The narrator and the other members of the school's chess team arrive at the school to participate in the annual tournament, which is held in the spring. The narrator is excited to be participating in the tournament, but he is also worried that the tournament will not be as successful as he had hoped. He is also concerned about his back, which seems to be bothering him. He asks the other chess players if they would like to play in the first round of the tournament. They all agree that it would be better if they played in the second round.