Road to be the Best Chess Player in the World!-Chapter 543: Creating a Club (II)

After that, the training camp finally began. Well, not a real camp, per se. More like a chess club that had just opened by Sheva, with the girls as the first three members there.

Once Sheva connected with his students, the three teens agreed immediately that they would also become members, even stating that once they graduated from school, they would move to Jakarta to help him run the club better.

It was incredible how a new club had such a luxurious lineup like that, and if not for Sheva’s influence, there was no way he could pull this off. Of course, the boy still had some concern, so in the last couple of days, he could be seen coming to Master Irfan’s house a couple of times.

First, it was, of course, to make it clear that the club he created was not something to challenge the men’s club. While it had been a while since Sheva attended the club’s meeting in Master Irfan’s house, that was the place that helped shape his game, and it had a special spot in his heart.

To the boy’s surprise, though, Master Irfan just laughed at his concern.

"If you want to create a club, why wouldn’t you want to be the best? Don’t be timid just because of me! If anything, your club thriving only means that my guidance is top notch! I mean, I have the right to brag to anyone else that my club birthed the most talented player that the country has ever seen, right?’

This surprised Sheva for a moment, but after pondering it thoughtfully, he could understand his teacher’s standpoint. Indeed, after Sheva emerged, coupled with Anna’s successful career and even Claudia’s rise, the man didn’t really need further exposure. He didn’t really need to compete with the new club like Sheva’s creation, and probably could even give guidance if necessary.

That was exactly the second purpose he visited Master Irfan. While Sheva was confident in his chess and teaching skills, he didn’t know a single thing about how to run a club. Of course, Bagas helped a lot. However, it was always nice to have a professional perspective coming from an experienced veteran like Master Irfan.

The result didn’t disappoint him. Sheva could still remember the conversation he had with Master Irfan regarding this matter.

"You still remember how I found you?" The man suddenly asked.

"Of course, it should be at the park close to that crowded street, right?" Sheva smiled, reminiscing about the past.

At that time, he was just a mere stall waiter for his best friend’s father, thinking about how to survive in the harsh environment of Jakarta. Who would’ve thought that just in a year, he would spread his wings already, flying so high in the world of chess?

"Yeah, at that time, I was still in the middle of the run from one district to another to search for a talent." Master Irfan smiled knowingly. "So... Why don’t you try to imitate that?"

Sheva was stunned, not just from the suggestion, but also at himself for not thinking about something like that before.

"I mean, at that time, I promised the winner to get 1.000.000 Rupiah, right? Not to be pretentious, but I am sure that number is not huge for you right now, and you can also try diving deeper into Jakarta. It wouldn’t be easy, and not a lot of talent would appear. But maybe, there would be someone like you out of there, waiting for guidance so that they could shine brightly in the world."

After that, Sheva really thought about it, and he had to admit that the idea tempted him. Moreover, he also had an advantage compared to Master Irfan, which was the system to judge a player’s current ability. While it couldn’t reflect the real potential, at least, the system was a game-changer if he really wanted to jump into the scene like what Master Irfan did a year ago.

Still, that was for the future himself. For now, Sheva still wanted to put his focus on the three girls first, wanting to elevate their game to a new level.

As those three were still waiting for their exam date, the meeting was only held every weekend. However, each meeting was always productive, with each one of them learning something from Sheva’s thorough guidance.

Laysa learned how to refine her attacking style, having challenged Sheva so many times to observe the pattern on when to charge forward and when to back down. It also helped since Sheva’s style was quite similar, and she wanted to replicate his time management skills as well.

"You have to admit that playing fast and accurate really has its merit." That was what she said.

For Anna, the girl learned some openings to broaden her repertoire. She specifically mentioned the Jobava-London Opening that she learned from the course that Daniel Naroditsky created, finding the sharp tactical line of the usually boring opening to be charming.

As for Claudia, Sheva drilled her with so many tactical exercises, wanting to hone her skill and instinct in a crucial situation. The girl’s playing style was the most conservative here, and it was necessary for her to learn how to take a risk properly.

Of course, Sheva also didn’t neglect his own training. He still maintained contact with some of his ’elite’ friends like Dmitrij Kollar and Pragg, challenging them in an online chess duel to hone his skill.

On that note, though, the boy also started joining the legendary ’Title Tuesday’ tournament from the Chess.com website, and while, so far, he had never entered the top three, the boy was satisfied with the progress he made, especially since he himself was not apt to an online game like this.

Overall, everything progressed in the direction that Sheva envisioned, and without anyone noticing, two months had passed already. Even though the three girls still had an exam waiting, right now, they had a bigger challenge coming in front of them.

The Asian Zone 3.3 2023, the tournament to fight for one ticket to the World Cup next September.

-Author’s note-

Hey, everyone! Thank you for supporting my story! I have written a new one with the hope of getting a contract for that story as well, the title is ’The Rise of the Iron Wall!’. It is a football story, so if you like, please give your support by adding it to your collection and giving your power stone to that story! Thanks!