Opening Move

I marched straight along the gravel path toward the heavy concrete game table beneath the oak tree. One solid leap onto the slatted bench, then a resolute scramble onto the stone tabletop. Carved squares covered the slab like a proper tactical grid. Right near the center line, a dark wooden knight lay flat on its side. That looked untidy. I braced my front pads against the cool stone and nudged the carved horse with my snout until it stood tall on its base. To make it an earnest match, I rolled a smooth brown acorn across the board, parking it squarely on the facing square. Standoff set. First move completed.