#9 : The Chess Master's Mystery

Detective Val Luce and The Chess Master's Mystery

The autumn leaves rustled outside as Detective Valluce sat in his office, sipping a cup of coffee. His phone buzzed, breaking the quiet. It was a call from the police chief.

"Detective Valluce, we need you at the Grand Chess Tournament. One of the top players, Hamexei Yakinov, has been found unconscious. We suspect foul play," the chief said.

Valluce grabbed his coat and headed to the tournament hall. He had a feeling this would be an interesting case.

At the tournament hall, Valluce saw a crowd of worried faces. The paramedics were attending to Yakinov, who was slowly regaining consciousness. The tournament director, Mr. Green, approached Valluce.

"Detective, Yakinov was in the middle of his game when he suddenly collapsed. We found this vial near his table," Mr. Green handed Valluce a small, empty vial.

Valluce examined the vial. It smelled faintly of chemicals. He knew he had to act quickly to determine who wanted to harm Yakinov and why.

Valluce started by questioning the other players and spectators. Many were shocked and had no idea what had happened. However, one player, Viktor Ivanov, seemed unusually calm. "Yakinov is a great player, but he's made a lot of enemies," Ivanov said with a smirk.

Valluce found a napkin near Yakinov’s table with a chess move scribbled on it: Qg7+. It was an aggressive move, suggesting Petrov was on the offensive. He wondered if this had anything to do with the attack.

As Valluce left the tournament hall, he almost slipped on a loose piece of paper. He picked it up and saw it was a note that read: "Checkmate is closer than you think."

Valluce decided to dig deeper into Yakinov’s background. He discovered that Yakinov had been involved in a scandal years ago, where he was accused of cheating but was later cleared. Some players still held grudges against him.

Next, Valluce interviewed Yakinov at the hospital. Petrov was weak but managed to speak. "I felt dizzy right after I took a sip of my drink. Someone must have spiked it," he said.

The tournament’s caterer, Lisa, mentioned that Viktor Ivanov had been hanging around the refreshment table before the incident. Valluce knew he had to confront Ivanov.

Valluce found Ivanov at his hotel. "Viktor, I know you were near the refreshment table before Yakinov collapsed. Do you care to explain?" Valluce asked.

Ivanov’s face turned pale. "I... I was just getting a drink. I didn’t do anything," he stammered.

Valluce pressed on. "We found a note that said 'Checkmate is closer than you think.' Do you know anything about it?"

Ivanov broke down. "Alright, I admit it. I wanted to scare Yakinov, but I never meant to hurt him. I put a mild sedative in his drink to make him forfeit the game."

With Ivanov’s confession, Valluce had the evidence he needed. Ivanov was arrested, and the tournament was allowed to continue. Yakinov recovered quickly and was able to compete again.

As Valluce walked out of the tournament hall, he reflected on the case. It had been a close call, but justice had been served.

Back at his office, Valluce looked at the chessboard on his desk. The game of chess, much like his work, was full of strategy and unexpected moves. He was ready for the next challenge, whatever it might be.