Road to be the Best Chess Player in the World!-Chapter 503: Three Weeks of Training
Just like that, three weeks passed quickly, and without anyone noticing, the training camp was about to end. During that time, Sheva had done almost everything to train those three teenagers, even calling a favor from some people to help him guide them all.
For Nayaka, Sheva decided to train the boy personally. The boy’s problem was the same as it was for him a few months ago, so he had a way to guide the boy to get through this predicament. Hell, he even doubled down by using a physical punishment, even though it was just a light slap on the wrist with a plastic ruler.
"You don’t know this, Devi, but I really suffered under Brother Sheva’s guidance!" Nayaka groaned, venting out his grievance.
"It is just a light slap, right? It doesn’t even leave any trace in your hand." Devi smiled amusedly as she listened to the boy’s whining.
"It is easy for you to say that, but you don’t know how many times he hit me." The boy grumbled grumpily.
Indeed, the punishment was only enacted whenever Sheva saw Nayaka being reckless, abandoning his own defense for the sake of offense. The problem, though, was that it was already a part of his game, and changing habits was not something that could be done in one night. That was why the boy suffered a lot, as he couldn’t even count how many hits he received after the first day was over.
"I heard from Brother Sheva that he would make your brain and your body remember, but I have never thought that he would be literal about that," Devi said amusedly. "What about you, Duta? What have you learned during this period?" She turned around to the younger boy.
"Well..." Duta pondered the last three weeks that flashed inside his head.
Unlike Nayaka, Sheva called for help from Irene. Even though the woman’s level was still below his, she was still a legendary player with a lot of experience, so this was definitely a luxurious privilege to be trained personally by her. Sheva asked her because her playing style could be described as erratic, with a little bit of recklessness that could still be controlled by her.
This was the kryptonite of Duta’s rigid style, and in Sheva’s mind, this was definitely the best way to help the boy improve his game.
The training method was also quite simple. They just had to play against each other, but the catch was that Duta only had 3 minutes while Irene would have 10 whole minutes for herself. This training would force the boy’s intuition to play a more active role, and it would also force him to get used to any surprise from the opponent.
It might not help him offensively, but at least the training would force him to adapt to any situation quickly. This was the biggest flaw in his game, so getting it solved quickly was the first priority.
"So, you are training with Master Irene?" Devi asked enviously. Irene was the peak of the women’s player in Indonesia, and every girl yearned to be like her. Devi was also the same, so the reaction was quite understandable here.
"Hey, not just Master Irene, but I also got trained by Master Taher and Master Irfan!" Duta smiled, inwardly feeling smug. Although he wasn’t a boastful person, the boy still enjoyed the envious gazes he received from his friends. "They kept beating me black and blue, but in the end, they helped me overcome my weakness! Now, you won’t be able to get through my skin so easily, Brother Nay!"
Nayaka could only stare at his junior with envy. Little did he realize, though, that he was trained by Sheva himself, the current best player in the country. Compared to any other player, he was the one who enjoyed the most luxurious treatment.
"What about you, Devi?" Nayaka asked, couldn’t bear the smugness in Duta’s tone. However, he regretted asking this, as the girl’s boasting was even more outrageous.
"Me? It is not much. Brother Sheva just called his friend to train me online. His name is... Hmm... It should be Dmitrij Kollar, if I remember it correctly." She tapped her chin thoughtfully, as if the girl was trying to remember something. However, the smile on her face told everyone that it was just her attempt to brag, and for a moment, it only met silence from the others.
"Dmitrij Kollar, huh..." Nayaka nodded, still not realizing the gravity of that person. A moment later, though, something clicked inside his brain, and he snapped his head quickly toward the girl. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DMITRIJ KOLLAR? THE GERMAN GM THAT BROTHER SHEVA BEAT IN THE OLYMPIAD? AND NOW, HE IS TRAINING YOU? ARE YOU JOKING ME?!" He grabbed the girl’s shoulder quite violently.
Duta also had his jaw dropped, staring at Devi in disbelief. This only made the girl feel more superior, staring down at the two boys as she got the most special treatment here.
Seeing those three still being able to bicker with each other after such a long and arduous period, Sheva couldn’t help but smile, feeling satisfied with their mentality. What made him happier, though, was their statistics when he checked them silently.
[DING! Scan is successful!]
[Name: Nayaka Buddhidarma]
Attacking 55
Defense 35 (+6)
Calculation 44 (+2)
Strategy 48
Intuition 49
Time management 39 (+1)
[Name: Satria Cahaya Duta]
Attacking 46 (+1)
Defense 45 (+3)
Calculation 48
Strategy 42
Intuition 39 (+7)
Time management 37 (+5)
[Name: Shafira Devi]
Attacking 48 (+2)
Defense 38 (+4)
Calculation 37 (+6)
Strategy 42 (+4)
Intuition 40
Time management 41 (+2)
’Their level should be around 2100 to 2200, but it is enough to dominate the entire tournament, right?’ Sheva couldn’t help but ponder.
The Asian School Chess Championship was not a prestigious tournament, with the highest-rated player being around 2250. That was an Indian player in the Open U-17 category, the one that Nayaka and Duta would fight to. Still, Sheva was confident that those two would be able to beat that Indian boy, and as for Devi, there should be no girl who could be her match in her section.
Thinking about this, a gratifying smile curled slightly on the corner of Sheva’s mouth, and somehow, an idea popped into his head. ’Should I try to do the same as Master Irfan? Rewarding them with another chance if they could meet the target? Hmm... This would be interesting..."
