THE SICILIAN !

To all my Chess friends!

In the unknown town of Sicily,
Quite unknown to the whole of italy,
Had risen from the ashes,
the victor of many a deadly clashes,
People shuddered as his powers grew,
One by one he downed every don that sicily ever knew!
There was simply no one who could stand up to the don, let alone fight,
But then came a man skinny & weak who said,"freedom is my birth right!"
Without an army he struck many a blows to the don,
The don simply couldnt comprehend where had all his power gone!
He called his army the next day
I want you all back by the night,
and that man should be here in front of my sight!
True enough the army kept their word,
Finally the don saw the person about whom he had only heard!
Said the don, you are brave and shrewd but death shall come none the less,
But it shall be different and hence i invite you to a game of chess!
The final rule of the game,the don stated,
It will not be the king on the board, but the loser of the game who shall be checkmated!!
The don's right hand had been given his job right at the start,
He had to shoot the loser right in the heart!
The army of the don gathered around the board,
As the pressure in the room began to soar!

The don started with the move which was "best by test",
The man meekly moved his 'c' pawn ahead of the rest!


The don impressed his authority as he expanded all over the board,
the man was afraid of the coming winter as his resources he began to hoard!
He sent the king to the short side,
The don dispatched his musketeers to take off blacks pride!
Soon the white troops marshalled towards the black king,
As the white pawns moved closer the death song they began to sing!
The winter was soon going to begin and blacks hopes seemed to be damp,
But he kept optimizing his position within his camp!

The blacks king fortress had been breached,

one of the white pawns on the 7th rank had reached!

It was one of the most merciless attacks one had ever seen,
the pawn on h7 was just one square away from becoming a queen,
More and more white's men reached the black's kingside,
But they just couldnt land the final blow, no matter how hard they tried!
Finally the sun went away and rampant became winter's forces,
White who had forgotten to hoard began to run out of resources!
The black pieces like death began slowing creeping towards the don,
The white king shuddered as far away all his defenders had gone!
All of black pieces, white would slay,
But what could they do when one of their own men blocked the way!


Unarmed and fragile the white king submitted to fate,
After a brutal attack the man finally announced check mate!

The don had been defeated, now what do i say,
But wait my dear folks, he had one last card to play!

With a smile on his face he said," i shall still wear the crown,

My dear right hand shoot this man down!"
As the don heard the sound of the bullet his smile disappeared,
The bullet hit him in the head just as he had feared!
As he lay motionless on the ground, it dawned on him then,
The right hand on whom he had trusted the most was the pawn on h7!!

When the news of don's death reached outside,the city roared,
The skinny little man had defeated the don on and off the board!

The city was stunned when they realised he was the cause,

They all asked him with curiousity who he was!

Said the man with pride," I am no God nor am i Magician,

I am the saviour of Sicily and hence i am the SICILIAN!!"

                                                        -Sagar Shah

                                                (dedicated to the great sicilian defense

                                                without which chess wouldnt be what it is!!)