I’m sitting in my room, looking across at Granddad’s house. After I won my first game, he told me I’d just learned the Sicilian Defence. It’s one of the post popular moves in chess. He told me it is the black chess pieces’ response to when a white pawn moves to e4, as well as lots of other things that I can’t remember. It was great to finally play and win a game (even if he did make my moves for me), but now I can’t stop thinking about the weird things I found in his wardrobe. They might just be something simple. Maybe he collects appointment cards like some of the boys in my class collect Top Trumps. But Jake obviously doesn’t think that, because he just messaged to ask if I’ve still got the walkie-talkies to help us spy on Granddad tomorrow. He’s totally forgotten that they got smashed last summer when we put them on our bikes, pretending they were police radios.

My phone buzzes again. What does he want now? I pick it up and see a message from Rebecca.

Hey, me and my mum saw yours in town today.

Oops. How did that go?

No. It was okay. Think they might be friends again.

Cool.

Means I can come to yours.

Yeah.

☺

I smile. It would be good if Rebecca could come over more and hang out like we used to. But I’m pretty sure Jake wouldn’t like it. He’d say she was in the way, that there weren’t any girls in our army or the cavalry. It would be embarrassing if she knew I was still playing ‘armies’, so I’d just have to make it that she comes over when Jake’s doing stuff with his dad.

My phone lights up again.

What are you doing?

Nothing much.

Playing chess?

Done that. Granddad just taught me the Sicilian Defence.

Wow!

Really?

Yes. Means he knows a lot about chess.

Cool.

Now you’ve had a game, you can play online now.

What?

I’m not that interested in playing.

I think you are ☺ Got to go now. Watching Mamma Mia, AGAIN! with Mum.

Okay.

I look at the link. Would it hurt just to click on it once and play a game? Granddad showed me the Sicilian Defence, but I’m not sure I remember every move. Still, I could play another game, and if I lose no one would know. But what would Granddad say? He doesn’t trust the telephone – there’s no way he would trust a computer. Maybe I’ll just go on Fortnite instead.

I reach for my PS4 controller.

My phone lights up again.

Do it, Felix!

?

I know what you’re like. You’ll go and play Fortnite or something instead.

I laugh. She really does know what I’m like.

I click on the link.

Play Chess Online