Cato, a Blast From the Past

Stratus arrived early for the scrimmage, so they had some time to kill in the waiting room. Some of them used their free time to review the material on the Leopards, while others chose to relax or mess around.

Meanwhile, Yuel dug deep into the history of his chess matches. All his official matches were recorded on his account, so it was easy enough to find matches from two years ago.

["You competed in chess at the regionals, almost two years ago now."] That's the hint Fiona gave Yuel regarding the identity of "Cato", whoever that might be. Apparently, the guy was somebody from the Leopards and he played chess against Yuel before.

[I'm not sure if any of this is important at all, but I might as well look it up. Maybe I'll learn something new about one of their players.]

And so, Yuel went over the few matches he had in the last regionals he participated in, almost 2 years ago now. His game history was uncharacteristically short for that particular tournament, for he was eliminated in the early rounds.

In retrospect, that was very unbecoming of him. He won the regionals a year before that, so people probably expected a strong performance from him that year as well. And yet, he dropped out very early after losing to a minor opponent whose name he couldn't even remember.

[Maybe I should've prepared a little harder.] Yuel thought. [But, it couldn't be helped. I was already busy with Classmancers back then. There was no time to spare for chess.]

To Fiona, words like that might sound like a lame excuse. After all, she was a madwoman who threw herself at a plethora of different sports, expecting to excel in each and every one of them.

[Sorry, but I'm not as good at multitasking.] Yuel excused himself. [I believe it's far better for me to focus on one main sport and train to become a pro at it. Everything else is secondary.]

He held onto this exact mentality two years ago as well, therefore he neglected his chess practice. He only did the bare minimum to keep himself in shape and improve on some of his smaller faults, but he didn't intensely research any new positions or such.

[To be fair, I still expected to go further than this.] Yuel thought as he scrolled through the three matches he played that day.

The tournament had a single-elimination format, so a single defeat spelled his doom. And, said defeat happened to come as early as the third round. Truly, it wasn't a befitting performance for a former regional champion.

[So, who did I lose to, again?] Yuel checked his last game. [I'm surprised I don't even remember who defeated me. I'm usually way more attentive to my own defeats, but I guess I was too obsessed with Mancers at the time to really care.]

Yuel opened the overview of the third game. Before anything else, he checked the name of his opponent. The name displayed there was... Cato Francis.

[Just great.] Yuel frowned. [I have a bad feeling about this...] He loaded the game and examined it move by move.

The early-game was according to standard theory for the most part. The enemy's development was on the slower side, but the guy smoothly deflected every attack Yuel launched at that point.

Nonetheless, nothing in particular seemed too impressive about this opponent. As far as Yuel could tell, he had an obvious board advantage from early on.

[Did I really lose this?] Yuel wondered as the early-game went on. [With how slow his development is, it should've been easy enough to take control of the board. I know I was less invested in chess at the time, but this looks like an open-and-shut case... or not.]

The match proceeded into the mid-game with a rather awkward position. The enemy's development was extremely slow, so much that it seemed as if Yuel will be able to steamroll the guy within minutes. However, upon closer inspection, things weren't so simple.

[What a nasty pawn formation.] Yuel paused the game and examined the board from various angles.

Many of the enemy's pieces were undeveloped, so Yuel held control over the center of the board, which was considered the most important territory. Nonetheless, it proved difficult for him to push that advantage through the enemy's defensive formation.

Instead of spending the early-game on developing his pieces, Cato chose to advance his pawns in order to form a tight blockade. From there, every line of attack Yuel used was shut down on the spot, before it had the chance to achieve anything.

As a result, Cato's tight formation completely stopped Yuel's momentum. It felt as if Yuel constantly held the upper hand, yet he couldn't do anything worthwhile with that advantage.

[I suppose this position wasn't as simple as it initially looked.] Yuel frowned. [I probably didn't pay enough attention to realize that at the time. That's why I overextended a little here and there.]

Back then, when he noticed that the enemy was lagging behind in development, it prompted Yuel to speed up his own development even further. The plan was to swiftly seize control over the entire board and force the opponent into submission.

Alas, in the process, Yuel created multiple weaknesses in his formation. He positioned his units with certain textbox expectations in mind, but his opponents refused to play along with the standard theory.

[I can already see how I might end up in a bad position from here.] Yuel skimmed through the next few moves. [Like I thought, I tried to bash my head against this wall of defense. That didn't quite work out for me.]

His younger self continued developing pieces at a rapid pace while desperately searching for an angle to attack from. Unfortautnely, in the process, he very much neglected his own backline.

Yuel didn't exactly "blunder" at any specific point along the way, but his sub-optimal decisions sure piled up. Slowly but surely, he was driving himself into a corner.

[With that said, I see Cato took his sweet time.] Yuel frowned. [So distasteful.]

Even after it became clear that Yuel was at a tremendous disadvantage, his opponent didn't hurry to deliver the finishing blow. No, this Cato guy continued playing slow and steady, developing his pawns and pieces at his own pace.

[What a disgusting playstyle.] Yuel's skin crawled. [It's like he was enjoying this.]

Slowly, very slowly, Cato was tightening a noose around Yuel's neck. And slowly, very slowly, he was choking Yuel to death. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

[No wonder I erased this game from my mind. Even looking at it now makes me feel a little sick. It was plain suffering.]

For Yuel who advocated quick aggressive strategies, a slow game like that was equivalent to torture.

At some point, it became crystal clear that he lost, and yet his opponent refused to deliver the killing blow. Instead, that sadist continued to slowly, very slowly, torture Yuel. It was hell.

[But, I couldn't just throw the towel, could I?] Yuel reasoned. [It was an official tournament and I remember people spectating my matches that day, probably because I was the previous champion. So, I didn't want them to see me quitting like that.]

And so, Yuel had no choice. He had to keep struggling to the bitter end, even against these frustratingly impossible odds.

As the game dragged on, it was becoming painfully clear that Yuel was getting fed up with everything. He started losing concentration, making one suboptimal move after another as he desperately tried to salvage this godforsaken game.

[I admit I could've played a lot better there.] Yuel criticized some of the moves of his younger self. Even though he has only been playing chess on the side for the past two years, his chess brain still matured and he learned many important things since then. Therefore, if he played the same game today, he would've done a far better job.

[But, from this position, I'd still probably lose.] He admitted. [This was a lost position, no matter how I look at it. Trying to win from here is an exercise in futility.]

Yuel skipped up ahead in the game, ignoring all the nonsensical moves Cato made in order to drag the game out even more.

[It's as if he was enjoying every second of this.] Yuel frowned. [Considering how he plays, I wouldn't be surprised if he enjoys watching his opponents when they're filled with disgust and despair.]

The game eventually concluded, with Cato coming on top. It was the game that eliminated Yuel from that tournament two years ago, kicking him off the high horse known as the "regional champion". Truly, his legend was a short-lived one.

After that, Yuel hasn't participated in any offline chess events. He still played chess online every now and then, but he no longer considered himself a "true" competitive player. Chess was just a serious hobby for him, nothing more.

In that sense, the final game against Cato was like Yuel's retirement game, yet he completely forgot about it until now. Or rather, he deliberately erased that obnoxious game from his memory.

[Honestly, as far as chess is concerned, there isn't even much I can learn from this one game.]

Modern game theory dictated that piece development was the most important thing during the early game. Therefore, postponing early development in exchange for pushing pawns was extremely rare. It was simply too inefficient.

[If I was more composed, I would've easily won.] Yuel concluded.

Indeed, that game was an exception, an odd one-time defeat. If Yuel had another chance to play Cato, even on the very same day, then he would have surely won.

As long as he could anticipate that pawn strategy ahead of time in any capacity, then there were countless ways to outplay it. In other words, Yuel's defeat was something of a fluke.

[Fiona said this guy plays for the Leopards. Hmm.] Yuel went over the enemy's roster in his mind.

AbosluteWinner and AbsoluteChallenger were out of the question. Those two were the pinnacle of the Leopards' offense

For the Cato from that chess game, the very concept of "offense" was as alien as it could possibly get. So, it was highly unlikely he decided to try offense in Classmancers. Old habits like that die hard.

TheTheorist was also out of the question because she was a girl. As little as Yuel remembered about that match, he was certain he didn't lose to a female player that day.

By following this process of elimination, the only remaining options were Merlin and Rook. They were both defensive players who took things slowly, pressuring the opposition into submission through a persistent defense.

[I can see either of them playing chess in the same way Cato did. But, if I had to pick one of them, then I'd go with Rook.]

Rook was the leader of the Leopards, and most likely their shot-caller. So, judging by the defensive formation the Leopards employed, this shot-caller clearly liked defensive strategies.

In addition, there were strong hints that suggested this shot-caller enjoyed dragging the games out more than necessary. That, too, was in line with how Cato played against Yuel.

[And, his name is also a dead giveaway.] Yuel reasoned. The nickname "Rook" most likely referenced the rook piece from chess.

[To be honest, in his case, I think "Pawn" would fit better, seeing as he likes his pawns so much. But, I can understand why he didn't want to call himself that.]

Despite its importance, the Pawn was considered the most disposable piece in chess. Therefore, no self-respecting chess player would like to associate himself with that image.

On the other hand, the Rook was a strong and respectable piece, second only to the Queen herself. Therefore, it was a fairly attractive nickname.

[Now that I think about it, this guy stole my nickname!] Yuel grumped. [I remember trying to choose "Rook" as an IGN but it was already taken. Because of that, I got stuck with a needlessly bombastic nickname like Chessmaster. This is all Cato's fault!]

At this point, Yuel has already developed two personal reasons for defeating Cato in particular. The upcoming scrim turned into an opportunity to enact revenge on a long-forgotten nemesis.

[I'm glad I checked out this game. I feel like I understand Rook much better as a shot-caller now.]

Before, many aspects of Rook's defensive shot-calls were questionable at best. But now, they all made a lot of sense after understanding what kind of chess player stood behind them.

[Of course, there will still be many differences between his shot-calling his chess tactics. But at least, I now better understand how his ideal game plan looks like.]

With that, the brief research on Cato came to an end. Yuel unearthed some unexpected new information, and now it was up to him to figure out how to utilize that information in the upcoming game.

[First Fiona revealed she picked up Mancers, and now I learn Cato did as well. It's as if my chess past is chasing me. But, I don't mind.]

Strong chess players were likely to be good strategies, so they should be able to challenge Yuel's shot-calling in interesting ways. Matches against them will likely involve lots of planning and outsmarting, the kind of challenge Yuel enjoyed the most.

Not to mention, there will probably be a lot to learn from the tactics these players bring to the table. Especially, it'll be interesting how Fiona will approach Classmancers, seeing as she was an outsider to video gaming in general until recently.

[But, first is Cato. I'm sure he'll turn today's scrim into a fierce clash between offense and defense.]

It has been many months since Yuel last faced a real hyper-defensive team. Aside from a few rare encounters in Ranked, the last time somebody tackled Yuel in this manner was during the selection match against Howard, which didn't end favorably.

[But, I won't lose this time. I've come a long way in that department since then.]

Yuel has already learned the importance of integrating defensive shot-calls into his game plan. The fateful match against Howard taught him a good lesson on that front.

However, the Taurus scrimmage also proved that fierce offense was just as important as defense. Therefore, Yuel was free to utilize his favorite offense as he pleased, as long as he wasn't playing against a hyper-defensive team that knew how to counter it.

[It's a balancing act.] Yuel thought. [Against most opponents, my offense works very well. However, against opponents like Howard (and probably Cato) I'll have to tone down the offense a little and make sure to reinforce the defense too.]

Offense and defense were like two sides of the same coin. They were both necessary to form a formidable game plan.

Many times, a fierce offense was good enough to overwhelm the enemy and destroy them on the spot. That's why Yuel largely preferred strategies like that, as they allowed him to control the flow of the game from the get-go.

However, some opponents refused to be controlled. They hid in their shells, ignoring and deflecting everything Yuel threw at them.

It was very tempting to continue striking at the shell in hope of tearing it down. But, the harder Yuel attacked, the more holes he left unchecked in his backline. And then, at some point, the enemy would come out of the shell and deliver a fatal counter.

That's exactly how Yuel lost to Cato in chess two years ago, and that's roughly how he lost to Howard in the selection match as well. Against defensive opponents like that, it was necessary to use a more moderate offense.

It was fine to stay on the offensive for the most part, but it was crucial to reinforce the defense as well. In long matches like that, the slightest overextension could cost the game. Therefore, Yuel had to be careful to not let that happen to his team ever again.

[I've spent much of the past month studying how to balance offense and defense. So, in a way, I couldn't ask for a better opportunity to put it all to test. A hyper defensive opponent is exactly the test subject I need.]

The upcoming match was going to be a great simulation for Yuel's inevitable rematch with Howard. It'll tell how much closer he got to the goal of busting through hyper defensive teams.

Of course, there were some major differences between StormBlitz and the Leopards as defensive teams. Nonetheless, there were also many uncanny similarities between Howard and Cato's shot-calling. It almost felt as if they were inspired by the same pro player, whoever that might be.

[Honestly, my impression is that Howard's defense is superior. But, it might be just my bias speaking for me. After all, I've lost to him so many times in practice matches....]

Regardless, Howard and Cato's defenses were roughly on the same level and they shared some similarities too. That should be good enough for a simulation.

By triumphing over Cato's defense today, Yuel will be one step closer to catching up with Howard. The upcoming match was like a midterm exam that'll give a glimpse of how well Yuel will do in the finals. Therefore, this was one scrimmage he absolutely had to ace, no matter what!