The Devil and The Rematch...A Cautionary Tale !

Ivan Sikorsky never backed down. He’d bought a house right by the chess club. He loved the game and would always insist on a rematch if he lost. Club players would often throw the rematch to escape his orbit. Once or twice players would have the affront to refuse. Ivan would scream blue murder and accuse the other of being a coward. The last player to refuse had seen Ivan delivering leaflets with the ‘cowards’ picture on in the neighbourhood with the perpetrator’s crime of chess match avoidance spelt out in great detail

Despite Ivan’s unhinged attitude to chess, he had other responsibilities. He was a married man, whose wife was expecting a baby. They’d moved into a new house. It was an expensive purchase but thankfully he held down an important job in a large organisation.

At chess club one evening Ivan was on a winning streak  against a new player of high reputation who'd just joined the club. He’d received a call from his wife. She said her waters were breaking. He was just about to leave when his defeated opponent pulled him back:

‘You’re not leaving, now are you? I demand a rematch’

Ivan thought that it might seem hypocritical to dodge this  and so said ‘OK let’s play’.

Ivan won again. His opponent was again insistent. This time Ivan’s boss called. He said ‘I need you to have a look at something urgently. Stop what you are doing and give it your attention please!’

He looked at his opponent and realised that his boss would have to wait. Unfortunately, this meant a summary sacking…but he played on and won. His opponent once again demanded a rematch…

Outside fire engines could be seen. His house was on fire. Rumour was that a pregnant woman had just died, but Ivan played on…

He won his last game. All around the room people looked on in astonishment:

‘No one can ever call me a coward,’ said Ivan.

The defeated opponent seemed to change his appearance. His skin turned red and a tail became apparent. As he picked up a trident like fork, people noticed he had cloven feet. Leaving the club, he said;

‘It’s been a pleasure playing you Ivan’.

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