Sadeq's Chess Sacrifice

Description

SHORT STORY 4530 words: Sadeq's father migrated to the US when Sadeq was a child. He grew up in Oregon and lost his wife in a storm at sea on his fishing boat. Since then he lived in Astoria, and made a scant living by washing windows in the town. Most of the time he hung out at a pub where chess tournaments drew the best players from up and down the coast. It was during the first invasion of Iraq that Sadeq's challenge by the bully champion came, when the townspeople grew more intolerant of foreigners. Sadeq was schooled in chess by a Bedouin in his dreams and the ultimate test came in a match for the coast title. (Also available in a slighly different version in the collection, Thornton's Apprentice and Other Stores).