothers were all pleasant to meet. nash was the nicest, similar to his brother, he was a charmer with a country accent. grayson was more closed off, and didn't say a lot, but greeted you nicely. jameson, was a wild card, he was a bit drunk, but everyone collectively chose to remain obvious to it. he was also very flirty with you, but you knew it was mainly to annoy xander.

apparently it worked because the following day jameson was found with green hair.

you were introduced to his aunt and mother. his aunt was also pleasant, keeping greeting formal. his mother was.... interesting... the interaction was small, but based on some remarks and backhanded compliments; she looked down on your lower status. xander was quick to defend you and apologize after.

you later were asked to open the front door with a jumble of keys that all looked the same. you assumed this was suppose to be a test of some sort, but you weren't a mastermind at puzzles games like the other hawthornes.

instead, you found a big rock near the front entrance and smashed it against the door locks until they broke.

the brothers looked all bewildered at your action. xander was the first to burst out laughing, come around you to wrap and arm on your shoulder and kiss your forehead.

"that's my girl. who needs logic when you have big rocks."

xander was your biggest supporter in everything. he loved every piece of art you made, and never let you scrap or throw any of it anyway. anything you ever drew or painted him, he would keep it framed and hung in a section of his room dedicated to your work.

he shows up to every art show you have, bragging to people around how his amazing girlfriend painted the work. you always blush in embarrassment, but it never failed to make you happy.

you showed the same support for his activities as well. you cheered him on at my robotic competitions and you were his assistant in helping with small tasks during his building and experiments.

xander made robots were mainly made for doing simple things in overly complicated ways. he also occasionally gifted you robots for small annoying tasks you would offhandedly mention to him.

for instance, xander was walking you to your next class, carrying your backpack as he always insisted it was his job to do. you joked about how you wished he was always around to carry your stuff so your arms wouldn't be so tired.

a few weeks later he gave you a small robot designed to carrying items such as a backup and books. he even gave it wheels so it could follow you around the school like a puppy.

with xanders extroverted personality, it shouldn't surprised you he is not opposed to any PDA. which thea always gags to in the background if she's there to witness it.

he always has his arm around you, preferably your waist, or interlocks your hands together. he loves to gives you random kisses on the forehead or cheek. xander's favorite thing is to surprise you with a kiss on the lips in public, just so he can see you blush.

your first time with xander was very romantic and he made sure it would be. there were candles all over his bedroom and rose petals scattered on the ground. 

although xander was known for being a bit cocky, he was just as nervous as you that night, wanting to make everything special just for you. 

once he made sure you were comfortable - it was like a switch flipped - his cocky persona was back ten fold. 

let’s just say the next day you couldn’t feel your legs, nor could you hide the multiple purple marks left on you. 

of course, ever the gentlemen he was - he made you breakfast in bed the next morning. 

you were even more shocked to find out that was his first time. why is he miraculously good at everything?  

you hung out a lot more at the hawthorne mansion, xander showed you different passages around it. the house was so huge it felt like you've only ever seen 50% of it.

you grew closer to the other hawthorne brothers, taking part in family game night. you after a game of their version of chutes and ladders, you were quick to turn down some offers to play a game.

you also became good friends with avery grambs, you had first met her at the will reading, xander inviting you for moral support. you related to how out of place her and her sister felt around highly rich people.

the events of the will were shocking, but you were happy to find out she'd be sticking around. her moving into the mansion made it easier to hang out with her. you helped her adjust to heights country day and became close.

you and xander both helped avery with what you could in solving the clues his grandather left behind for avery and the hawthornes. although, you kept quiet about the fact xander knew a lot more than he was telling.

however, xander was reluctant to let you join them on anymore research after almost getting shot at when you went along with avery and jameson.

you’d never seen him so mad at his brother, cursing him up and down for putting you in that situation.

xander was insistent for you to stay behind from then on, but you relented and kept tagging along with the others on their little scavenger hunts. xander realized he couldn’t stop you, so he forbid you from going on any clue hunts without him by your side.

it was cute how protective he was, but a little annoying too.

one day you were walking around the mansion with xander looking for jameson, who had wondered off to who knew where. you came across an unfamiliar office. you had asked xander who it belonged to and he informed you it was his grandfathers, now technically avery's.

the two of you entered the office space, you figured xander was curious if anything had changed since his grandfather's passing or if he had maybe left another clue behind.

you were looking around until you eyes came across something behind his desk - a large portrait of who you assumed was tobias hawthorne. upon further inspection, you came to realize another thing.

you painted this portrait.

"holy shit."

even beyond the grave tobias hawthorne keeps on spurring surprises.

[theweepingangelofcas]

Hi ,I hope your health is great ! I just discovered your writing and I really liked it! I was wondering if I could request something, I'm a chess player so I always thought what it would be like to play with Albert Moriarty, or teach him how to play (though he's so smart and he must know how very well) so can you write about that ? thank you so much for your time ! ( i hope it's not much trouble) <3.

Have a good day/night .

This was so fun to write! But I will warn you now, though I can play chess, I am terrible at it lol

**********************

Beginner's Luck - Albert Moriarty x Reader

This man has been raised as a noble.

He's had a stellar education. Hours upon hours of studying. And, par for the course of his upbringing, he's quite the brilliant chess player.

But, when you misheard him and thought he'd never played before, he didn't have the heart to correct you.

When you'd asked him if he played chess, he had answered fairly simply.

"Yes. I have." But, between the chatter of the nobles around you, you must've misheard him. You were dragging him to the nearest game room within moments, squealing at the idea of teaching him how. How could he correct you? Neither of you had wanted to go to this event. The nobility of the area had arranged it once you two got married, something of a wedding party that neither of you wanted. You hadn't been this happy all evening. He couldn't tell you the truth. He couldn't tell you how he'd almost always won every single match. That's what had him here, sitting across from you with a chess board set up. You were going over the rules, starting your own plays and "guiding" him on how to retaliate. And though you were by no means bad, he did have to hold his tongue on other, better plays that could've been made. "And the pawn can only go forward and diagonal, right?" He prayed that his confused tone sounded convincing enough. You nodded, clapping your hands in delight, "Yes, Albert! You're learning so quickly, I'm so excited for you! This can be our new game." You moved your knight to take his pawn, and he faked a scowl. But, before he could stop himself, he saw where you had made a fatal flaw. The moving of your knight had left your queen open to attack. He didn't even think before he moved his bishop over, winning the game. One problem. You hadn't explained what a bishop did yet. You looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. Chuckling awkwardly, his hand wiped a nervous bead of sweat from his brow, "Uh... Beginner's luck?"

[gmchesscoach]

10 Tips for Beginners in Chess

Chess is an ancient game of strategy, where patience, planning, and practice go hand in hand. Whether you’re picking up the board for the first time or want to improve your basic skills, here are ten essential tips for beginners that can help you advance and enjoy the game even more.

1. Understand the Rules Thoroughly

Before diving into strategies and tactics, make sure you understand the fundamental rules of the game. Familiarize yourself with how each piece moves and the unique moves like castling, en passant, and pawn promotion. Knowing the rules will help you see the bigger picture on the board.

2. Learn Piece Values

Each chess piece has a value that can guide you in exchanges. Generally, pawns are worth 1 point, knights and bishops 3, rooks 5, and the queen 9. While the king has no numeric value, as it can’t be captured, understanding these values will help you make better decisions about which pieces to keep and which to exchange.

3. Control the Center

The four central squares on the board (e4, e5, d4, and d5) are crucial in controlling the game. By placing your pawns and pieces to influence these squares, you’ll gain more mobility and limit your opponent’s options. A strong center allows for more flexibility and a solid foundation for attacks.

4. Develop All Your Pieces Early

A common mistake for beginners is focusing too much on just a few pieces, especially the queen. Instead, work on developing all your pieces, especially knights and bishops, as soon as possible. This will give you more options for attacking and defending.

5. Don’t Move the Same Piece Multiple Times Early On

In the opening phase, avoid moving the same piece multiple times unless necessary. Moving one piece repeatedly wastes valuable time that could be used to bring other pieces into the game. Strive for efficiency in the early moves to maximize your control over the board.

6. Protect Your King

Never neglect the safety of your king. One of the best ways to ensure this is by castling early, which moves the king to a safer position and connects your rooks. Avoid leaving your king exposed to direct threats, as it can lead to a quick loss.

7. Be Cautious with Pawn Moves

Pawns are the only pieces that cannot move backward, so think carefully before advancing them. Reckless pawn moves can create weaknesses in your defense, especially around your king. A solid pawn structure is crucial for a strong defense and effective control over the board.

8. Consider the Opponent’s Threats

Chess is not just about executing your own plans but also about responding to your opponent’s moves. Every time your opponent moves, take a moment to consider what they’re trying to accomplish. This habit will help you anticipate threats and avoid costly mistakes.

9. Practice Basic Tactics

Tactics are short-term sequences of moves that can give you a decisive advantage. Learning common tactics, such as forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks, can help you find clever ways to gain material or put your opponent in difficult positions. Practicing tactics can give you an edge even over more experienced players.

10. Analyze Your Games

After each game, especially if you’ve lost, take some time to review it. Look for mistakes, missed opportunities, and areas where you can improve. Many online chess platforms provide game analysis tools to help you understand your weaknesses and strengths. Reflecting on your games is one of the fastest ways to improve.

Final Note: Learning from a Grandmaster

For those serious about taking their chess skills to the next level, learning from an experienced player is invaluable. Grandmaster chess coach Valery Filippov offers online chess lessons tailored to players of all levels. His insights can help you understand complex strategies, refine your openings, and improve your endgame skills. With his guidance, you can progress faster and develop a solid foundation to enjoy chess at a higher level.

[sun-havenn]

Hi is this blog still active qwq I rlly like ur writing!! Is it okie to ask for some more soft Xyla/Darius headcanons? Maybe something to do w/ the ferris wheel/other withergate attractions or the farmer continuously beating Xyla at chess (+Darius reaction) lol my brainrot for the demon babes is rlly rlly bad 😞

yes of course! i'm sorry this is a little late, was forced to take a break for my final internship and exams. now i have more time and i'm still obsessed with the game!

feel free to leave any requests behind! i should be able to finish any request within a few days from now on :)

Xyla

The carnival is very dear to her. She's extremely proud of it, and, almost secretly loves any praise she gets for it. So it's not much of a surprise that you can find her there almost every day.

She likes relaxing after her work, and nothing is as relaxing as winning. She loves challenging you at all sorts of carnival games. She's had years of practice and will win most of the times.

Don't even think she'll go easy on you. Her second favorite thing is rubbing her win in.

The only game she's never won is the strength meter. How could she win from you, someone who spends most time plowing through earth and carrying heavy water cans? Still, she challenges you to it every time.

(It's because she likes how strong you are, and loves to see you display it. Not that she'd ever admit that.)

The ferris wheel is the only thing you don't do a lot together. Xyla doesn't find it quite as fun as the games, but she can see the romance in it. When you're invited for a ride, you know you're going to hear something sweet.

(In the ferris wheel, no one else can overhear her. Xyla has a reputation to uphold!)

Now for the chess! She never expected you to be good at it. The first three times you won, she called it beginners luck. Then, she accused you of cheating. You swore you weren't, that you just used to play a lot before you bought the farm. She never believed you and is a sore loser. After winning, you'd be ignored for a few hours, only to be challenged again in a few days.

Darius

He likes the carnival, but sometimes he gets the sense he wins the games because he's the prince of Withergate. While he loves the royal treatment, that took the fun out of playing the games.

But of course, he will go with you and play any game you want, all the while pretending that it was his idea in the first place.

Darius can easily pay for whatever game you want to play, or even not pay at all because he is the prince. You rarely let him pay for you, which he admires. Most people seem to want something from him, but you don't even want him to spend 15 tickets on you. in fact, you often insist on paying for him, which is something else entirely.

He is very big on winning you something. Anything, really. He'll spend the tickets he won on something to eat for you, or better yet, a silly plushie. Whenever he visits your apartment, he's surprised to find every plushie he's ever won you safely inside.

Darius doesn't care much for the ferris wheel. It was fun, but not so much anymore after a few rides. Now, if you're scared of heights, it's a different story. If that's the case, he'll drag you in there frequently just because he likes you close.

He gets the sense that he's protecting you. If only you weren't so strong and capable, then he wouldn't have to drag you into the ferris wheel to feel like he's protecting you.

Now, if you're so great at chess you keep beating even Xyla, he is extremely proud of you. People often ask him why he's so close with 'just a farmer'. He knows you're much more than 'just a farmer', and you shouldn't have to prove it to anyone. But the more people see you as capable in different ways... well, it helps your reputation as much as his.

When you win, he will be the one to brag and gloat. He'll compliment you, smiling bright and proud. He often gets so braggy that Xyla leaves. Not that Darius minds, it gives him more freedom to express just how marvelous he thinks you are.

[royalchessmall]

Whether you're a beginner or a skilled chess player, mastering these strategies will improve your game. Certainly! Mastering these four chess tactics for beginners (pins, skewers, forks, and discovered attacks) is of utmost importance. Let's dig deep into each one:

Pins: Pins in chess are tactical maneuvers that alter the game course by preventing an opponent's piece from moving. They immobilize critical pieces, restrict options, and give attackers a strategic advantage.

Skewers: This chess tactic calls for precise positioning and forethought to uncover hidden pieces with lower values. Players of all levels use this tactic quite often.

Forks: Forks in chess involve a piece attacking multiple pieces, causing an awkward position for the opposing player. While knights are the most skilled, other pieces can create powerful forks.

Discovered Attacks: Discovered attacks are tactical chess maneuvers involving moving pieces and revealing hidden attacks. These attacks force opponents to choose between defending against the moved piece's threat or dealing with the newly revealed attack.

However, improving your chess tactics for beginners requires dedication, practice, and a systematic approach. For some effective tips to elevate your tactical prowess, read the blog at: https://royalchessmall.com/blogs/blog/chess-tactics-for-beginners

Besides, Royal Chess Mall also offers a premium selection of luxury chess sets, Dubrovnik chess sets, Staunton chess sets & chess tables, enhancing the chess-playing experience with high-quality & elegant options. Don't miss to explore your options.

[mr-sir-galahad]

What Does it Mean to Get 'Better' at Hypnokink?

In this recent webinar with @binaural-histolog (which was excellent, Binaural, ty), a lot of commenters brought up intermediate education, suggesting that there's adequate beginner instruction and plenty of advanced material presented at conferences and workshops, but that the middle was missing.

So what should be in the middle? What does it mean to be 'better' but not... advanced?

The question matters. Fields tend to advance as they grow in the number of participating members, and without a systematic approach to knowledge, a clear idea of where one might go next, that funnel never gets built. Progression seems too hard or like magic and unbelievable, so newbies pile up.

I'm running into that wall myself, struggling for the last few months trying to get clarity on what the heck it actually means to 'git gud' when I realized that if I step back, I actually have experience on this from my previous work as a coach, teacher, and course designer and wasn't applying it.

D'oh.

The Skill Funnel

Different factors change the type of practice and performance that determine what is considered advanced or successful. Things like:

Timing: is the skill performed in real time (improv) or prepared in advance and presented (oil painting)

Clarity: is excellent performance easily measured by objective criteria like wins and losses (chess) or subjective (charisma)

Infrastructure: how high is the structural barrier to excellence? (humor compared to tournament play in Magic: The Gathering)

Real-time performance requires automaticity where preparation benefits from greater attention to detail. Objective skills require tuning to the game where subjective skills reward tuning to your audience.

These aren't the only measures, and they aren't fixed categories but spectrums that are constantly fluctuating:

The way I am training to play, most scenes will be live-but-negotiated, so I can rehearse and prepare but have to perform in real time. Whether the scene was good or not is entirely subjective and personal—between me and the subject—but within certain models, my performance could be assessed and graded. And the structural barriers to entry are incredibly low.

Tailoring Practice

On these measures, then, hypnosis is closer to coaching than coding, which suggests likely best-avenues for practice:

Practice: get very good at routines for common situations (inductions, common suggestions, etc.)

Preparation: learn how to best negotiate, plan, and stage so that performance in the moment is 'peaked' but remains flexible

Responsiveness - identifying the subject's experience in the moment and having responses that typically move things towards 'good'

Tailoring - learn ways to discover meaningful differences between subjects and tailor play

Variety - the ability to improvise a range of responses so you can play with the same partner multiple times without boredom

The skills would be very different for a content creator making files or a hypnotherapist, and starting with things that provide immediate return on things that I care about makes it clearer what I should practice.

[anarchist-chess]

Was there a particular blunder that kicked us from "can force mate" to "will definitely lose", or was our loss more gradual than that? ... is that even a thing in chess i never played it all that seriously

While at no point were there any forced checkmates for us (or indeed against us until near the end), according to the computer, we maintained an effectively even position until 20. ...a4 which loses a pawn, and while that was salvageable, we then failed to capture the rook with bxf8 with move 24. ...Rb1? which loses a rook for a bishop. As it turns out, the pawn promotion was not actually enough of a threat to go down the exchange with a rook for a bishop. It all slowly deteriorated from there, with few opportunities for recovery.

However, the game was even until then, which is pretty impressive, I think, as it means we were consistently playing the best or close to best moves before 20. a4.

In general, outside of beginner chess, a player doesn't switch from "about to win" to "doomed" particularly quickly. (This isn't to say very skilled players don't make bad moves that immediately change the entire course of the game often, but it's much rarer, and more commonly what they do is accidently cause a draw in a game they should have won.)

[lovecrafts-iranon]

9/11 is airplane day for most of Tumblr and of course I celebrate but for me it marks a year since I went to a chess tournament.

Thoughts on the tournament chess, which I've posted before:

-So first of all to remind everybody, I won every game I played and won the tournament and won money. So 9/11 is a reminder of a joyous occasion!

-However, winning every game put me at a very high provisional rating. So I haven't played any other tournaments since then because I want to actually be good enough to match my inflated rating.

-The idea of just going to another tournament *knowing* I would lose a ton of rating points fills me with extreme anxiety. I've avoided doing so for a year.

-I've had multiple chess coaches either not want to continue with me or not want to start because of this. They all think it's ridiculous that I would not want to go to a tournament and lose my awesome high rating.

-Their opinions have been chipping away at me and I've been lowering the level I would need to be at to attend another tournament, but it's still well above my current level.

-If I went to a bunch of tournaments I could be a chess poster. That could be my thing. I don't know of any chess posters on Tumblr. It would at least be something positive because a lot of my original posts are mopes. People would go that's lovecrafts-iranon the chess guy. I currently spend so much time playing online and studying chess that I am definitely a chess guy, but you can't really make posts without tournaments.

-I do not go to the local chess club because the highest rated guy there who is kind of the head of the club said he wouldn't play me if I kept refusing to go to tournaments. So I am unwelcome.

-I really love the idea of going to more tournaments (once I am good enough).

-I don't know if I can ever get to the level I'd need to be at, since adult beginners can only improve so much. I'd need to be 1800 USCF level. That's around my inflated rating.

[arjunchessacademy]

Competing against top chess talents.  They showcased amazing talent and determination. From intense suits to exciting victories, their journey was a testament to their difficult work and the arena-magnificence training they received at ACA.  Their achievements are a source of immense pride for us.  Want to know more about their inspiring journey? Explore our website for detailed accounts of their triumphs and how ACA is nurturing future chess champions.

https://www.arjunchess.com/

[chessbrainzind]

Breaking Free From Mental Capabilities: Is Online Chess Academy The Best Option?

Teaching kids to play the age-old game of chess is a special challenge in this day of digital natives. Online chess academies have opened up a world of opportunities for young players, even though traditional chess clubs and in-person training still have their beauty. This leads us to discuss the benefits of .

[magnoliamy]

100 Days of Productivity 24/100

04/03/24

-Worked on titles and font selections for my zine -Bought my coworker a mini cake from the bakery I used to work at for his birthday tomorrow. Got to see my old boss and coworkers which was really nice -Came up with a chess learning schedule to be done with the beginners course on my chess app by the end of the month

[minecraft-llama]

Chess Blog Day #29 - Introduction to Chess Openings

Chess openings are the moves that you make to start a game of chess.

Chess openings are arguably the least important part of chess. Often players can make completely random moves for the first few moves and as long as their position isn't lost they'll be fine.

However, sometimes games are decided in the opening, especially in tricky openings or with opening traps. We saw before how for beginners Scholar's Mate can be hard to defend against.

Playing a good opening is also a great way to maximize your chances, and you have nothing to lose by learning some.

As players improve openings become more important, especially in slower games.

The reason I mentioned them being relatively less important is because many players spend too much time studying openings without winning many more games.

With that out of the way, let's talk about some opening principles.

The main thing you want to achieve in an opening is to control the centre of the board. This is why 1.e4 and 1.d4 are the two most common first moves.

The next thing you want to achieve is minor piece development. Most of the time you should move knights out before bishops. This is because knights only really have two good squares to go to, and most of the time they only really have one. Bishops, on the other hand, have many squares they can move to and so you should wait and see what your opponent does before committing them.

The next thing you want to do is castle. If you're in a position where you would prefer to castle long you will of course also need to move your queen first.

The final stage of the opening is connecting your rooks. This happens once you have castled and the queen, bishops and knights have all moved. The rooks defending each other is very often useful.

Now let's talk about how openings are named. If an opening name ends with the following:

Attack: (eg. Horwitz Attack) This is an aggressive opening for white.

Defence: (eg. King's Indian Defence) This is an opening for black. This is just convention because white goes first. Many "defences" are still quite aggressive. It's useful though because you can immediately tell which side an opening is for just by its name.

Counterattack: (eg. Traxler Counterattack) These are black openings that are definitely aggressive. Usually in response to an attack by white.

Opening: (eg. Spanish Opening) This is an opening by white that isn't quite so agressive.

Game: (eg. Italian Game, not to be confused with the Italian Job) Used to refer to openings for by either side. For some white openings it's used interchangeably with "opening" (Spanish Opening/Spanish Game, call it what you like).

Gambit: (eg. King's Gambit) This is used as a name for openings where one side sacrifices something (almost always a pawn, but sometimes a knight or even more rarely a bishop). This is mostly white openings but not always.

Countergambit: (eg. Falkbeer Countergambit) This is when one player plays a gambit but the other side not only declines the gambit but plays one of their own. It's the Uno reverse card of chess openings. This is mostly black openings but not always.

Now that we've covered the basics of openings, it's time to look at some.

Tomorrow: The Spanish opening.

[serenanymph]

8, 13, and 20 for the road trip asks!

ask game here!

8. What does your OC do to pass the time on a long stretch of road?

Icarus is probably tapping his hand on the wheel and singing along to the radio. Crys navigates from the passengers seat, and alternates between sleeping or reading (if he finds something particularly interesting he'll read it aloud to Icarus). If Crys is driving then Icarus is looking out the window and excitedly chattering to him about interesting landmarks. Crys is mostly just content with listening, but he hums to let Icarus know he's paying attention and occasionally remarks on something.

In either version Rhyme and Sol are elbowing each other in the backseat for more space and maybe playing puzzle games like sudoku or online chess. (They're so busy arguing with each other they lose to the beginner A.I. Brats will be brats, I guess.)

In canon... well honestly there's not much to do save for talk or look at the scenery. Unless they get chased by a Witchrisen, in which case time to parkour through the woods.

13. Which OC gets accidentally left behind at a stop? How long does it take before anyone realizes that they’re gone?

Okay if I'm being honest this is very very unlikely, bcuz Icarus always keeps track of his friends and Crys is hypervigilant, but in the event this does happen...... Sol. Maybe when they have to leave a village hurriedly in canon (read: chased out by torches and pitchforks) they accidentally get split up.

Modern au they peel away from the gas station without realizing he isn't in the car. It doesn't occur to them until they're several miles away, only because it's oddly peaceful in the back.

(Rhyme left him in the convenience store aisle telling him she was going to go to the bathroom. She finds the entire event hilarious. Icarus feels really bad. Rip Sol.)

20. What happens when the vehicle runs out of fuel in the middle of nowhere?

Crys pulls out a map and charts a course to the nearest gas station. Icarus flags down a passing car with the power of his Everpresent Sunshine ("What if it's a highway robber," Crys points out. Rhyme cracks her knuckles together. "Then I guess I'm getting some exercise." Sol takes a silent step back.)

Anyway with their luck it's not a highway robber but some wizard guy who needs their help to save an ancient kingdom or something. Questing time! (Even in a modern au they get no breaks.)