The Distraction of Thomas

In a small town, a group of friends loved to play chess every Saturday morning at the local park. They would often argue about strategies and discuss their favorite tactics long after the games ended. One Saturday, as they reached the park right after dawn, they noticed a flyer on a nearby tree. The flyer advertised a chess tournament scheduled for the following month. Excited by the prospect of competing, they started planning their strategies and practicing diligently each week. However, as the tournament approached, they noticed one friend, Thomas, seemed increasingly distracted and less enthusiastic about their practice sessions. During their games, he miscalculated moves and often looked out into the distance rather than focusing on the board. One of the friends mentioned, somewhat jokingly, that perhaps Thomas was spending too much time thinking about his recent breakup rather than the game. Despite the teasing, the others began to wonder whether his mind was truly on the tournament.

As the tournament day drew near, tensions built within the group, especially for Thomas. While the others were practicing together, he spent a lot of time alone in a quieter section of the park or reading self-help books, which left his friends confused and concerned. On the day of the tournament, because Thomas was not as prepared, he lost his first match to someone he felt he could have easily defeated.