How Green Becomes Wood

"You'd be surprised at what a length of asphalt can teach you if you're willing to listen," Xander said with a straight face. He waited a couple of moves before saying, "Most of all when to hit the road."
 
"Yeah, or they tend to crack up on you," Xander agreed. He paused, frowning at the board in thought. One move would put him in check, but had the potential to open a way to put Dark in checkmate. If Xander played his pieces right and Dark did not see the danger he was putting himself in. Xander decided to take the risk and made the move that Dark could then use to put him in check.
 
Dark studied the board closely after that move. He saw the move and the opportunity. And he saw the trap. It would be easy enough to move a different piece. The bishop was only a few moves away from putting Xander in check anyway, even if he didn't take this opportunity. But Xander looked shifty and he was curious so he moved his piece and said, "Check."
 
Xander waited half a second before making his next move. Two more moves, and he'd have Dark in check! If everything went his way and he didn't make any of his own blunders. He tried to distract Dark slightly with conversation. "The weather app says we're in for snow this week. Wonder if it'll really happen."
 
"It probably will, the snow is late this year." Dark replied, making the first of the two moves Xander clearly wanted him to. On his next turn, though, he moved a seemingly unrelated piece.
 
"Well done." Dark replied, and moved the piece Xander hadn't accounted for to get himself out of check. If the rules of chess were different, and he wasn't required to immediately get himself out of check, he would have delayed it.
 
Xander clicked his tongue in annoyance and played idly with the edge of his chair. He finally move a piece that would get him closer to his goal. Unfortunately, in his focus to achieve his goal, he forgot to take all moves into account, and left himself open for a checkmate in two moves if Dark spotted it.
 
Xander realized his mistake, but it was too late. There was no way to save himself. He decided to at least not go down easy as he took one of Dark's pieces. It wouldn't stop the inevitable, but it was annoying to lose pieces. Then he resigned himself to loss.
 
"Not improved enough," Xander grumbled. He examined the board for a few moments, figuring out where hed gone wrong. Then he looked up at Dark. "I got time for another. You can be black this time."
 
"Felt like pulling it out," Xander shrugged. In truth, he wanted to give his father something to think about and focus on if only for a few minutes. "Want to go for another round?"
 
Dark thought about it for a few moments and then began resetting the board, "Sure, if you would like to. Although if we are still playing when Ivy wakes up she will try to take the pieces."
 
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