The bartender poured a Daiquiri for Beth. It was the night before the US Chess Championship. The buzz she got was from the night life helped her overnight and to put aside the dark thoughts of paranoia that increasing invaded her sleep.

Benny Watts would be playing and that would mean she would need to be at the top of her game. Benny had been posting some astounding tournament results and was at least 100 Elo stronger than the last time she'd played him at the Vegas Open. He had gained three norms for the grandmaster title and was likely to get the title after this tournament when his chess rating went over 2500. Beth was on 2715 Elo but had not got a single norm.

Beth knew her middle game was probably the best part of her game. Mrs Alma Wheatley had highlighted how her intuition could not be learned and so needn't be tinkered with. Instead she focused on her openings, transpositions and endgames. Beth knew that even in the noisy smoky and unapologetic scene of a bar she could set it up and think it out.