The Luzhin Defence Page #4

Donkeys were a particular favorite,

I recall.

Your whole childhood

was littered with stray animals.

I remember her duck.

I grew quite fond of that.

Poor, sick creatures

that were better off being put down.

Nothing was too far gone

for your compassion.

Mama, this is very dangerous.

As an adolescent, you were forever

having crushes on eccentrics.

Thank God you were

too shy to approach them.

You mean that writer

across the lake from...

And now these two fundamental flaws

in your character have combined...

to produce this...

liaison...

with...

With a man I've yet to meet.

No doubt that's the reason you're

not taking this matter more seriously.

I'm sure

when Papa does meet him...

he'll understand exactly why I think

that Aleksandr Ivanovich Luzhin...

is the most fascinating,

enigmatic and attractive man...

that I have ever met.

Mate.

Check.

Check.

Check.

Mate.

I'm beginning to get some idea

of how all the pieces take each other.

I saw him take on 20 players,

and he was in absolute control.

But in the end it's going to come down

to 2 players:
Aleksandr and an Italian.

You know that...

deep down your mother

has only one wish in life...

to see you happy.

I don't want you to judge him

when you first meet him.

He can appear slightly odd.

Come up to my room.

Come on.

Your mother isn't around.

- Aleksandr, please.

- Come up to my room.

Papa, this is

Aleksandr Ivanovich Luzhin.

Aleksandr, this is my father.

I'm sorry my wife

couldn't be with us.

She's a bit under the weather.

Ah, such a kind, sensitive woman.

We hit it off very well.

My dear.

So, after you've had

your game of chess...

I expect you'll be off to play

somewhere else, yes?

And how long are you

here for, exactly?

Mama.

By the way,

I've always wondered...

is there a move that

always enables one to win?

A move that one

always plays towards?

I see what you mean.

There are quiet moves

and strong moves.

A strong move is one

that gives an immediate advantage.

The capture of an important piece

or discovered check, perhaps...

or when a pawn is queened.

A quiet move implies trickery...

subversion, complication.

I see.

- No, I don't really.

- Let's take some position.

Take an ending from a recent game.

White had King C-3, Rook A-1...

Knight D-5,

Pawns B-2 and C-4.

- Now, black...

- Yes, a complicated thing, chess.

Black had the advantage, because white

overestimated his initiative's value...

after the exchange of queens.

Black had King A-5.

I needed a quiet move.

So...

I moved my pawn...

to B-3.

Why don't you tell us about

the early days when it all started?

Mama?

I was wrong.

Aleksandr does have a gift.

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