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Path Of A Chess King

Tactical_Monarch
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Chapter 1 - 1: The Game That Ended It All

December 12, 2024. New Delhi

The tournament hall stank of old fans, spilled tea, and dreams dying quietly in the corners. There were matches being played at every table in the hall.

On Table no 6, Neil Goyal stared at the board in front of him, blinking at the inevitable.

His king was a dead man walking. Rooks disconnected. Pawns shredded. His position looked like a toddler had set it up with rage issues.

Across from him, a 14-year-old international master calmly took a sip of juice.

Bishop to e6. Check.

That was it. Neil did not have any reply for the move and he calculated that he would be mated in the next 5 moves.

Neil tipped his king over with numb fingers. The quiet clack of surrender.

Another round. Another loss. Another reminder: he wasn't going anywhere.

Outside the venue, Neil sat on the curb in the dull orange glow of a dying streetlight. Hoodie up. Phone out. Headphones in. His thumb hovered over the Chess.com app.

He didn't want to look — but he did.

A headline popped up.

BREAKING: Gukesh D defeats Ding Liren to become the youngest World Chess Champion

Neil froze.

Gukesh. The kid who used to shuffle into tournaments with a shy smile and wreck players twice his age. Now? The youngest classical world champion in history.

And Neil? He hadn't even got his FIDE Rating.

He exhaled. "If only I'd started earlier… at eight or nine..."

He closed his eyes.

A bus blared its horn in the distance.

Then everything went black.

[System Initialization: Memory Transfer in Progress…]

Nothing. Just floating in a sea of half-formed memories and unfinished dreams.

Tournament defeats. Missed tactics. His one bronze medal from a regional tournament. The time he froze in a winning position and blundered into a fork.

"You had potential."

The voice cut through the void — clear, sharp, American.

"But you played scared. You played late."

Neil tried to move his body. But he Couldn't even move any part of his body at all.

"You want another shot? Then take it seriously this time."

A cold wind howled across his senses.

"Let's not screw it up again."

Then, light.

Delhi, November 2013.

Neil jolted upright in bed. His heart pulsed at the rate of a Cheetah strides, his breath shallow and rough.

The ceiling fan squeaked above. Doraemon bedsheet draped over him. His old, faded Vishy Anand poster on the wall.

What the hell?

He leapt out of bed and ran to the mirror.

A kid.

Wide-eyed. Skinny. Hair like a bird's nest. Maybe eight years old.

He stumbled into the living room. The TV was on with DD Sports channel showing a chess match.

"And with that, Magnus Carlsen dethrones Viswanathan Anand to become the new World Chess Champion!"

Neil dropped to his knees.

It was real.

He'd gone back.

And then, the room shifted.

The lights flickered.

A pulse of static buzzed through the air like a bad radio signal.

Someone was standing behind him.

Neil turned slowly.

A man in a dark suit stood in the corner. Tall. Pale. Wild hair. Eyes that cut like razors. The kind of stare that made you forget how to breathe.

"You finally woke up," the man said. His voice: sharp, familiar.

Neil staggered back. "What the f*ck"

The man replied "I am Robert James Fischer. Former world champion. Resident ghost."

"You're the only one who can see me, so congrats. You've officially lost your mind."

Neil blinked. "This… this can't be—"

"Real? It is."

"Fair? Not really."

"But you asked for a second chance. And I'm here to make sure you don't waste it."

Neil looked around, half expecting someone to jump out with a hidden camera.

"Look," Fischer said, rolling his eyes. "You died. You got lucky. You came back."

"You want to make something of it? Good. I'll guide you. I'll roast you. But you'd better listen."

A soft chime rang through the air, and a glowing blue screen appeared in front of Neil: floating, digital, unreal.

[Welcome, Neil Goyal.]

[The Chess King System has been activated.]

[Host Level: 1 — Simulated ELO: 1800]

[Skill Tree Unlocked: Tactical Sharpness]

[Legendary Mentor: Robert J. Fischer — Synced.]

[Player Profile — Neil Goyal]

Chess Rank: Unrated (IRL)

Simulated Elo: 1800

Calculation Speed: 48

Positional Understanding: 45

Opening Knowledge: 40

Tactical Sharpness: 60

Intuition: 55

Nerves under Pressure: 40

Skill Points: 0System XP: 0/500 (Next Level: 1900 Simulated Elo)

[System Mission: Win 5 Rapid Games Today — Reward: Stat Boost]

Neil stared at the floating screen.

Then at his tiny hands.

Then at the ghost of one of the most volatile geniuses in chess history.

He swallowed hard.

"I get another shot?"

Fischer smirked. "You do. But this time — no coward's chess."

Neil's eyes burned.

A second chance.

A legendary mentor.

And a world still waiting to be conquered.