The Chess Tournament
In Virginia City a big chess tournament was organized. The event was an idea of the Wednesday Afternoon Ladies Society to give the inhabitants a cozy day. Of course it didn’t take long before the Cartwrights heard about it. That were the brothers Adam, Hoss and Joe. They lived at the Ponderosa ranch and were the sons of Ben Cartwright.
Hoss saw as 1st hanging a poster of the chess tournament and said to his brothers, brothers:“Adam, Joe, we must do that.”
Adam and Joe read also what was on the poster.
“We are too young to enter”, said Adam.
“Why too young?”, Joe asked indignant.
Adam pointed at the last condition, “Persons younger than 30 are excluded from entering.”
That was a disappointment for the boys of whom the oldest became 30 in a month’s time. And the tournament was being held on May 11.
“We can’t play though but pa can practice by playing against us. At home there is always a chess game ready to be used”, said Adam.
Hoss asked, “And what if pa doesn’t want to play?”
“We enter pa and then he has to play against us”, said Joe.
The brothers entered Ben and went home satisfied.
At the ranch Ben was busy with the administration. It was delightful and notable quiet because the sons of the rancher were away and the Chinese cook Hop Sing was busy in the kitchen. Also there no daughters-in-law and/or grandchildren to disturb the rest.
Ben looked at the silent living room and said, “What a rest and silence.”
Quickly he worked on through to be able to read in a book which the rancher had just started.
Just before the boys rode upon the yard Adam said, “We all 3 play against pa but let him win. That will give him confidence to enter that chess tournament.”
Hoss and Joe nodded.
At the ranch house they dismounted and the horses got hitched. The brothers went laughing inside. Ben looked up and suspected that his sons were up to something again or had done something.
“Just confess gentlemen”, Ben said semi-strict.
“Eh pa, what must we confess?”, Adam asked on behalf of Hoss and Joe.
“I know my sons well enough to know directly that they have done something”, answered Ben.
“Adam, you better can tell it or otherwise pa is out on the 1st round”, said Hoss.
Joe did there is still a big scoop on top of by saying:“And pa may keep our family name and fame high.”
Now Ben didn’t understand it at all so he asked the question, “Why must I keep our family name and fame high?”
“There is in Virginia City a chess tournament being held but we are too young to enter. The minimum age is 30. So we entered you. It is on May 11. So pa, from now on you may practice against us”, Adam explained.
Ben sighed and asked then, “And by whom gets that chess tournament organized?”
“That is done by the Wednesday Afternoon Ladies Society to give the inhabitants of the town a cozy day”, answered Hoss.
“Alright. You have entered me so I will have to join in. But then you are going to support me”, said Ben.
“Of course we support you”, Hoss said laughing.
Each day Ben played against his sons. But the hands too had to face up to it. The rancher won each time. But until the tournament no single Cartwright let himself seen in Virginia City.
When it was the day of the chess tournament was Ben made a decision.
At breakfast the rancher said, “You stay at home whole I enter that chess tournament.”
“Why must we stay at home?”, Hoss asked amazed.
“Because I must concentrate during that tournament and not to have you around as well”, answered his father.
How the boys talked, Ben remained by his decision.
Ben arrived in at time at the tournament. Everything was being made ready by the Wednesday Afternoon Ladies Society.
Sheriff Roy Coffee gave the starting shot and said thereby, “The competitors lots of success and the spectators lots of viewing pleasure.”
With a lot of luck Ben came to the final where he had to take it up against George Miller. They knew each other but were enemies. That came because the daughter of George, Gloria, was very in love with Adam. But it wasn’t mutual. George kept that in mind and that effect on the match. At a certain moment George put his queen so free that Ben could put his opposite check mate right away and did that too.
“Check mate”, said Ben.
“Ben Cartwright is the winner of the 1st Virginia City Chess tournament. Congratulations Ben”, Roy said while he congratulated the rancher and gave him a cup.
“Thanks. It was very nice to enter”, said Ben.
He received the cup and went to his horse Buck. A moment later Ben was already on his way home.
The chairlady van the Wednesday Afternoon Ladies Society, Vera Stone, snapped at en George, “I thought that you could play chess so well! Losing from Cartwright who doesn’t even live in Virginia City!”
“Oh well lump of a gal, stop that tail lift of yours”, groaned George.
Quickly he walked away.
Meanwhile at the ranch the brothers also played a game of chess against each other. Now Hoss and Joe lost their game against Adam.
“Adam, you don’t dare to do this to pa”, Joe said a bit indignant and insulted.
“We will see that, little brother”, reacted Adam.
Hoss went to get coffee.
When Ben came home the boys asked at once how it had went of course.
“Well gentlemen, you look at the 1st winner of the Virginia City Chess tournament. In the final I had to play against George Miller and I won”, said Ben.
“Now you have won you certainly don’t want to play against us, do you”, Hoss said laughing.
“On the contrary Hoss, on the contrary”, said Ben.
Adam set the board ready and began to play against his father. This time Ben lost 3 times in a row.
After the 3rd loss the rancher said, “I hope that you never ever going to enter me in a chess tournament.”
The boys looked at each other and Adam said dry, “Pa, be at ease because we will enter you already for a checker tournament.”
“I have no time because there is still enough work waiting for me and that is all due to you”, said Ben.
The brothers nodded and went to work like nothing had happened.