Below is the complete translation of the story into English:
CHECK-MATE
CHAPTER 1: THE BOARD
The Mind of a Genius
Narration by Kaoru:
"Chess"
"64 squares. 32 pieces. 16 on each side. Black and white. A silent war waged in wood and time."
"An infinite number of possible moves. More than atoms in the observable universe. I know each one of them."
"Since I was little, I have always been fascinated by chess. A game of kings. A game of destinies."
"A natural genius... they said."
"Until that day."
"That day."
[Fade to the past]
The Day the World Met Kaoru Shimizu
The TV displayed overlapping images: scenes of chess games, statistical charts, and at the center, a recording of a boy sitting in front of a GrandMaster. His black eyes were as deep and empty as a black hole.
Reporter:
"Today, the world of chess witnesses an unprecedented feat. Kaoru Shimizu, at only 2 years old, has just become the youngest chess player in history to join OME – the World Organization of Chess Players."
"During the tests, he defeated veterans in less than 20 moves."
The camera cuts to a snippet of the game: the opponent, a renowned chess player, wipes his brow nervously. He moves a piece. Little Kaoru, sitting in a chair too big for him, takes less than three seconds. With a cold gaze, he moves his queen.
The GrandMaster freezes. He realizes too late.
Reporter:
"Checkmate."
The broadcast shows the OME auditorium, where experts watch the replay of the game in absolute silence. Some are gaping; others, frowning.
Reporter:
"Kaoru does not hesitate. He does not stutter. He sees the game as if he had played that match a million times before even beginning."
[Cut to the Shimizu living room]
Kaoru's mother, Sayaka, turns off the TV, sighing.
🗣 Sayaka:
"Son, enough TV."
Kaoru swings his legs on the sofa, his gaze fixed blankly.
🗣 Kaoru:
"Mom, I want ice cream."
🗣 Sayaka:
"Now? It's late, Kaoru."
🗣 Kaoru:
"Yesss... daddy?"
Ryuji Shimizu, his father, answers the phone.
🗣 Ryuji:
"Yes, Victor. Yes... of course. We'll stop by there afterwards."
He looks at his wife and smiles.
🗣 Ryuji:
"Let's go out a bit. Our little champion deserves a little ice cream."
The Accident
[Inside the car]
The sky was dark, heavy clouds gathering over the city. Winter was punishing the streets with a damp and silent cold. Kaoru stared out the window, drawing a chessboard on the fogged glass.
🗣 Ryuji:
"So, son? Everything okay back there?"
Kaoru didn't reply. He simply traced a line with his finger on the window.
BEEEEEEEEEEP!
The shrill honk of a truck shattered the silence of the night.
🗣 Sayaka:
"Ryujii, look – !"
Everything happened too fast.
BAM!
The impact struck the car like a brutal punch of fate. The world spun in slow motion. The glass shattered. The engine roared and coughed smoke.
Kaoru saw confused flashes—his mother's body thrown against the dashboard, his father's arm trying to hold him, the world spinning, the sound of twisting metal.
PLOP… PLOP… PLOP…
Something warm dripped on his cheek. Blood? Rain? He didn't know.
The car stopped spinning. An overwhelming silence took hold.
In the front seat, Sayaka tried to turn her head, her trembling eyes meeting Kaoru's.
🗣 Sayaka (whispering):
"K-ao-ru…"
Her eyes closed.
Kaoru cried. He screamed in distress. But he was strapped into his car seat, unable to do anything but watch his parents' lifeless bodies.
Then, everything went black.
The Hospital – Silence and Emptiness
The hum of hospital machines was the only sound in the room. The heart monitor blinked in rhythmic patterns.
BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…
Kaoru slowly opened his eyes. The white ceiling of the hospital reflected the cold light.
[Outside the room]
🗣 Nurse:
"And his parents? Were they saved?"
🗣 Doctor (in a low voice):
"No. They didn't make it."
The world should have collapsed for Kaoru, but he felt nothing. His gaze fell on the empty chair beside his bed—where his parents should have been.
But they weren't.
A distant sound… something fell to the floor.
PLINK.
A tear? Or just the hospital IV fluid?
He didn't know.
The Road to the Orphanage
The social worker's car slid along the wet road. The engine purred softly as raindrops trickled down the window.
🗣 Social Worker:
"Are you hungry, Kaoru?"
No answer.
She reached into the back seat and extended something.
🗣 Social Worker:
"Here. I heard that your favorite chess piece is the knight."
Kaoru held the piece, but didn't look at it. He simply continued staring out the window.
Outside, a chessboard painted on the ground in a square was being washed away by the rain.
The car drove on.
🗣 Social Worker:
"Welcome to Hoshikawa Orphanage, Kaoru."
The First Game – Checkmate
The pieces moved on the board. The surrounding audience murmured.
🗣 Spectator 1:
"This boy... he's not just playing."
🗣 Spectator 2:
"He's dissecting the board."
Kaoru showed no reaction. His eyes were fixed on the pieces, like a predator studying its prey.
The GrandMaster in front of him hesitated. He realized too late.
Kaoru moved his queen.
Checkmate.
The silence in the room was deathly.
Kaoru did not smile. He did not celebrate. He simply adjusted the sleeve of his coat and stood up.
From the back of the room, a gray-haired man smiled.
🗣 Haruto Nakamura:
"This boy... doesn't just play chess. He understands it."
Meanwhile…
[At the Cavalo Building (France) – Headquarters of the Order of the "Knights"]
🗣 Daisuke Ren (urgently):
"Grandmaster, you need to see this, the world of chess is in an uproar!"
Galahad raised an eyebrow but did not take his eyes off the board. He moved a piece with precision before finally reaching for the tablet.
On the screen, a video with millions of views displayed Kaoru Shimizu's game. The caption read:
🗣
"Young prodigy overwhelmingly defeats a GrandMaster with ease."
The recording shows Kaoru in front of the board, his gaze cold and calculating, his moves as if he had played that match a trillion times before even looking up. The opponent's expression, struck by shock, is captured at the end of the recording, where the king piece falls in a deadly silence.
Galahad watched without blinking. Then, he placed the tablet on the table.
🗣 Galahad Kreuz (calm, but intense):
"Could he be that boy who joined OME at 2 years old? What are the odds..."
🗣 Daisuke (excitedly):
"He could be one of the best players in the world one day, if we manage to recruit him to our Order—"
🗣 Galahad (interrupting, his voice as firm as steel):
"You're looking at this the wrong way."
🗣 Daisuke frowned.
🗣 Galahad:
"It's not about recruiting him. He is already one of the best players in the world. The question is: will he be our ally... or our enemy?"
"The International Championship is approaching. Who will be the new International Master (IM)..."
TO BE CONTINUED…