He was already there.
Pieces set. Scoresheet flat. Pen lined up along the edge like it mattered.
I checked the wall again before sitting down.
Seven.
Same.
When I got back he hadn’t moved. One pawn slightly off centre. He fixed it without looking up.
I sat. Adjusted a knight. Didn’t need to.
Clock was on. I pressed mine once, just to feel it. Let it run a second longer than I should have, then pressed it back.
The arbiter said start.
He moved straight away.
Wrote it down. Pressed the clock.
I looked at the board a bit longer than usual.
Nothing complicated. Just didn’t want to be quick.
Someone walked past behind me. Stopped near board five. Shoes on the floor dragging slightly. Then kept going.
He didn’t look up.
Second move came just as fast. Same rhythm. Write. press.
I lined a pawn up again. Then left it slightly off this time.
Across the room there was still movement from earlier. People not quite settled. Chairs not quite in. A bag half under a table getting nudged with a foot.
No one stopping at our board.
After a few moves I noticed I was watching him.
How little time he used. How his pen stayed in his hand between moves. How he didn’t check anything twice.
No piece adjustments. Once it landed, it stayed.
I got up once.
Walked past board six.
Then five.
Someone at four leaned back in their chair and didn’t move for a while.
I didn’t go further. Turned back earlier than I meant to.
When I sat down he was already there. Same position. Same posture.
Waiting.
Not looking at me. Just the board.
I checked the position again.
Same as before.
Still felt like I’d missed something.
A clock clicked somewhere behind me. Someone else pressing too hard.
I wrote my move slower than I needed to.
Pressed the clock.
He moved almost immediately.
Didn’t even look at me when he did it.
Just wrote it down and pressed the clock again.