Present's Gambit: A Christmas Blogging Adventure
Introduction
It was a dark and stormy night. As usual, of course. That’s how almost all fairy tales begin. At least the ones that you heard of. Very cheesy. Very poor writing. But, fortunately, this is the real world. You’re not in any case involved in some convoluted story with a predictable moral. No, not at all. You’re safely in bed, with the blankets pulled up over your head. Nothing was going to happen tonight.
Tick, tick, tick.
The wind is tearing the landscape. Something is pecking at your window.
Tick, tick, tick.
It's the wind, of course. That large fir tree outside. Must be. Has to be... right?
Tick, tick, tick.
It does sound somewhat controlled and almost mechanical. And is it getting louder, or...?
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
You jump up out of bed. That's no fir tree! That's someone!
You open up the curtain and find a Christmas Elf there, knocking on your window, determined to come in.
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Suddenly, the Elf barges in! He was quite short; therefore, he stands on your shelf so that you are both at similar heights. However, before you could make an Elf on the Shelf joke, he screamed out:
'We need your help!' in a voice deeper than you had expected.
You find this situation bizarre. The Elf tells you there had been a break-in at Santa's North Pole factory... right after breaking into your place.
You weigh up your options. You would love to offer some assistance with the kindness of your heart. But honestly, it felt like perhaps helping would potentially score you an extra present for Christmas. On top of this, not helping might result in your other presents being taken too, so you selflessly decide to help.
The Elf bellowed, 'Quick, get in my sled!'
Your front door won't open! You're snowed in. You have to walk up the stairs to the first floor and jump into the snow from above.
How many moves does it take to give checkmate in the following position?
Need a hint?
You have to walk up the stairs and jump into the snow from above.Your answer:
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Correct answer! You get into the sled!
You were so excited to watch the reindeer flying, until you realised that this wasn't Santa's sled. In fact, it was a basic sled that the Elf had made for this very moment. You get in, and the Elf begins pushing it with all his might.
You keep wondering why you were chosen. You struggle to even find your keys, which are often discovered in your hand or pocket half an hour later. You ask the Elf, expecting an explanation that you have more skills than realised, and were the only person who could solve this.
It turns out that you were the only one with a room that was easy to break into. In fact, he had tried many others before reaching you by chance.
Suddenly, you see a giant pole in front of you! You had always assumed the North Pole was just a cool name, but nope, they actually named it this after finding a random pole in the middle of nowhere.
Nearby is the factory, so you both get out and walk to the door. It needs a security code, which the Elf apparently didn't know. You find this odd and begin wondering if you were being used to help him break in.
Also, if someone else had broken in already, couldn't you just go through where they did?! However, this is a great way to insert a question, so you decide to try and figure out the code.
To enter it, you must know the correct numbers, which correspond to the seasons these users won BlogChamps: PokeGirl93; KevinChessSmith; Fire; 1cbb.
Your answer:
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Sadly, your answer was wrong. Without your help, Santa Claus and the elves were not able save Christmas or deliver the presents on time.
But hey! No worries! You get a consolation gift anyway. Enjoy your coal!
>> TRY AGAIN
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The code is correct, and the door opens up.
The large facility hall looks like a disaster. All the lights are out, the machines are switched off, the conveyor belts are still. The Elf didn't exaggerate: something is very, very wrong here.
'Where is Santa's office?' you ask to the Elf.
'It's Sir Mr. Claus, sir,' squeaks the Elf.
'Alright. Where is Sir Mr. Claus' office?'
'It's on the third floor, sir,' the Elf says, and takes you by the hand to show you to the elevators. 'This way, sir. And call me Immy, sir.'
You walk with Immy to the elevators, but they are not operational either. Of course. But next to the elevator shafts is a staircase upstairs.
Three long stairs later, you knock on the door. 'Sir Mr. Claus?'
No response, but you hear a silent sob from behind the door. 'Sir Mr. Claus? It's me!'
'Sir Mr. Claus, sir?' squeaked Immy. 'It is Immy, sir. Immy, together with...'
After you say your name, Santa asks you to come in.
'Oh, my dear good human, it is dreadful,' says Santa, his eyes and cheeks almost as red as his suit. 'I was on my way to get the last ingredients for my favourite Christmas chocolate treats when I received a distress call. Someone has broken into the facility and left me this letter.' Santa extends a piece of paper.
HAHAHAHA!
I STOLE ALL THE PRESENTS
AND SABOTAGED ALL THE MACHINES!
NOBODY WILL HAVE CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR!
REVENGE! AT LAST!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
En passant:
7-18-9-14-3-8-16-20
'That number,' says Santa, 'That must mean something. Can you solve what it is?'
As you take the envelope, something drops out of the envelope. A position. Could that be the solution to this problem?
What is the name of the thief?
A) Grinch P.T.
B) Draugh T.S.
C) Swindl E.R.
D) Mating E.P.
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'Grinch P.T.?' Santa exclaims. 'Has he been the one who is trying to sabotage Christmas?'
'It seems so, yes,' you say. 'Do you know him?'
'Yes, but there is no more time. I have to wake up all the elves and...oh my, oh my, what will all the parents of all those good children say when I failed to make their Christmas a bright one? I'm a failure!'
You jump up. 'Sir Mr. Claus,' you say, inspired, 'please get everything back operational. I will track down Grinch P.T.'
'Can you really do that? Can you ride my sled?'
You look at Immy. 'Do you know how to ride the Christmas sled, Immy?'
'Oh, yes, sir! Of course, sir!'
'But, it has a difficult code to unlock it! You have to know chess and know how to combine, and...'
'Don't worry, Sir Mr. Claus,' you say confidently. 'We got this.'
Together with Immy, you board Santa's sled. It will start after you enter a code of four characters.
1. How many moves does it take to give Scholar's Mate?
2. What letter do you use for a knight?
3. How many people have participated in all TBA competitions?
4. What's the letter of the world chess champion? Gukesh __?
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Sadly, your answer was wrong. Without your help, Santa Claus and the elves were not able save Christmas or deliver the presents on time.
But hey! No worries! You get a consolation gift anyway. Enjoy your coal!
>> TRY AGAIN
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That last chess problem was a real puzzler, but you sprinkled your chess blogger's dust on it, and the solution popped out at you. Apparently, all the time spent on Chess.com paid off!
Now, as you begin to ride, three magical closed doors appear before you, and you know you have to choose one. Fortunately, you remember your coach's guidance to always control the center. So, you choose the middle door. The moment you step through the doorway, you are transported to a land far, far away.
Suddenly transported to a desert realm, you find yourself before the sphinx, who tells you that a three-part riddle must be answered before Caissa's Christmas Guardians and The Bloggers' Muses will consider allowing you to continue your pursuit of the thief who stole the Christmas blogging spirit.
The questions:
1. This announcement is an example of a blog type mastered by @JugadaBrillante, @VOB96, and a few others. What is the acronym for this type of adventure?
2. TBA has hosted thirteen competitions since October 2024. As of 25 December, 2025, how many total medals have been awarded? Don't forget that it is possible to have ties for silver and bronze!
3. Who is the best analyst among the bloggers you know?
Your answer:
A) CYOA; 451-500; nova-stone
B) CHYOA; 401-450; Depends on what you are looking for
C) CYA; Less than 350; NMChessToImpress
D) CHYOA; 350-400; GMRafpig (GM Rafael Leitão)
E) What is your favorite color? Blue... no I meant green. Ahhhhhhhhh...
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Ah, you have done well, mortal. What wish would you have me grant?
You announce your heart's desire to the sphinx, that you need information to track down a thief so that you can restore the Christmas spirit for bloggers everywhere.
Ah, that wish requires yet more work. You must solve this impossible puzzle (courtesy of IM@Lakofdawalapment in his blog Composed Chess Studies: The Hidden Path To Improving), and only then will your wish to gain the knowledge you requested.
Your answer:
A) What rubbish is this? There is no solution.
B) This is an illegal position.
C) This mate is two simple.
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Sadly, your answer was wrong. Without your help, Santa Claus and the elves were not able save Christmas or deliver the presents on time.
But hey! No worries! You get a consolation gift anyway. Enjoy your coal!
>> TRY AGAIN
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You have finally caught Grinch P.T., the thief who stole the Christmas spirit from bloggers everywhere. Now is the time to unmask him and discover the reasons behind his evil deeds.
The interrogation begins with the aim of revealing the location of all the precious gifts he has stolen. You start with the basics: 'Who are you?', 'What is your goal?', 'Where did you hide the gifts?' and 'Why do you speak in such a monotonous and dull way?'
But, of course, he won't give in so easily. Only the ones who demonstrate chess knowledge are worthy of the truth and can break the evil in his heart. He agrees to answer your questions with a mocking smile, but only if you prove yourself first. Will your chess skills finally solve the mystery?
You two play a game and somehow end up in the following Christmas position. As Black, how many different ways do you have to deliver mate in 1?
Your answer:
A) 2
B) 4
C) 6
D) 8
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You answered correctly, and the thief agrees to tell you the truth after getting checkmated.
He opens up about the cold sadness of his dark past. He had spent his whole life asking Santa Claus for a Christmas present that he never received. This gradually built up his anger and turned him into the terrible person he is today.
'What did you ask for?' you ask.
He says that all he ever wanted was a family. A family who would love and accept him for who he is, with his strange quirks and writing obsessions, as equals.
You then tell him that you know the perfect place. It's a group of people who will welcome him with open arms, and where everyone who loves reading and writing can share that passion. You ask for his membership to be approved.
However, this club has an owner who is a grumpy old man, and a manager who is sometimes stressed and a little strict. They will only agree to open their doors to your new guest if you can prove that you know the admins very well.
Who do you think wrote each chapter of this story? (The introduction doesn't count)
Your answer:
A) Ch. 1: nova-stone; Ch. 2: KevinChessSmith; Ch. 3: VOB96; Ch. 4: JustGettingThisOffMyChess
B) Ch. 1: KevinChessSmith; Ch. 2: VOB96; Ch. 3: JustGettingThisOffMyChess; Ch. 4: nova-stone
C) Ch. 1: JustGettingThisOffMyChess; Ch. 2: nova-stone; Ch. 3: KevinChessSmith; Ch. 4: VOB96
D) Ch. 1: VOB96; Ch. 2: JustGettingThisOffMyChess; Ch. 3: nova-stone; Ch. 4: KevinChessSmith
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Sadly, your answer was wrong. Without your help, Santa Claus and the elves were not able save Christmas or deliver the presents on time.
But hey! No worries! You get a consolation gift anyway. Enjoy your coal!
>> TRY AGAIN
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All's Well That Ends Well (Epilogue)
'Come with me,' the grumpy old man says.
You and your fellowship follow the man to the place that he says. He gives you a letter that you can only open when you're there.
OPEN THE LETTER
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'Dearest fellow TBA member,
Thank you very much for saving Christmas! Santa Claus would love you to know that all the presents have been delivered in pristine order.
As a reward for completing your quest, we are very pleased to inform you that your new friend, Grinch P.T., has been accepted as a warm and valuable member of our The Blogger Awards group.
On behalf of the admin team @KevinChessSmith, @VOB96, @JustGettingThisOffMyChess, @NMChessToImpress, and @nova-stone, we want to thank you for being a precious member of our group. We feel blessed and enriched that you share the writing journey with us! Merry Christmas!
Santa Claus.'
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