‘Oh . . . then the Mechanical Turk is not the same, but it won lots of games and people came from all over the world to play the machine.’

‘Cool!’

‘It was cool, but then they discovered that it was just a wooden box with a man inside.’

I laugh. ‘What happened to it?’

‘It got burnt in a warehouse fire.’

‘With the man still inside?’

‘Well, I hope not. It may have been a cheating machine, but the man inside was still a good chess player . . . Anyway, I am taking you away from the point,’ Granddad continues. ‘I am telling you not to worry about your opponent. Just imagine this Richard is a wooden box.’

‘Well, that won’t be hard.’ I laugh. ‘But did you beat the man in Leipzig?’

Granddad’s face breaks into a grin. ‘Well, of course! And tomorrow you will win too.’

‘I hope so.’

‘You will.’

The grandfather clock chimes. Granddad looks at his watch, then at the clock on the mantelpiece, then the grandfather clock as it chimes for the seventh time.

‘I think it is time for you to go home,’ says Granddad.

‘But I want to hear more,’ I say.

‘Ha,’ says Granddad. ‘I am thinking that I have told you enough about my past for one night.’

‘But you haven’t, Granddad,’ I say. ‘And we’ve not played chess yet.’

‘Oh, you know more than you think after all your practice and hard work. We do not have to actually play chess all the time to learn.’

‘You mean the subliminal,’ I say.

‘Yes. I prefer this to your friend saying I am brainwashing you.’

‘Me too,’ I say, feeling embarrassed.

I wait for Granddad to ruffle my hair or knock my skull with his knuckles, but he holds out his arms.

‘Come here,’ he says.

I lean towards him and he wraps his arms around me. I feel his chest rise and the bump of his heart. Grandma used to hug me lots, but Granddad would only ever put his arm around my shoulders. He’s never hugged me like this.

‘You will be fine,’ he whispers. ‘You have two good moves now – the Sicilian Defence I taught you with the condiments, and the Maróczy Bind. I think that will be enough.’

‘I hope so, Granddad,’ I say.

He squeezes me tighter, then lets go.

‘You best be off,’ he says.

I stand up and he follows me to the door. I don’t want to leave, but if I don’t sleep I will be useless in the championship.

I step outside. Samson jaunts up the path. I bend down and stroke him.

Granddad smiles.

‘I will watch you so you get home safely,’ he says.

‘You don’t have to, Granddad. I’m eleven!’

‘Just read the rules I gave you before you go to sleep tonight, and everything will be fine.’

‘Okay, Granddad,’ I say. ‘Goodnight.’