Stratus arrived early for the scrimmage, so they had some time to kill in the waiting room. Some of them used their free time to review the material on the Leopards, while others chose to rex or mess around.

  Meanwhile, Yuel dug deep into the history of his chess matches. All his official matches were recorded on his at, so it was easy enough to find matches from two years ago.

  "You peted in chess at the regionals, almost two years ago now.” That’s the hint Fiona gave Yuel regarding the identity of “Cato”, whoever that might be. Apparently, the guy was somebody from the Leopards and he pyed chess against Yuel before.

  I’m not sure if any of this is important at all, but I might as well look it up. Maybe I’ll learn something new about one of their pyers.

  And so, Yuel went over the few matches he had i regionals he participated in, almost 2 years ago now. His game history was uncharacteristically short for that particur tour, for he was eliminated in the early rounds.

  Irospect, that was very unbeing of him. He won the regionals a year before that, so people probably expected a strong performance from him that year as well. A, he dropped out very early after losing to a minor oppo whose name he couldn’t even remember.

  Maybe I should’ve prepared a little harder. Yuel thought. But, it couldn’t be helped. I was already busy with Cssmancers back then. There was no time to spare for chess.

  To Fiona, words like that might sound like a me excuse. After all, she was a madwoman who threw herself at a plethora of different sports, expeg to excel in ead every one of them.

  Sorry, but I’m not as good at multitasking. Yuel excused himself. I believe it’s far better for me to focus on one main sport and train to bee a pro at it. Everything else is sedary.

  He held onto this exact mentality two years ago as well, therefore he ed his chess practice. He only did the bare minimum to keep himself in shape and improve on some of his smaller faults, but he didn’t intensely researy new positions or such.

  To be fair, I still expected to go further than this. Yuel thought as he scrolled through the three matches he pyed that day.

  The tour had a single-elimination format, so a single defeat spelled his doom. And, said defeat happeo e as early as the third round. Truly, it wasn’t a befitting performance for a fional champion.

  So, who did I lose to, again? Yuel checked his st game. I’m surprised I don’t even remember who defeated me. I’m usually way more atteo my ows, but I guess I was too obsessed with Mancers at the time to really care.

  Yuel opehe overview of the third game. Before anything else, he checked the name of his oppo. The name dispyed there was... Cato Francis.

  Just great. Yuel frowned. I have a bad feeling about this... He loaded the game and exami move by move.

  The early-game was acc to standard theory for the most part. The enemy’s development was on the slower side, but the guy smoothly deflected every attack Yuel u that point.

  heless, nothing in particur seemed too impressive about this oppo. As far as Yuel could tell, he had an obvious board advantage from early on.

  Did I really lose this? Yuel wondered as the early-game went on. With how slow his development is, it should’ve been easy enough to take trol of the board. I know I was less ied in chess at the time, but this looks like an open-and-shut case... or not.

  The match proceeded into the mid-game with a rather aosition. The enemy’s development was extremely slow, so much that it seemed as if Yuel will be able to steamroll the guy within minutes. However, upon closer iion, things weren’t so simple.

  What a nasty pawn formation. Yuel paused the game and examihe board from various angles.

  Many of the enemy’s pieces were undeveloped, so Yuel held trol over the ter of the board, which was sidered the most importaory. heless, it proved difficult for him to push that advahrough the enemy’s defensive formation.

  Instead of spending the early-game on developing his pieces, Cato chose to advance his pawns in order to form a tight blockade. From there, every line of attack Yuel used was shut down on the spot, before it had the ce to achieve anything.

  As a result, Cato’s tight formation pletely stopped Yuel’s momentum. It felt as if Yuel stantly held the upper hand, yet he couldn’t do anything worthwhile with that advantage.

  I suppose this position wasn’t as simple as it initially looked. Yuel frowned. I probably didn’t pay enough attention to realize that at the time. That’s why I overextended a little here and there.

  Back then, wheiced that the enemy was gging behind in development, it prompted Yuel to speed up his own development even further. The pn was to swiftly seize trol over the entire board and force the oppo into submission.

  As, in the process, Yuel created multiple weaknesses in his formation. He positioned his units with certaibox expectations in mind, but his oppos refused to py along with the standard theory.

  I already see how I might end up in a bad position from here. Yuel skimmed through the few moves. Like I thought, I tried to bash my head against this wall of defehat didn’t quite work out for me.

  His younger self tinued developing pieces at a rapid pace while desperately searg for an ao attack from. Unfortautnely, in the process, he very mueglected his own bae.

  Yuel didly “blunder” at any specific point along the way, but his sub-optimal decisions sure piled up. Slowly but surely, he was driving himself into a er.

  With that said, I see Cato took his sweet time. Yuel frowned. So distasteful.

  Even after it became clear that Yuel was at a tremendous disadvantage, his oppo didn’t hurry to deliver the finishing blow. No, this Cato guy tinued pying slow and steady, developing his paieces at his own pace.

  What a disgusting pystyle. Yuel’s skin crawled. It’s like he was enjoying this.

  Slowly, very slowly, Cato was tightening a noose around Yuel’s neck. And slowly, very slowly, he was choking Yuel to death. It was a thhly unpleasant experience.

  No wonder I erased this game from my mind. Even looking at it now makes me feel a little sick. It in suffering.

  For Yuel who advocated quick aggressive strategies, a slow game like that was equivalent to torture.

  At some point, it became crystal clear that he lost, a his oppo refused to deliver the killing blow. Instead, that sadist tio slowly, very slowly, torture Yuel. It was hell.

  But, I couldn’t just throw the towel, could I? Yuel reasoned. It was an official tour and I remember people spectating my matches that day, probably because I was the previous champion. So, I didn’t want them to see me quitting like that.

  And so, Yuel had no choice. He had to keep struggling to the bitter end, even against these frustratingly impossible odds.

  As the game dragged on, it was being painfully clear that Yuel was getting fed up with everything. He started losing tration, making one suboptimal move after another as he desperately tried to salvage this godforsaken game.

  I admit I could’ve pyed a lot better there. Yuel criticized some of the moves of his younger self. Even though he has only been pying chess on the side for the past two years, his chess brain still matured and he learned many important things sihen. Therefore, if he pyed the same game today, he would’ve done a far better job.

  But, from this position, I’d still probably lose. He admitted. This was a lost position, no matter how I look at it. Trying to win from here is an exercise in futility.

  Yuel skipped up ahead in the game, ign all the nonsensical moves ade in order t the game out even more.

  It’s as if he was enjoying every sed of this. Yuel frowned. sidering how he pys, I wouldn't be surprised if he enjoys watg his oppos when they’re filled with disgust and despair.

  The game eventually cluded, with ing on top. It was the game that eliminated Yuel from that tourwo years ago, kig him off the high horse known as the “regional champion”. Truly, his legend was a short-lived one.

  After that, Yuel hasn’t participated in any offline chess events. He still pyed chess online every now and then, but he no longer sidered himself a “true” petitive pyer. Chess was just a serious hobby for him, nothing more.

  In that sehe final game against Cato was like Yuel’s retirement game, yet he pletely fot about it until now. Or rather, he deliberately erased that obnoxious game from his memory.

  Holy, as far as chess is ed, there isn't even much I learn from this one game.

  Mame theory dictated that piece development was the most important thing during the early game. Therefore, postponing early development in exge for pushing pawns was extremely rare. It was simply too ineffit.

  If I was more posed, I would’ve easily won. Yuel cluded.

  Ihat game was an exception, an odd oime defeat. If Yuel had another ce to py Cato, even on the very same day, then he would have surely won.

  As long as he could anticipate that pawn strategy ahead of time in any capacity, then there were tless ways to outpy it. In other words, Yuel’s defeat was something of a fluke.

  Fiona said this guy pys for the Leopards. Hmm. Yuel went over the enemy's roster in his mind.

  AbosluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger were out of the question. Those two were the pinnacle of the Leopards' offense

  For the Cato from that chess game, the very cept of “offense” was as alien as it could possibly get. So, it was highly unlikely he decided to try offense in Cssmancers. Old habits like that die hard.

  TheTheorist was also out of the question because she was a girl. As little as Yuel remembered about that match, he was certain he didn’t lose to a female pyer that day.

  By following this process of elimination, the only remaining options were Merlin and Rook. They were both defensive pyers who took things slowly, pressuring the opposition into submission through a persistent defense.

  I see either of them pying chess in the same way Cato did. But, if I had to pie of them, then I'd go with Rook.

  Rook was the leader of the Leopards, and most likely their shot-caller. So, judging by the defensive formation the Leopards employed, this shot-caller clearly liked deferategies.

  In addition, there were strong hints that suggested this shot-caller enjoyed dragging the games out more than necessary. That, too, was in lih hoyed against Yuel.

  And, his name is also a dead giveaway. Yuel reasoned. The niame "Rook" most likely referehe rook piece from chess.

  To be ho, in his case, I think “Pawn” would fit better, seeing as he likes his pawns so much. But, I uand why he didn’t want to call himself that.

  Despite its importahe Pawn was sidered the most disposable pie chess. Therefore, no self-respeg chess pyer would like to associate himself with that image.

  Oher hand, the Rook was a strong and respectable piece, sed only to the Queen herself. Therefore, it was a fairly attractive niame.

  Now that I think about it, this guy stole my niame! Yuel grumped. I remember trying to choose “Rook” as an IGN but it was already taken. Because of that, I got stuck with a needlessly bombastiiame like Chessmaster. This is all Cato’s fault!

  At this point, Yuel has already developed two personal reasons for defeating Cato in particur. The uping scrim turned into an opportunity to enact revenge on a long-fotten nemesis.

  I'm gd I checked out this game. I feel like I uand Rook much better as a shot-caller now.

  Before, many aspects of Rook's defensive shot-calls were questio best. But now, they all made a lot of seer uanding what kind of chess pyer stood behind them.

  Of course, there will still be many differences between his shot-calling his chess tactics. But at least, I now better uand how his ideal game pn looks like.

  With that, the brief resear e to an end. Yuel uhed some ued new information, and now it to him to figure out how to utilize that information in the uping game.

  First Fiona revealed she picked up Mancers, and now I learn Cato did as well. It's as if my chess past is chasing me. But, I don’t mind.

  Strong chess pyers were likely to be good strategies, so they should be able to challenge Yuel’s shot-calling in iing ways. Matches against them will likely involve lots of pnning and outsmarting, the kind of challenge Yuel ehe most.

  Not to mention, there will probably be a lot to learn from the tactics these pyers bring to the table. Especially, it’ll be iing how Fiona will approach Cssmancers, seeing as she was an outsider to video gaming in general until retly.

  But, first is Cato. I’m sure he’ll turn today’s scrim into a fierce csh between offense and defense.

  It has been many months since Yuel st faced a real hyper-defeeam. Aside from a few rare enters in Rahe st time somebody tackled Yuel in this manner was during the seleatch against Howard, which didn’t end favorably.

  But, I won't lose this time. I’ve e a long way in that department sihen.

  Yuel has already learhe importance of iing defensive shot-calls into his game pn. The fateful match against Howard taught him a good lesson on that front.

  However, the Taurus scrimmage also proved that fierce offense was just as important as defeherefore, Yuel was free to utilize his favorite offense as he pleased, as long as he wasn’t pying against a hyper-defeeam that knew how to ter it.

  It’s a bang act. Yuel thought. Against most oppos, my offense works very well. However, against oppos like Howard (and probably Cato) I’ll have to tone down the offense a little and make sure to reinforce the defeoo.

  Offense and defense were like two sides of the same . They were both necessary to form a formidable game pn.

  Many times, a fierce offense was good enough to overwhelm the enemy aroy them on the spot. That’s why Yuel rgely preferred strategies like that, as they allowed him to trol the flow of the game from the get-go.

  However, some oppos refused to be trolled. They hid in their shells, ign and defleg everything Yuel threw at them.

  It was very tempting to tiriking at the shell in hope of tearing it down. But, the harder Yuel attacked, the more holes he left unchecked in his bae. And then, at some point, the enemy would e out of the shell and deliver a fatal ter.

  That’s exactly how Yuel lost to Cato iwo years ago, and that’s roughly how he lost to Howard in the seleatch as well. Against defensive oppos like that, it was necessary to use a more moderate offense.

  It was fio stay on the offensive for the most part, but it was crucial to reinforce the defense as well. In long matches like that, the slightest overextension could cost the game. Therefore, Yuel had to be careful to not let that happen to his team ever again.

  I've spent much of the past month studying how to bance offense and defense. So, in a way, I couldn't ask for a better opportunity to put it all to test. A hyper defensive oppo is exactly the test subject I need.

  The uping match was going to be a great simution for Yuel’s iable rematch with Howard. It’ll tell how much closer he got to the goal of busting through hyper defeeams.

  Of course, there were some major differences between StormBlitz and the Leopards as defeeams. heless, there were also many uny simirities between Howard and Cato’s shot-calling. It almost felt as if they were inspired by the same pro pyer, whoever that might be.

  Holy, my impression is that Howard's defense is superior. But, it might be just my bias speaking for me. After all, I’ve lost to him so many times in practice matches....

  Regardless, Howard and Cato’s defenses were roughly on the same level and they shared some simirities too. That should be good enough for a simution.

  By triumphing over Cato's defeoday, Yuel will be oep closer to catg up with Howard. The uping match was like a midterm exam that'll give a glimpse of how well Yuel will do in the finals. Therefore, this was one scrimmage he absolutely had to ao matter what!

  DarkestCymore