Posted Sept. 12, 2023, 3:45 a.m. by Lieutenant Commander William B. Grey (Chief Science Officer / 2nd Officer) (Hjortur Ingi)
Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Kastarak (Doctor / Counsellor) in Mess Hall - Kings Gambit (Open RP)
Posted by Lieutenant Commander William B. Grey (Chief Science Officer / 2nd Officer) in Mess Hall - Kings Gambit (Open RP)
Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Kastarak (Doctor / Counsellor) in Mess Hall - Kings Gambit (Open RP)
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻
William was seated on one of the circular tables in the Deck 5 mess hall. He’d been there for a few hours nursing a glass of chilled white wine and staring at the opening move of a regular chess game. The stemless glass no longer had a cube of ice in it, having melted as he played game after game. Right now he was replaying a nearly three-hundred-year-old chess game. He found chess to be an amusing diversion, 3D chess was too recent, it didn’t have the rich history of the ancient human game, and although he could play the games faster in his minds-eye there was something about using the physical set that calmed his troubled mind.The set he was using was from his own collection, carved from Andorian Ice Resin, Light blue for white and Dark Green for black. It had been a gift from the Professor at the Academy he’d served as a Teaching Assistant after graduating but before being assigned as the Chernovs Science Officer. Before he’d gotten what he still considered a much too early promotion to Lieutenant Commander and his assignment as Second Officer. Although he had just past thirty a few weeks ago he still felt no older nor wiser. He silently cursed his train of thought, the game was supposed to distract those thoughts, it was black second move, and he accepted the King’s Gambit then grabbed the wine glass considering the possibilities Spassky and Averbakh would have considered all those centuries ago and took a slow sip.
William Grey
As he was walking in the mess hall, with a tray with tea and a snack, Kastarak noticed Grey’s concentration and study of chess. It appeared to Kastarak as if Grey was studying each move carefully, playing both sides. Kastarak had never played chess – the Earth kind that was – but knew of its importance in Earth culture.
He paced around Grey, trying to get a glance of what the game was, and how Grey moved. He was curious, but decided not to interrupt the man.
He seated himself on a table not too far from Grey, and wondered if anyone else might walk by them.
– Kastarak
William didn’t look up from his game when he suddenly spoke “Spassky & Averbakh, 1955 by the human calendar” He said clearly directing the comment to Kastarak “USSR Championship 1955, Averbakh was the reigning Soviet champion at the time, Spassky was only eighteen.” He looked up at Kastarak “That’s considered young for humans, especially when it comes to high level chess as it was played during that time”
William Grey
“That is young for Vulcans, too,” Kastarak replied while analysing the rest of what Grey had said. Spassky and Averbakh must have been humans, chess players. They were from a place called the USSR. Kastarak searched his brain for any kind of inkling what it was. Ah, yes, a short-lived union of states on Earth during the 20th century, back in the days when Earth was divided into several sovereigns. Lenin was a founding figure – and the city Leningrad still exists on Earth*. “How is it that this 1955 game still is important in chess? Did the players apply novel approaches to logic?”
Kastarak was now genuinely curious about the game. He walked closer to Mr Grey.
– Kastarak
OOC: * I believe in Star Trek canon, the city is still called that…
William gave a slight smile at the question, such a Vulcan approach, logic first and foremost. His smile looked tight and unpracticed “It’s not an important game, not really. The players were but not this particular game. No, when studying older games it’s less about novel approaches to logic and more about the study of certain moves or the players themselves. Right now I’m going through games from the 20th century that use the King’s gambit opening, an old opening move that was no longer considered a popular opening during this time.”
William Grey
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