Sunset stared out of the motel window blankly as she watched the fierce rain beat against the glass. Her daze was broken by a flash of light followed by a crack of thunder that shook the walls.
“Geez.” Sunset drew the curtain closed. “Of course the worst storm of the year would hit while we’re in town.” She turned back to Pinkie who bounced up and down on the side of the bed.
“That just means it was waiting for us.” She smiled. “Guess that makes us special.”
“That’s one way to look at it.” Sunset grumbled. “This storm better let up before the concert tomorrow. We can only afford this room for one night. If the show gets delayed, or worse, cancelled; then our whole route will be messed up.”
“Don’t worry so much.” Pinkie lackadaisically toned. “Why spend your time imagining the worst; you should imagine fun things instead.”
“We’ve just been planning this trip for awhile now.” Sunset took up the remote for the television. “I just don’t want anything to spoil it.”
“Nothing’s going to spoil it as long as we’re together.” Pinkie assured with a wide grin.
Sunset smiled and nodded. “I know.” She aimed the remote at the screen. “At least we’ve got T.V.” Another deafening boom shook the room and the lights went dark; Sunset lowered the remote with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve got to learn to keep my mouth shut.”
“Eh, too much T.V. is bad for you anyway.” Pinkie shrugged.
“I need electricity to live, Pinkie.” Sunset huffed as she opened the curtains again, the street lamps in the parking lot affording enough light to dimly illuminate the room. “Everything I do is based around it. When the power goes out at my place, I just wind up staring at the wall thinking about what I’ll do when it comes back.”
Pinkie giggled and leapt from the bed. “That’s pretty sad, Sunset.” She began opening drawers around the room. “I’m sure there is something around here we can do.” She ran from nightstand, to dresser and to closet before gasping in excitement. “Jackpot!” She proudly held up a colorful box labeled Chess.
“A chess set?” Sunset cocked her head.
Pinkie sat on the floor between the beds and began un-boxing the game. “I know, lucky right?”
“Do you even know how to play chess?” Sunset sat across from her.
“Nope.” Pinkie said plainly as she took up a handful of pieces. “Ooh, I want to be the horse!”
“Uh… that’s called a knight, Pinkie.” Sunset looked down at the board. “I don’t know about this. Chess might be a little… complicated for you.” She phrased as nicely as possible.
“Teach me then.” Pinkie braced her elbows on her knees and laid her head in her hands.
Realizing there was nothing else to do; Sunset put her phone aside and began setting up the board. “Okay.”
“Yay!” Pinkie clapped excitedly.
“Here, you can be the black side.” Sunset twisted the board.
“I get all these?” Pinkie asked in amazement.
“Sure do.” Sunset laughed. “First off, the board is a grid with numbered rows and lettered columns.” She ran her finger up the side of the board. “1 through 8.” She then ran her finger across her side of the board. “A through H.” Her hand took up the smallest of the pieces and held it before Pinkie. “Now, these little guys here are your pawns. They’re sacrificial in the long run, but really important to your strategy.” She set the piece back on the board. “Normally they can only move forward 1 space at a time, but on their first turn they can move 2 spaces if you want.”
“Got it.” Pinkie moved a few of hers to try them out.
“Next is the knight.” She lifted the piece. “Knights are the only pieces that can jump others and they move in an L.” She hovered it 2 spaces forward and 1 to the left.
“Hee hee, that’s a 7, not an L silly.” Pinkie copied her move.
“It’s… never mind.” Sunset shook her head. “7 it is.” She swapped the knight for the bishop. “This is the bishop, it can only move diagonally but it can move as far as it wants until it captures or is blocked by another piece.”
“He’s pointy.” Pinkie tapped her finger on the tip of the piece.
“Yes, he is.” Sunset nodded as she swapped to the rook. “This is the rook, it can move vertically or horizontally as far as it wants until it captures or is blocked by another piece.”
“Got it.” Pinkie smiled as she ran the piece across the board with a vroom noise.
“This is the queen.” Sunset laid her finger atop the board’s matriarch. “She’s the most powerful piece. She can move in any direction, like a bishop and rook put together.”
“Off with his head!” Pinkie laughed as she used her queen to knock down her bishop.
“Lastly, there's the king.” Sunset lifted the piece. “This is the one you want to protect at all costs. If it’s put in a position where he can’t avoid capture, you lose the game.”
“Don’t worry little guy.” Pinkie patted her king’s head. “I won’t let that mean ol’ Sunset get you.”
“Honestly the best way to learn is to just play.” Sunset reset the board. “I’ll explain things as we go.”
“Okie dokie.” Pinkie put on her game face.
“The white pieces go first, so I’ll start the game.” Sunset took her bishop’s pawn. “Pawn to f4.”
Pinkie stroked her chin methodically. “Well played.” She reached down and took her king’s pawn. “I’ll do pawn to…” She paused to calculate the coordinate. “e6.”
“Playing defensive, huh?” Sunset smirked. “Okay then, I’ll move pawn to g4. Taking control of the center of the board as quickly as possible is a key strategy. It limits your opponent's…”
“Queen to h4.” Pinkie moved her piece and sat back with a smile. “I got your king!” She celebrated.
“What!?” Sunset looked at the board and realized she was checkmated. “How…”
“This is fun.” Pinkie beamed. “Let’s go again.”
“Yeah... let’s.” Sunset returned the board to its starting position. “I’ll be black this time.”
“Okay.” Pinkie nodded and looked over her new pieces. “Pawn to e4.”
“That’s a more traditional opening.” Sunset said as she took her bishop’s pawn. “Pawn to f5” She smiled as she set the piece down. “Now, you have the option of capturing but you don’t…”
“I will!” Pinkie greedily used her pawn to take Sunset’s.
Sunset pointed to the pawn. “You may have taken my pawn, but now yours is overextended.” She took her knight’s pawn. “Pawn to g5. Now we both have a pawn near the center of the board.” She explained. “Chess isn’t always about attacking. Sometimes the best offense is a….”
“Queen to h5.” Pinkie swiftly moved her queen. “Ha ha! I got your king again!”
“Huh?” Sunset looked down to see that she was again checkmated. “Oh come on!”
“Wheee!” Pinkie bounced on the rug. “Rainbow Dash always said this game was boring, but it’s a lot of fun.”
“Glad you’re… enjoying it.” Sunset said with wavering composure. “One more time?”
“Alrighty.” Pinkie watched as she reset the board.
“I’m on to you now.” Sunset proclaimed. “Your beginner’s luck is over.”
“Um… are you okay, Sunset.” Pinkie’s head tilted as she noticed her friend's twitching eye.
“Peachy. Make your move.” Sunset instructed.
“Sure.” Pinkie took to the board. “Pawn to e4.”
“Pawn to e5” Sunset copied her opening.
“Queen to h5.” Pinkie repeated her winning move.
“I’m not falling for that this time.” Sunset said smugly. “Knight to c6.”
“I see.” Pinkie’s eyes scanned the layout. “Bishop to… c4.”
“Knight to f6.” Sunset quickly deployed her opposite knight. “Now, with a setup like this I have good opening control of the center and I’m attacking your queen.”
“Hmmm.” Pinkie twisted her lips, suddenly smiling with wide eyes. “I use my queen to take your pawn on f7.” She proudly removed Sunset’s piece. “I got your king again!”
“That’s…” Sunset saw the queen/bishop pin on her king. “Excuse me.” She quietly stood and went over to her bed; she suddenly flopped onto it and screamed into her pillow.”
“Sunset?” Pinkie watched her in mild confusion. “Are you mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” Sunset asked sarcastically as she raised her head from the pillow. “I’ve only been playing chess since before I came to this world and now I’m getting my butt handed to me by Bobby Fischer Price over here.”
Before Pinkie could respond the lights suddenly came back on and the various electronic devices around the room hummed to life. “Aww.” She pouted.
“Yes!” Sunset rejoiced. “Power!” She grabbed the remote control but stopped as she saw Pinkie looking up at her from the floor with puppy dog eyes.
“No, let’s keep playing.” She rolled her king around in its spot. “I like being able to play this with you… it’s something just you and I can do together.”
Sunset, as usual, melted under her sweetness and tossed the remote aside; she sat back across from Pinkie and reset the board with a smile. “You’re right.” She rotated the board, giving Pinkie the black pieces. “Now that I think about it, no one has ever really wanted to play chess with me since I got here.” She moved her pawn to e4. “It’s nice.”
“Yeah, now we have PostCrush and chess in common!” Pinkie moved her pawn to e5. “I love it!”
Sunset laughed. “Me too, Pinkie.” They smiled at one another as Sunset made her next move.
Author's Note
Just a fun little idea I had after watching Backstage Pass. If you're interested in playing along, the move annotation is legit.
