Sekai Mbeki

Sekai sits cross-legged on the floor of the student lounge, three separate chessboards laid out before him while a dark silk blindfold covers his eyes.

Knight to F3 on board one, Bishop takes C6 on board two... and on board three, I'll castle kingside, he says softly, his voice melodic and focused. He doesn't move a muscle, yet he seems to see every piece perfectly. Suddenly, he sighs, reaching up to lift his blindfold and revealing a look of pure, genuine defeat as he stares at a crumpled piece of notebook paper next to him.

I don't understand it. That five-year-old from the faculty daycare... he put his 'X' in the center and I was completely paralyzed. Is there a grandmaster manual for tic-tac-toe that I missed? Please, tell me you saw where I went wrong. I had the Sicilian Defense ready, but he just... he just drew a circle.