– Isn’t this the guy who plays Chess AI for fun?
– It’s not just that. He’s the top player on the Chess AI server!
– How many games does he have to play to earn that title?
– I’m number two, and I’ve played 893 combinations.
– Crap. Zeno is done for.
– What a shame. I would have loved to see more of his face.
“Zeno will soon join us,” Daniel said, casually. “Chess is hard. Blind chess is even more difficult.”
“That might be the most insightful thing you’ve said all day,” Suho muttered, drawing an annoyed glare from Daniel.
Meanwhile, the folks in the Life Area gasped in unison as the game announcement blared on the screen.
“I once played chess with Doyeon,” Minjae chimed in. “It was on an online chess server.”
“Is he any good?” Mandy asked, leaning in with curiosity.
“Good?” Minjae chuckled, his eyes wide. “He’s the best. I fear Zeno doesn’t stand a chance.”
Just then, their faces flashed on the screen, and the disparity in their appearances was strikingly clear.
“Why does he… glow on screen?” Jenny wondered aloud, her interest piqued. “What skincare products is he using?” That glowing face was exactly what she needed for her upcoming line!
Ari and Annie, both taken aback, blurted out at the same time, “Wow.”
They turned to each other, cheeks flushed and hearts racing, taken by surprise.
“Crap,” Ari muttered, panicking. “Why did I say that?”
Meanwhile, Minsu bounced excitedly in his seat. “I can’t wait to watch it!”
But just then, the television went dark. They exchanged confused glances, bewildered by the sudden blackout.
Billy tried to turn the TV back on, but it was like wrestling with a stubborn mule—no luck. Then, across the screen, the words flashed ominously. ‘You are forbidden from watching the match.’
All eyes turned to Minsu, who looked devastated.
“You have the worst jinx,” Bacon PD remarked with a smirk.
With that, only the viewers outside knew how the match would unfold.
The Death Area buzzed with a quiet tension, the only sounds being the hum of camera drones circling above them.
“You will play Blind Chess,” a voice commanded, echoing off the walls. “The rules are standard. One move at a time. However, the board will not display your pieces. You must visualize the game and remember it until the end.”
At that moment, the digital 8×8 grid illuminated, showing the coordinates from A1 to H8, pieces displayed without moving.
“Turn your backs to each other,” the voice instructed.
The two competitors complied, with Doyeon already radiating confidence.
“Choose whether to be light or dark.”
“Be my guest,” Doyeon replied with a smirk.
– Oh, Doyeon is confident.
– I’d be, too, if I were the number one player in Chess AI in the entire world.
– Now that I think about it, Zeno Han might just have the same luck as June from DAWN.
“I’ll choose light,” Zeno declared, causing Doyeon’s smirk to widen even further.
This worked in Doyeon’s favor—he always preferred to go second.
With their backs still turned, the atmosphere thickened with anticipation.
“E2 to E4,” Zeno announced.
A soft ding echoed through the room, confirming that his move had been successfully locked in.
Doyeon cracked his neck. “E4, huh? King’s Pawn Opening. Basic.”
– I can’t play regular chess, much less blind chess.
– You just need to capture the king!
– Oh, that sounds a bit… sexual.
– Well, Doyeon is right. Zeno’s opening is definitely a standard move.
Without missing a beat, Doyeon quickly replied, “E7 to E5.”
In the theater, the actors sat on the edge of their seats, breaths held tight in anticipation. They, too, were in the dark about the moves unfolding on that massive screen. It seemed like Gene PD wanted to bring everyone into the experience, heightening the tension.
The screen displayed nothing but a coordinate grid and the unmoving pieces.
“Can they really remember all that?” Daeshim muttered.
Suho squinted at the screen, his brow furrowing. “Whoever wins this is fucking amazing.”
Zeno announced his next move. “G1 to F3.”
“Classic development,” Doyeon whispered, shaking his head.
Quickly, Doyeon shot back with his own move: B8 to C6.
Silence enveloped them as the two players continued to engage in their mental duel. Move after calculated move clicked into place like pieces of a complex puzzle.
B1 to C3.
F8 to C5.
Zeno remained calm, arms crossed. His moves were safe and conservative. Meanwhile, Doyeon was a different story. He radiated confidence, leaning back after every move, his grin growing wider as the chessboard started to take shape in his mind. Sure, he may not have played blind chess before, but he’d navigated drunken chess matches more times than he could remember. This? This was child’s play!
Zeno countered by moving his bishop. “F1 to C4.”
Doyeon matched him, sliding his knight from G8 to F6. In his imagination, the knight lunged forward, exerting pressure on the center of the board.
Zeno then castled kingside, and the ding of the clock echoed through the hall.
Doyeon’s eyes twitched. He mirrored Zeno’s play and castled as well.
Five minutes drifted by, then ten.
The moves piled up like a tower of blocks.
D2 to D3.
D7 to D6.
C1 to G5.
“Threatening my knight already?” Doyeon scoffed, but he coolly slipped H7 to H6. “I know this line, Zeno. You’re not fooling me.”
Zeno didn’t respond. He simply slid his piece back, moving G5 to H4 in a defensive retreat.
Doyeon seized the moment, lunging forward with C8 to E6. The pressure was building.
– Isn’t Zeno playing too safe?
– Yeah, he’s going to get boxed in pretty soon.
– I’m honestly surprised he even knows how to play chess.
“Can Zeno actually play chess?” Doha suddenly asked, breaking the spell of silence that had settled over the group.
Minji and Eli exchanged puzzled looks, only to pause in disbelief.
“No,” Eli murmured. “I’ve never seen him play chess before.”
By move twenty, it was evident that Doyeon was dominating the board. He’d already snatched up a knight and a pawn, and Zeno’s material was dwindling. Feeling aggressive, Doyeon swung his queen out, applying pressure on Zeno’s kingside. It felt like the beginning of a crushing defeat.
He moved his queen from D8 to D7, preparing to double his rooks. “You’re going to lose soon, pretty boy.”
There was a smugness in his voice as he spoke—beyond just the game, he relished the chance to beat Zeno with his words. When else would he get to put a big star in his place?
“I’ve played against pros, you know? I almost made it to a tournament in high school, but I chose to focus on academics instead. However, I still became number one in the world in my own way.”
Zeno remained silent, not a single word escaping his lips since the game began. Why would he respond?
Sure, Doyeon might be the number one Chess AI player in the world, but Zeno was the first-ever world chess champion.
Mission #6: Hyderabad, India. Become the number one chess player in the entire world.