Road to be the Best Chess Player in the World!-Chapter 399: Anna’s Eagerness for Revenge!

"If this were a month ago, before the Olympiad began, I would never have thought that Sheva would pick the Delayed Alapin Variation as his opening choice." Irfan couldn’t help but sigh when he saw the situation on the board. "It is a passive and less direct opening, definitely not the line that Sheva likes the most. In fact, if anything, a month ago, Sheva would have put this variation in the bin already, not even glancing, let alone considering that to be in his repertoire."

"This is growth, I tell you that," Bagas said solemnly. "From always rushing recklessly to be willing to go for a tug-of-war game that tests his patience, Sheva has already turned into a strong player, and witnessing his growth is definitely one of the most satisfying things I have ever experienced in life!"

Kohli67: Damn, right! I still remember him always using a clumsy attacking style to get under his opponent’s skin! Now, his style has matured a lot, and it is gratifying to see!

Hilda99: Well said, @Kohli67! This is what we want to see from the youngsters! The improvement and maturity after gaining experiences! Rating could follow up, but refining the style is definitely the most important thing for a rising player like Sheva!

As Predke took his time to think, though, Bagas didn’t forget to switch the attention to the other game. After all, with a few big games on the board, there were a lot of things for him to cover.

"Well, let’s see what happens in Anna’s game! Oh! What do we have here?! A... Catalan Defense?" His tone was unsure when he said the last part. He couldn’t be blamed, though, as a lot of the 1.d4 openings had a pretty similar setup, and it wasn’t easy for someone who didn’t play regularly to remember everything.

"No, not Catalan Defense. This opening is called the Catalan Opening." Irfan corrected quickly. He leaned his body slightly forward, narrowing his eyes at the board on the screen. "This is a hard opening to pull, what with the heavy theory that has to be followed to succeed in this game. Moreover, even if everything goes perfectly, the endgame is still quite hard to play, with a very subtle advantage for both sides."

In fact, this was one of the openings that made Sheva hate the 1.d4 system. After all, besides its slow build-up, the opening required a lot of patience, way more than any other openings with a similar setup. To make it worse, this was also one of the openings that led the game into a draw the most. So, to put it simply, the Catalan Opening lacked action, and it didn’t lead the players anywhere else, just walking in circles.

Well, that was Sheva’s opinion. However, Anna had a different thought. In fact, the moment she knew that her opponent would be Suleymanli Ayin, the girl had already made up her mind that this was the opening that she would choose. After all, this was the same opening that led her to lose the game against Aydin in Jakarta a few months ago, so Anna was determined to redeem herself in this game.

’The essence of the Catalan is to stay patient and not rush things up.’ She muttered, trying to recall the painful lesson in the past. ’I don’t need to take initiative at all. Just be reactive, waiting for him to make the first move. Then, once everything is settled and time for the endgame finally appears, that is when I will strike hard!’

This was the plan that she had formed beforehand. After playing so many close endgames and triumphing in most of them, Anna was confident about her ability, feeling like she had improved by leaps and bounds since their last meeting.

Of course, that didn’t mean she would get the result that she wanted. After all, Suleymanli Aydin was not a small fry that could be slaughtered that easily. Also, it was quite difficult to lead the game in the direction that she wanted. Before that, Anna had to survive this complicated middle game first, and in her game against Aydin in the past, this was where she fell the hardest, forcing her to admit defeat. That was why she approached every move cautiously, not wanting to have any slip that could cost the entire game later.

In fact, this was not just one case. Medina and Laysa also treated their game far more cautiously than ever. The fear of defeat and losing all the momentum they earned in the Olympiad made them act way more cautiously, thinking that every square was a landmine waiting to be exploded.

This frustrated Bagas a little bit, since it became quite hard to navigate the broadcast. Only Duta and Claudia’s games were quite dynamic, but their opponents were not that good, making it less appealing for the viewers.

Of course, he knew that the players couldn’t be blamed. After all, at the end of the day, the most important thing was the result, and no matter how ugly the process was, as long as they managed to avoid defeat, it would count as a win for them all. Bagas just hoped, though, that something big would happen in this game, something that could ignite the viewers’ spirit.

’Come on! Do something, guys!’

The camera switched back and forth from one player after another, as the two hosts and the commentator were waiting for an action to be on the board. However, based on the players’ reaction, it seemed that they needed to wait for a little bit longer.

Both Anna and Medina were still engaging in a war of attrition, not wanting to step forward first. As for Laysa, the girl furrowed her brows deeply, finding her situation to be difficult to handle. Not only did she not find any breakthrough, but her position was also on the verge of collapse. She needed to find a way to neutralize the situation, or it would be her head that would roll on the floor.

Fortunately, Bagas didn’t really have to wait for all the days to see the action happen. And just like the usual, when everything seemed to be bleak, it was Sheva who came out as the savior, suddenly making a splash on the calm ocean.

"OH! WHAT IS THIS?!" Bagas shouted, having both his hands on his head. "THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED! SHEVA IS CURRENTLY IN THE LEAD!"