Restoring the Knight

The checkered mahogany board offered an open grid. Between two opposing ranks, a carved wooden knight lay tipped on its flank across a pale square. I stepped onto the polished surface, planting both boots against the etched seam. The piece was dense timber, its mane notched with deep grooves. Bracing my shoulder against the horse's curved neck, I leaned into the weight, levering it upward against the board's smooth finish. The base caught with a soft scrape before settling flat, its green felt underside muffling the motion into a quiet tap. Upright once more, the piece held the diagonal in steady resolve.