Wikichan/Across the Board

Across the Board was a wikichan article about chess-related fanfiction.

Content

Introduction

One day, a random writfag started writing about chess. /tg/ came to the overwhelming conclusion that this was awesome, and more anonymous writefags began contributing. Still under construction.

Story

"Rook, You can't do that, it's suicide!"

The towering giant ignored the cries of his fellow piece. He knew his task. He knew that he could not fail, but that it would still cost him his life. Most importantly, he knew his sacrifice would give his people a fighting chance. He braced himself, his window of opportunity closing as he rushed headlong across the board. In seconds he crossed a distance greater than any pawn had, and annihilated the opposing queen of darkness with a single mighty blow.

He then braced himself for the inevitable. With no time left to react, her guardian knight flew overhead the forces fighting around him and impaled him through the chest. A final gasp and he would move on, to his eternal life at the side of the board.

The Bishop of the white army stood in disbelief. He watched his friend fall to those dark bastards. He would have his vengeance this day. He moved swiftly, squaring himself a shot at the leader of these soulless bastards.

"Check, you bitch."

-

"Rook, you stubborn fool, you probably never knew what sort of inspiration you'd make some day," chirped the lone pawn struggling past enemy lines.

"You only did what any brave soldier of our fair king would do; you gave your life for the greater cause."

At last, after a seemingly endless journey through the shadows of the darklands, the lowly servant infiltrated the enemy's unguarded borders. He stared upon the enchanting veil that sealed their world, and could swear he could see the visage of those long slain.

"Even in death, Rook, you served vital to the Great King."

The weary pawn treaded with his final enduring steps to the barrier and stared straight ahead.

True to his anticipation, he saw beyond the translucent wall the face of his own towering hero.

"But in life once more, you will serve far greater than I."

With these final words, the pawn charged through to the world beyond and his champion burst out with new vigor in his place.

-

The priest, donned in tattered but ever-glistening pale robes, gazed out over the land as he saw a flash of light burst from the deadly expanses of the Black Kingdom.

"So the boy found the end of his journey after all," the bishop pondered. "then our faith in our kingdom's Lord was just."

In desperate times, the resolve of even the most righteous men of the kingdom may have faltered, but hope truly was just over the horizon. Now, no man of the white crown feared their fate. All were prepared to die like the noble giant Rook and the many nameless martyrs of then and now.

"I may soon congratulate your deeds, young pawn," said the bishop as he darted speedily on his glistening mount from his already imposing position through the ranks of the black legion, charging headlong into the spiraling towers of the vile king.

"An entire nation has faced its fate, wretched Monarch, and as long as I stand, so shall you."

-

The King of the Black Lands stood watching from the balcony of his mighty keep. He had heard the damning prophecies that his wizards croaked in their dying words; he had seen their words ring true as the skies glowed bright with the light of restoration and an all-too-familiar beacon shined out from somewhere frighteningly close.

"You may have slain my bride, foul giant, but you will never be the man to slay me."

With the profane cross of his line held high, he let echo a signal to his royal guard, and the mounted knight turned round on command and bounded off to confront his old foe.

"The faith of your kingdom's commoners was touching, but faith will never shield a destined blade."

Before he could give the call to summon his remaining serfs to follow the knight's path, however, he felt the violent trembling of his own castle.

"An intruder? But how!?"

The rumbling carried on with a growing fury, and when the shaking of his stone walls drowned out all other sound, one thing reached his ears still- a chorus. He could have sworn he'd heard the voices of angels singing forth, and that their very words were causing the keep's foundation to crumble.

Quickly, he discovered his fears and wonders were in every way true, and his tower was now rapidly swinging to the ground. The monarch that was once thought to be indestructible now saw his every defense slipping out from beneath him.

Dread reached his furiously beating heart as he doubted he had anywhere left to run.

-

The queen of the light looked up in shock as the sword of her dreaded foe slid through her chest. She shuddered, her last gasps flowing out, the dark apostle tearing his weapon free and hefting it high. Blood flew through the air, the throaty roars of the dark legion echoing across the board. The king of the light stared in horror, for even as the mighty Rook rejoined the war from the great beyond, his own dear love and mighest warrior had fallen in the throes of battle. All stood silent on the white side, for they all felt the pain of the queen's death.

"Now, my warriors!" the evil bishop shouted. "Advance! Drive into the heart of the pathetic insects of the light!" He began to advance, ignoring his opposite number's cleave into one of his insignifigant pawns, and swept forth a diagnol stroke into the flank of a mighty mounted soldier of the light, tearing the knight's head from his shoulders.

'None can stand against the will of the darkness!" he proclaimed-

-and a spear thrust through his heart.

"For the Queen!" screamed a fearless pawn, leaping to face the bishop. "For truth and purity! For the light side of the board!" His cries echoed across the field, even as an enemy knight dashed forward, smashing into the pawn as he tore his weapon free, crushing the lone soldier in his moment of triumph....

-

Steel upon steel, hours passed. Countless lives, both black and white, fell to this horrible bloodshed. At long last, the battle drew closer.

Rook stood alongside the Bishop, defending valiantly against the last few hordes of black pawns. The remnants of the white resistance were fading from the board.

The king of the light of this board, of this world, of everything these people knew, grew desperate.

"Rook, Bishop. I shall run and hold my own! You must go now, both of you, and kill their leader. Without him, they will fall. I shall meet up with the knight leading our pawns on the left side of the board."

Rook and Bishop exchanged glances, but they knew full well they stood no chance standing here. Rook leapt forward first, unleashing a cry as he tore through the last black bishop with a cry of vengeance. Bishop followed, avoiding combat to stay close on the heels of his comrade.

The king waited behind a moment, watching his last two champions charge. All he could do was wait, and pray.

Source

• Here