When Beth checks into the Kentucky State Championship, the two men working the check-in table ask for her ranking. Beth is confused, and they explain that she must play many games to earn one. They put her in the beginners’ section despite her assurance that she is not a beginner. Her first match is against one of the only other girls at the tournament, and Beth’s opponent explains the features of tournament play that Beth has not yet learned: The clock system keeps track of how long each player has left, and the touch rule means that any piece touched must be moved. Beth beats her opponent easily, and as she waits for the next match, she goes to see the top tables, in a room of their own. There, she meets a handsome man who explains that one of the players is Harry Beltik, the State Champion. Beth watches as Beltik’s opponent offers a draw and Beltik refuses, going on to defeat him.

Beth wins her next two games and finishes as one of only four people to go undefeated during the first slate of games. After the dinner break, Beth plays again and is forced to move a piece she has touched despite seeing a better move.