I was reading Hikaru no Go (I'm almost finished~!) and then when I reached this bit about this guy called Kaga and his whining about shouji, I was reminded that I haven't played chess in ages. Like you know, good fine english chess.

Not that I can actually play very well or anything, but it's a nice feeling to hold onto the pieces and look upon the checkered board and try to figure out the next move. It's a really really nice feeling, though it doesn't beat the feeling I get from playing Reversi, cause I am better at that, and it's like whoa, immensely easier.

I'm kinda peeved MSN doesn't have chess as a game but have checkers, reversi and even UNO for heavens' sake D:


OH AND ANYWAY, I was thinking about chess and everything and I was trying to match up my new cast of characters, from And Then She Fell (which I'm probably going to rename when I think of a more befitting title). Basically, I came up with this:

Hinata: Bishop
Bishops are sneaky bastards. I hate it when they attack my pieces from nowhere, and I didn't notice them because they move diagonally. They can be really powerful if properly developed, and they have good leverage when it comes to getting to protected pieces if they are overlooked. A big disadvantage however, is that they can only move onto the squares they first belong on (i.e. white only moves on white, black on black) and therefore work better in a pair. Hinata can just be both, it wouldn't matter.

Charlot: Rook
A rook, because I like them best think they're powerful, and everybody can see a rook when it comes for you because it only moves in straight lines. No sneaking up one you, they basically bulldoze their way in. Yeah, subtle. Did you know that you can checkmate a king with just two rooks?

Lilianne: King
Even though she doesn't match up gender-wise, it makes sense for her to be a king. The kings are weak, and always waiting to be protected. Lilianne is like that, powerful and the main objective, but when it comes to exerting power, she's really nothing. Of course, everybody is obliged to acknowledge her existence because otherwise the whole game crumbles.

Symond: Queen
Once again, disregarding the gender. The Queen is the most powerful piece on the board, being able to move for any desired distance in any desired direction. Symond is powerful as a character, because he possesses the most information out of all of them, and is the best at manipulating people to do what he likes. He's also from the most powerful house out of the characters (his father being the Duke, when Charlot's father is an Earl, and Hinata's deceased father/his inherited rank would have been Marquis.) aaaaandddd... he's so awesome at pretending to be the underdog he rocks.

Deidre, Constance: Knight
Why? I have not much idea either, but it seems they are best for the position. Knights are cheeky buggers too, because of the way they move -- it's hardest to explain to people too, cause they move in diagonal L-shapes -- and they are easily restrained if forced into a corner. They are strongest at the middle, and prove very useful in the right conditions when properly developed. At least, in theory, since I'm so terrible I end up sacrificing petter pieces for them. Just like the knights, Deidre and Constance never know when they prove to be useful, even if they are easily trapped by a bishop, and are almost useless in the sides and corners.

I haven't thought of who would be a pawn yet, and honestly, I wanted Symond to be a pawn instead of a queen because of how it would've suited his personality. Each and every pwn has the ability to become any other chess piece on the board when it reaches the opponent's side, but it usually becomes a queen. However, pawns are neither versatile nor easy to control, and can end up fatally blocking an escape or route and ruin a game. They also thus prove to be good as defense when they are in a position to protect each other, but are weak when separated.

Does that sound like soloist Symond? Nope. So he stays as the Queen.

Agh, I rambled too much.