Arlo and Ekin
The Diamond Trophy
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The Diamond Trophy
Tap Next to start the tournament →
Chapter One · 1 of 7
One Monday at school, Arlo's teacher told the class about a chess tournament that would take place at the weekend, and the prize was a diamond trophy, a trophy that sparkled like a frozen star, and Arlo knew at once that he wanted to win it. The trophy was made of glass that looked like a real diamond, and it caught the light of the classroom and threw tiny rainbows on the wall, and the whole class went quiet when they saw it.
Chapter One · 2 of 7
Arlo had loved chess since he was small, and he played with his father every evening after dinner, because his father was a patient teacher, and he always said that chess is a game for people who think before they move, not for people who rush. Arlo's father had played chess since he was a boy too, and he knew many clever openings, and he taught Arlo one new opening every week, because a player who knows many openings is never surprised.
Chapter One · 3 of 7
Every day after school, Arlo practiced a new strategy, setting up tricky positions on his board and solving them one by one, because a good strategy is like a good plan, and a player with a plan is never lost, even when the game gets hard. He kept a notebook beside the board, and in the notebook he wrote down every position he solved, because a good player learns from his own games, and Arlo wanted to learn from all of them.
Chapter One · 4 of 7
On Saturday morning, Arlo walked to the tournament hall with his chess bag over his shoulder, and he played the first rounds on his own, which was fine, because Arlo liked the quiet of a chess hall, and the hall was full of the soft clicking of chess clocks and the whisper of pieces on boards.
Chapter One · 5 of 7
In his first match, Arlo played a boy called Noah, and the game lasted twelve moves, because Arlo saw a clever trap, and Noah walked straight into it, and Arlo won, and he shook Noah's hand, because a good winner is always kind. Noah smiled and said that Arlo's trap was clever, and Arlo said that Noah had played well too, because a game is only fun when both players try their best.
Chapter One · 6 of 7
In his second match, Arlo played a girl called Maya, and the game was much harder, because Maya took Arlo's bishop early, and Arlo stayed calm and thought carefully, and he found a quiet move that trapped Maya's queen, and he won again. Maya smiled and shook his hand, and she said that Arlo's quiet move was the best move she had ever seen, and Arlo felt proud, because a compliment from a strong player means more than a win.
Chapter One · 7 of 7
That evening, Arlo had reached the final, and he laid out his board at home, and he looked at the empty shelf where a trophy would stand, and he went to sleep early, because a final needs a rested mind, and tomorrow would be the biggest game of his life. He dreamed of chess pieces that night, of knights jumping over pawns and rooks sliding across the board, and when he woke up, he felt ready, because a rested mind sees the board clearly.
Chapter Two · 1 of 6
On Sunday morning, Ekin and Zohir came to the tournament hall to cheer for Arlo, because a final is better with two friends beside you, and they sat in the front row, very quiet, with their hands folded, because a chess player needs silence to think. They had brought sandwiches for lunch, and they had promised each other not to whisper during the game, because a promise made to a friend is a promise that must be kept.
Chapter Two · 2 of 6
The final was against Leo, last year's champion, a tall boy with a serious face and a slow, careful way of moving, and when Leo sat down, the whole hall went quiet, because everyone knew that Leo had never lost a final. Leo's hands were steady, and his eyes never left the board, and Arlo could tell that Leo was a player who thought many moves ahead, which made the final feel like a mountain to climb.
Chapter Two · 3 of 6
The game was long and hard, and after an hour, Leo took Arlo's queen, and the room went very quiet, but Ekin and Zohir stayed quiet too, and they did not whisper or fidget, because they knew that Arlo needed all of his thoughts for the board. The chess clock ticked softly, and the hall was so quiet that Arlo could hear his own breathing, and he looked at the board for a long time, because a lost queen is a problem that needs a clever answer.
Chapter Two · 4 of 6
Arlo looked at the board for a long time, and he stayed calm and thought carefully, and then he saw it: a clever move, his rook and his bishop working together to trap Leo's king, and he moved his rook with a steady hand, and the whole hall held its breath. Ekin squeezed Zohir's arm, and Zohir held his breath too, because they could both see what Arlo had seen, and the trap was beautiful, like a door closing slowly on a king with nowhere to go.
Chapter Two · 5 of 6
Leo looked at the board, and he saw that there was no escape, and he smiled, and he shook Arlo's hand, and the judge held up the diamond trophy, and Arlo lifted it high, and it sparkled like a frozen star, while Ekin and Zohir cheered. The judge placed the trophy in Arlo's hands, and it was heavy and cold and beautiful, and Arlo held it up so that everyone could see it sparkle, because a trophy that is won by thinking deserves to be shown to everyone.
Chapter Two · 6 of 6
The three boys walked home together, Arlo carrying the trophy, Ekin carrying his chess bag, and Zohir carrying the board, and they promised to practice together for next year's tournament, because a trophy is nice, but three friends who practice together are better. On the way home, they stopped for ice cream, and Arlo let his friends hold the trophy, because a trophy that is shared shines brighter than a trophy that is kept alone.