Knight to c3.

Pawn to d6.

Pawn to f3.

Knight takes rook on d4.

Queen takes knight on d4.

‘Check,’ I say. ‘Checkmate.’

‘That’s impossible!’ my opponent mutters. ‘Impossible.’

I feel a smile creep across my face. I thought it was impossible too. I imagine a wooden box, with wooden arms sticking out of it, whirring round like its circuits have been crossed.

I stand up and hold out my hand.

I’ve won. I’ve beaten the computer!

*

‘Yes! Felix! YES!’ Jake’s jumping all around me like an excited Labrador.

Rebecca is smiling. Chris is smiling. Tom is smiling. Leah is smiling.

‘Yes! Yes!’ Jake is pumping his fist and jumping up and down in front of me.

‘Okay, Jake,’ says Mr Keytes. ‘This is a chess game, not a football match. But well done, Felix,’ he adds, patting me on the back. ‘Great effort.’

This does feel like a football match. I feel like I’ve run the length of the pitch and smashed the ball in the back of the net.

Jake wraps his arm around my neck.

‘Knew you would do it,’ he says. ‘Never in doubt.’

I pull myself away from him. I feel as happy as he is, so happy I don’t want the day to end, but right now the only person I want to celebrate with is Granddad.

I look up to the viewing area and search for him, but all I see are exit signs and empty seats. He must be on his way down.

Rich stands in front of me, holding his hand out begrudgingly. ‘Well done,’ he says. I shake his hand without thinking.

I’ve just won my third game in a row and I feel so good that I’m laughing inside. Now all I want is to see Granddad and give him a hug, but I can’t spot him anywhere because the hall is buzzing with pupils and teachers. I ask Rebecca how she did. She tells me she had one win, one loss and one draw, and she’s quite happy. I tell her I’m happy for her, then a blonde girl wearing a blue school uniform walks towards us.

‘Well done,’ she says to me.

‘Oh . . . thanks,’ I say.

She gives me a quizzical look. ‘You played me in the second game.’

‘Did I?’

‘Yes,’ she says. ‘You captured my bishop and my knight on moves twelve and fourteen.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘I can remember doing that, but I don’t—’

‘Remember me?’

‘No,’ I say. ‘Sorry.’

‘It’s okay.’ She smiles. ‘You looked like you were in a trance.’

‘He was.’ Rebecca laughs, then asks the girl, ‘How did your team do?’