It didn't take long for Sheldon to return with the chessboard. He was still smarting from the suggestion that he might not be as sharp as Mike, and he was determined to set the record straight.
Naturally, he challenged Mike to the first round—best two out of three.
Taking the match very seriously, Sheldon played the first game with intense focus. On the other side, Mike was curious to see exactly how large the gap was between his current cognitive abilities and Sheldon's, so he played with extreme caution.
Meanwhile, Paige watched the board closely, occasionally darting glances at Mike. For a while, the study was silent, save for the sharp clack of chess pieces hitting the wood.
The game remained a stalemate for about ten minutes. However, as Mike began to spend longer and longer in deep thought, the tide slowly turned. Sheldon's superior tactical processing began to wear him down.
Ten minutes later, seeing the situation was beyond saving, Mike decisively tipped over his King. "I resign."
Sheldon let out a long breath. It wasn't his imagination—Mike's game had improved drastically. Sheldon knew for a fact he hadn't gone easy on him; in the past, he could have swept Mike off the board in fifteen minutes flat.
This time, if Mike had played a stalling strategy, he could have dragged the game out for another five minutes before a total checkmate. Don't underestimate that five-minute difference. In the chess world, a novice loses in five minutes, and a decent player lasts ten. Only when two players are evenly matched and playing at a high level does a game stretch past thirty minutes.
Objectively speaking, while Mike was still trailing behind Sheldon, the gap was closing fast.
Sheldon seemed to notice this too. "Mike, you're smarter than I gave you credit for."
"Thanks," Mike chuckled. He was used to Sheldon's blunt "compliments." During the match, he could feel his brain working like a high-end processor, running simulations faster than ever before.
"You seem quite happy for someone who just lost," Sheldon noted, confused by Mike's grin.
"I am. I just realized I might actually have a knack for this," Mike replied, offering a casual excuse. Then he added, "Heads up, though—I'm going all out in the next round."
Now that he had calibrated his "upgraded" brain, Mike was confident he'd perform even better in game two.
"Good luck with that," Sheldon said, mimicking the way Mike used to encourage him. He actually quite enjoyed being on the giving end of that pep talk for once.
As far as Sheldon was concerned, the idea of Mike actually winning was a statistical impossibility. He had never lost to Mike when he was actually trying. He assumed Mike's performance in the first game was just a fluke—a temporary peak in his otherwise average output.
The second game began immediately.
Paige, having caught onto Mike's true level, suddenly spoke up. "So, Sheldon, what do you do for fun?"
"I enjoy physics, obviously, and model trains..." Sheldon replied, totally unguarded. "And if the opportunity arises, I'm actually looking into learning a musical instrument."
Clearly, he hadn't given up on his quest to master the arts.
Paige smiled. "That's a lovely idea. My mother is actually considering piano lessons for me."
As the conversation deepened, Sheldon—bless his heart—tried to multitask. Before he knew it, half of his processing power was diverted to the chat.
This was exactly what Paige wanted. She was "assisting" Mike by creating a distraction.
Sure enough, with Sheldon's focus split, the board state began to deteriorate. He didn't even notice the trap until Mike moved his final piece and said the magic word:
"Checkmate."
"What? Impossible!" Sheldon gasped, frantically scanning the board. When he realized his King was truly cornered, his face fell into a mask of disbelief.
What hurt even more was the realization that Mike had won this round faster than Sheldon had won the first.
But it didn't take long for Sheldon to figure out why he'd lost. He turned and glared at Paige. "It was you."
"What did I do?" Paige asked, wearing a mask of pure innocence. Then, she added with faux surprise, "Wow, Sheldon, you lost that one really fast!"
She was effectively twisting the knife, subtly suggesting he wasn't as good as Mike. None of the three were fools; they all knew exactly why Sheldon had lost. But that only made Sheldon more livid.
He knew anything he said now would just sound like an excuse. "Don't get cocky," he muttered gloomily. "The match isn't over yet."
He was looking at Mike, but the comment was aimed directly at Paige.
"I'm looking forward to your challenge," Paige said, her smile never wavering. "But first, you have to beat Mike."
She was clearly trying to bait him again, but Sheldon wasn't falling for it twice.
As the third game began, Sheldon pulled two cotton balls from his pocket and stuffed them into his ears, effectively blocking out any "external factors."
Mike, now fully warmed up after two rounds, felt like he was in the zone.
The rubber match was a masterclass. They traded pieces and territory in a high-stakes dance for thirty minutes until Mike's position finally began to crumble. He held on for another five minutes but ultimately lost by a narrow margin.
It was a tough loss, but Mike wasn't bothered. He knew he was getting better every day.
Sheldon, having fought a hard battle for his victory, looked at Mike with newfound respect. He realized that even if Mike wasn't quite his equal yet, he was definitely in the same league.
"Mike, we should play again when we have more time," Sheldon said solemnly, pulling the cotton out of his ears.
"You're on," Mike nodded, standing up to vacate the seat. Win or lose, he didn't let it get to him.
As Paige sat down, she saw Sheldon reaching for his cotton balls again. "What's the matter?" she challenged. "Are you afraid to face me?"
Sheldon froze. He set the cotton balls aside and stiffened his neck. "Certainly not."
Before a single pawn had moved, the air between the two child prodigies was already thick with tension.
But as Sheldon set up his side of the board, he suddenly reached into the corner of the box and pulled out a special piece—a "Wizard" wearing a giant pointed hat.
"What are you doing?" Paige asked, bewildered.
Chess had many variations, but she had never heard of one where you just added random characters to the board. Sheldon's move was a blatant violation of the rules.
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