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The assassin strikes, appearing four spaces from where it should have been and taking a hapless knight.

Havelock tilts his head, noting the new positions on the board, considering the position from each player's point of view. His coffee sits off to one side, slowly growing cold, to the tragic sadness of a nearby waitrat. (Apparently Ianto Jones has rubbed off on at least one.)

Yes.

If not used in conjunction with the queen, first and foremost, a dangerous gambit, but...

Hmm.

Well, he has time to think it over.

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A few exchanges later, it's Trowa's turn to make a slightly riskier move.

And Trowa's turn to sit back (metaphorically) and see what Havelock chooses to do with the opening.

Havelock chooses to take a more daring play than had been advisable before.

It fits with his current agenda, after all.

Trowa's response is, in turn, a neutral play.

(Trowa's habitual response to many non-combat situations includes biding his time in observation. The choice to do so in this moment is, of course, a deliberate one.)

The assassins do add useful possibilities.

(It's telling enough, to the right sort of person.)

Havelock fails to smile, making a neutral play of his own this time.

Havelock is, Trowa feels, an excellent conversationalist.

Accordingly, he replies in kind.

Isn't he just?

...This could go on for a while.

Yep.

It does.

At length, Trowa (expression unchanged, of course) opts for a slightly more aggressive play.

Hmm.

Havelock examines the board, eyes glinting.

He moves the assassin once along the side of the board.

Indeed.

Trowa moves a bishop; the aggressor is the role that suits his purposes, at the moment.

(But his assassins are still in the Slurks -- of course. For now.)

So are Havelock's, although... perhaps in a slightly more tactically advantageous position, if you can see a few possible moves ahead.

(Havelock privately has no doubts on that score about Trowa.)

He concentrates innocently on his main pieces, shifting a rook delicately.

(Just a few moves, yes.

But then they're well matched, in this.)

Knight to capture pawn -- pawns are never to be overlooked, after all.

Though that's only one factor among many.

No, indeed.

Havelock watches with close attention, head tilted but no expression visible.

(As if that is a surprise.)

Move.

Expressions are for weirdoes!

Unlike, you know, these guys.

Move.

Please, Trowa and Havelock are eminently logical and normal boys.

One of Havelock's assassins executes an abrupt skip along the board to take of of Trowa's knights.

Mostly to see what he'll do.

Ignore it in favor of bolstering the carefully massed slow advance towards Havelock's king, apparently.

(Apparently.)

He sees the bigger picture, then.

That's good.

Havelock wavers between two pieces, apparently indecisive.

He may be indecisive -- but if he really is, it's not between two immediate moves, and showing it is a deliberate choice.

And if he's not actually indecisive . . . well, it's still a deliberate choice.

Trowa is content to wait. (Categorically.)

Quite so.

Havelock moves a rook obstructively.

Mm.

Trowa shifts a pawn.

Havelock nods idly, sliding a bishop across.

(The other boy doesn't ignore the pawns, like many players do.)

Sometimes pawns are the most crucial pieces of all.

This is, of course, merely an observation without any metaphorical weight.

Out slips an assassin -- goodbye, Havelock's other bishop.

Well, indeed.

Havelock takes the opportunity to move a knight around one of Trowa's rooks, skirting his defenses patiently.

Edited Date: 2010-03-09 08:40 pm (UTC)

The back and forth continues for several moves: delicately probing at defenses, patiently shoring them up.

They could probably keep at this all day, honestly.

Very likely.

Havelock, for the record, is entirely happy with that - it's not often he meets an opponent who can so much as match him, let along present a challenge.

It's exciting to play a game that could really go either way.

You know. In a manner of speaking.