A 7-year-old boy in Kenya has been playing chess with a quiet old man at a local park every day for months. The boy's mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, had grown accustomed to the daily routine and even scheduled her work-from-home hours around it. The old man, who the boy refers to as "Artie," would arrive at the park's concrete chess tables before the boy and his mother. Their games became a staple of their daily routine, with the boy and Artie engaging in friendly banter and debates about the game.
The boy, Moses, had been obsessed with chess since he was five years old and would often walk past the playground and head straight to the park's chess tables. His mother would often watch from a bench, enjoying the quiet moments to herself while Moses played. Artie seemed to take a particular interest in Moses, patiently teaching him the intricacies of the game and encouraging him to think strategically. As their games progressed, Moses began to refer to Artie as "Artie" instead of "Mr. Arthur," and their bond grew stronger.
One afternoon, Moses sacrificed three pawns in ten moves, prompting Artie to lean back and comment on the boy's apparent dislike of infantry pieces. Moses explained that pawns were useless because they could only move one square and couldn't go backward. Artie picked up one of the captured pawns and began to explain the concept of promotion, showing Moses how a pawn could become a more powerful piece if it reached the other side of the board. Moses's eyes widened in surprise, and he muttered under his breath about not being called "Soldier" anymore.
As the days went by, Moses began to come home angry about missing pawns, claiming that Artie had "stolen" them. His mother would laugh and tease him about the distinction, but Moses was adamant that Artie was keeping the pawns as evidence of his teachability. The following afternoon, Moses's mother asked Artie if he was indeed stealing from children, to which Artie replied that he was preserving history. Moses chimed in, saying that Artie was also being annoying, and Artie nodded in agreement.
The park where Moses and Artie played had a small coffee kiosk near the entrance, and one afternoon, Moses came running toward Artie holding two white sugar packets. Artie looked at them and asked what they were for, and Moses explained that old people liked sweet coffee. Artie stared at Moses, seemingly touched by the gesture, and thanked him for the sugar. However, as time went on, Artie began to miss days, and Moses would complain about his absence.
When Artie returned, Moses would express his disappointment and insist that he had waited for him. Artie would study the board and suggest that Moses play with someone else, but Moses would refuse, saying that others played weird. One afternoon, Artie seemed tired and rubbed his chest, prompting Moses's mother to ask if he was okay. Artie replied that he was perfectly fine, but his response seemed unconvincing.
A week later, Artie made a strange comment, saying that someday he might not be sitting at the park anymore. Moses didn't even look up and simply replied that he would wait. Artie's hand stopped over the board, and he glanced toward Moses's mother before moving his bishop. The subject was dropped, but the comment left a lasting impression on Moses and his mother.
Key points
- The boy's daily chess games with the old man take an unexpected turn when the old man starts missing days and makes a cryptic comment about not being around anymore.
