Chapter 620 - 284: The Grateful Uncle (Part 2)

At this moment, a deep voice from a middle-aged man came to his ear: "Advance the pawn."

Grandfather raised his head with some puzzlement and saw the middle-aged man. He shook his head: "Advance the pawn? Won’t the opponent’s knight come over easily?"

"His knight won’t dare to move."

"Huh? Why not?"

"If he moves the knight, the center will be open, and your rook can move straight ahead... within five moves, you can checkmate him." The middle-aged man smiled and spoke confidently.

Grandfather’s face showed doubt, and opposite him, Jing Chaoyi also showed a confused expression. The middle-aged man rambled on, yet she couldn’t see it.

The middle-aged man laughed: "One should observe a game silently... apologies."

Grandfather shook his head and stood up directly: "Come on, sit down, let’s see how you checkmate him."

The middle-aged man didn’t decline and straightforwardly sat down in front of Jing Chaoyi, then just as he had said earlier, he advanced a pawn.

Jing Chaoyi, not believing in tactics, moved a knight as grandfather predicted.

The middle-aged man moved the rook without hesitation.

Up to this point, the game’s development was exactly as the middle-aged man described, but outsiders still couldn’t see any danger on the board. However, Li Younan looked at the middle-aged man with some surprise.

But within minutes, the situation on the board drastically changed.

Jing Chaoyi’s skill level was such that she could see three moves ahead during the midgame. So when the middle-aged man made two moves, Jing Chaoyi finally realized the trap set from advancing the pawn, and her expression became serious. She pondered for a long time before making her next move.

And the middle-aged man placed a piece with a smile, saying, "Young lady, you already lost."

Jing Chaoyi paused, initially confused, but after studying for a while, she accepted her defeat.

At this point, Li Younan could discern the chess skill levels of the players.

Grandfather couldn’t understand why Jing Chaoyi lost, and the secretary and Liu Li sitting with them were even more bewildered.

Grandfather couldn’t help but ask, "Hey, why did she lose?"

Jing Chaoyi sighed slightly and said, "For those with a certain chess skill level, it’s not necessary to checkmate to spell defeat. Once an inevitable strategy forms, it already indicates a certain loss."

"And this game will inevitably form an ’Erquan Ying Yue’ strategy in two moves; I can’t stop it. Although true checkmate requires a few more moves, it’s clear enough for us both."

The middle-aged man stood up, somewhat embarrassed: "Haha, haven’t played in a while, hope I haven’t disrupted you."

At this moment, Li Younan shook his head: "Not necessarily lost."

Jing Chaoyi looked over at Li Younan in surprise, and the middle-aged man also looked at Li Younan with interest: "Young brother also plays Chinese chess?"

Li Younan didn’t speak, just placed his hand on the chessboard and moved a piece.

The middle-aged man squinted and looked at the move for a moment, then shook his head and continued with his rhythm.

Li Younan placed another piece.

By this time, the middle-aged man had moved the critical piece to its position, then smiled: "Young brother, you probably can’t see it, soon I will form the ’Erquan Ying Yue’ situation; you can’t stop it."

Li Younan smiled without a word: "Aren’t there still two moves left?"

The middle-aged man’s eyebrows rose slightly, then moved another piece.

Jing Chaoyi frowned to the side, she looked at the senior, the senior clearly couldn’t win against grandfather, she couldn’t understand this chess.

Li Younan said nothing, with almost no pause, he placed another piece.

The middle-aged man said while smiling, "Can’t understand yet? In two moves, I’ll checkmate."

Li Younan made a gesture to invite him, the middle-aged man shook his head and made the first move.

And at this moment, Li Younan leisurely picked up a piece: "I check first."

The unexpected check made the middle-aged man pause for a moment, and Jing Chaoyi widened her eyes toward the board.

The middle-aged man quickly regained composure, shaking his head: "This check won’t defeat me."

He casually withdrew a piece, nullifying the check.

But immediately afterward, Li Younan moved another piece: "Check again."

The middle-aged man frowned, this time he stared at the board for a long while, finally his expression changed from relaxed to serious, then he gave a surprised smile, lightly knocked on the general on the board, and said: "I lost, impressive, young brother."

Jing Chaoyi widened her eyes.

And grandfather’s mouth twitched slightly.

He tilted his head to scrutinize the board, he didn’t understand when Jing Chaoyi conceded defeat, and now his grandson made these two moves and the middle-aged man conceded, he was even more confused.

Wait a minute, do masters play chess only halfway?

And wait, when did his grandson become a master? Didn’t he just lose to me?

"Why is this game lost?"

Grandfather couldn’t help but ask.

Li Younan patiently demonstrated to grandfather, saying: "Look, grandfather, here next move I will check him again. Although it still won’t defeat him, he can only continue to move the marshal because if he moves this way, my piece can continue to check his army, he would lose even faster."

"And after he moves this way, he won’t be able to form his ’Erquan Ying Yue’ anymore, but I’m forming a strategy here."

"Next move, I will start with this move, he will only be led by the nose, and eventually use a horse-backed cannon to counter-checkmate him."