Autumn Endgame - episode 10 (conclusion)

London. The suburbs. As episode 1. Evening.

The doorbell rings.

"John! You're back!"

J:"Sure am."

"I suppose you want to know what's in your post?"

J:"Of course I do. But before that...."

"Oh. Not a talk. Not a heart-to-heart."

J:"Yes. Yes. And yes."

"John, it's never worked before. Why should it work now?"

J:"Because I've been to Russia."

"I know you've been to Russia. How could I not know you've been to Russia? ..."

J:"What do you mean? What's happened?"

"Horrid phone calls. Anonymous. I've been really scared."

J:"Funny phone calls? Threats?"

"I don't know. Ring-offs. Asking in foreign accents to speak to people with names I've never heard of."

J:"And when you do the '1471' ringback thing?"

"There's been no number stored. Always 'withheld'. Or 'We do not have the caller's number to return your call.' Might have been from abroad."

J:"Or not. That's bad. I've got a nasty feeling I'm responsible. But I guarantee you won't be getting any more."

"How can you possibly.... What have you been up to?"

J:"Look, it's a long story. Let's have a bath."

"Let's do what?"

J:"Take a bath together. We've never done that, have we? Why not?"

"Well, I..."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Later. Much later.

"John, you always said you'd teach me some geometry..."

J:"Did I really? Do you...?"

"Yes. Come on..."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To the tune of the old music-hall song 'Oh - Oh, Anto-ni-o'. Sung either as solo or duet.

I'll teach - you - Pythagoras

It - won't - take long

If - you - are amorous

And - feeling strong.

Stretch - your - hypotenuse

As far - as - you can

It's good - if - you've got-the-blues

And - got - a man.

We'll - find - the right-angle

Obtuse - or - acute

So - loo-sen your farthingale

And let - in - the brute.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

From subsequent e-mail. White: John Osprey Black: Dmitri Serikov.

King's Indian Defence. Four Pawns Attack

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.e4 d6 4.d4 Bg7 5.f4 c5 6.d5 0-0 7.Nf3 e6 8.e5 dxe5 9.fxe5 Ng4 10.Bg5. So far as first Moscow game. Then: 10...f6 11.exf6 Bxf6 12.Qd2 Bxg5 13.Qxg5 Qxg5 14.Nxg5 Ne3 15.Kd2 exd5 16.cxd5 Nxg2 17.h4 b6 18.Rh2 Nf4 19.Re1 Bf5 20.Re7 h6 21.Bc4 hxg5 22.d5+ Kh8 23.hxg5+ Nh5 24.Bd5 Nd7 25.Bxa8 Rxa8 26.Nd5 Rd8 27.Ne3 Bb1 28.Rh1 Bxa2 29.Ra1 Bg8 30.Rxa7 Nf8 31.d7 Ng7 32.Ng4 Be6 33.Nf6 Nxd7 34.Kc3 b5 35.Nxd7 b4+ 36.Kd2 Nf5. White announces mate in 3. 37.Rh7+ Kxh7 38.Nf6+ Kh8 39.Rh7 mate.

John Roycroft's e-mail address for chess questions or comments

 EMAIL