E.C. EDWARDS - The Mighty Antimagic Spell

“No.”

“Then go in the magic sphere to the Earth Centre?”

"No," replied the girl weakly for it was clear something disturbed her. “In fact, it seems very interesting. But not now. I’d like to talk about the contest in which I’ll participate... and learn to play chess. Mr. Knudlac says it can help me develop my thinking.”

“I honestly tell you I expected to talk and play chess with you. It's just I didn't expect to speak so soon about the Contest. And not instead of having fun rolling over in the magic sphere towards the Earth Centre. But I’m very proud and glad my girl is more concerned with work than fun when it comes to an event like the Magic Contest.”

“Maybe we'll go there afterwards.”

“Of course, my dear.”

The father signalled to his daughter to sit at a large table. The two sat face to face, after which the father by magic made a chessboard appear with some small and playful chess pieces.

Those pieces have come to life at once. The pawns were soldiers carrying spears and the horses had riders dressed in armour, as if they were ready to take part in the biggest tournament of the year.

Those pieces ... have come to life at once. The pawns were soldiers carrying spears and the horses had riders dressed in armour, as if they were ready to take part in the biggest tournament of the year.

The castles were larger and had some soldiers and archers as small as some maize kernels, which ran both above them and in them, prepared for any assault.

The bishops were soldiers wearing a cape that covered their face, shrouding them in a complete mystery.

The white queen wore a gorgeous white dress with wonderful embroidery. The other queen, of course, was just as charming and beautifully dressed; only wearing a black dress. Both were accompanied by armed soldiers to the teeth, and on their heads they wore a crown worthy of the greatest queens.

And the king of the white pieces was accompanied by a gunsmith who carried some dangerous weapons such as a huge sword, spear, crossbow and a huge mace and also carried a white banner with a tiger on it. The king of the black pieces had a black banner, with an elephant on it.

Unlike the queens, they weren’t surrounded by soldiers. But they were dressed in armour that seemed to protect them against almost any danger. They carried in their arms a huge sword on which they leant, a small shield attached to the elbow and to the heart, as well as a large shield carried on their back.

Elizabeth was delighted at the view offered by that enchanted chessboard.

“If I knew chess was so interesting, I’d have started playing earlier. This chess board, compared to the one at the orphanage is great. The boys who played there had a decrepit board, and the pieces were chewed by the mice ... some were missing and replaced with smaller or larger stones with the piece drawn on them with coal.”

“Both boards have the same purpose, dear, to develop strategic and logical thinking. But I created this board just to induce your pleasure of playing. Playing on this board I hope you like it even more. To attract you, and when you play on a regular board you imagine these pieces and play with the same interest. No matter how decrepit the chessboard is or how old the pieces are, chess is a wonderful game from many points of view.

The girl stood up from the chair and admired all the pieces in the smallest detail. The father stood next to her and began to explain to her each piece, how to move it and what the purpose of the game was. His daughter listened intently and was even more careful when she saw the king surrounded by three pawns easily managed to face and defeat that knight in armour, or when the same king surrounded by two other pawns could easily storm that castle and destroyed the archers perched there.

Also, her father showed her how the cunning queen, together with a bishop, that mysterious assassin, managed to get past that pawn shield and kill the gunman leaving the king without weapons, unprotected and forcing him to give up the throne. And when he gave up all the pieces surrendered to the queen.

“Checkmate is called this move. It’s the move when the king’s lost. And the whole army’s lost ...”

The girl smiled delighted at her father’s demonstrations.

“Did you understand the moves?” her father asked.

“Yes.”

“Then let's play.”

“With you? I have no chance. As I can see, you play very well.”

“My dear, if you know how to move the pieces, then you know everything you need to play. The rest is up to you. Playing with better ones, you’ll lose the battles at the beginning, but you’ll learn to win the war. You’ll learn from others’ mistakes or achievements. If you carefully watch several players’ game styles, over time you’ll gain experience, you’ll take the best from each one and you’ll improve your style. And over time you’ll become a better player than me. The student will become better than the professor. It always happens that way. And this is valid in life, for anything. Not just in chess.”

The girl smiled.

“So shall we play?”

“Of course.”

With a move of the father's wand, the pieces returned to their original position and settled on their own, correspondingly on the chessboard.

The two began to play, and the father always advised his daughter about the options she’d have, good or bad, about the moves and especially about the strategy to follow.

The girl first thought for a few moments and only then moved the piece. Her father supported her regardless of the move; he told her when she was wrong and what might happen if she didn’t correct the error. In other words, he helped her understand the game better. But most important was spending time with her family. Those child-parent moments, which she missed so much ... as it happened to everyone sometimes, were now part of her life.