The flutter of some hope in Mercy’s eyes suddenly turned to a new flavor of desperation. “I don’t want their respect,” he said. “I only care what you think.” Rowan didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. He wanted to open his mouth, wanted to say ‘Don’t be ridiculous, you know what I think of you.’ Wanted to tell Mercy, ‘You’re my best and worst student, you’re promising and infuriating, and I care about you deeply.’ He couldn’t. Honesty was dangerous. “What do you think of me?” Mercy demanded. “What do you really think of me? — Six years after his best student stormed out of his house, chess grandmaster Rowan Avery has been living with regret, and a secret. When he encounters Mercy Collins unexpectedly at a local tournament, he is torn between the desire to make things right and a fear of revealing the truth about his feelings. Checkmate is a contemporary MM short story with age difference, a teacher-student relationship, pining, a reunion, and some dubious consent. It has a HFN ending.