A Clean Move

I hitched a ride out in the mesh side pocket of a canvas tote, watching the city streetlights glide by until we settled at a quiet neighborhood park. Near a grove of ginkgo trees stood an outdoor concrete chess table inlaid with black and white tiles. Someone had abandoned a pair of weathered wooden chess pieces mid-game. I climbed onto the coarse stone bench and stepped up to the edge of the board. A smooth black knight sat tilted against a fallen yellow leaf. I leaned forward, gripping the carved head with both hands, and slid it upright onto a crisp white square. It settled with a solid, satisfying thud against the stone. A tidy opening.