1. You know, most times when people
tell us something's for the best,
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2. it's for the worst.
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3. This time it's true, okay?
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4. - I'll be right back.
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5. Hi, my name is Alice.
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6. Um, is Paul home?
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7. - I'm sorry, ma'am, this isn't a good time.
Hey, what's going on?
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8. - Paul, who is that?
- I'm—
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9. Take Christopher back inside
right now.
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10. - What are you doing here?
I came to say you were right.
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11. I was wrong.
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12. - Beth's in the car, just so you are aware.
- No, Jesus! Alice!
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13. It's been five years.
You can't just show up here!
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14. I came because I can't do this.
- Listen to me.
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15. - Okay, I understand.
- I cannot.
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16. - I feel that I am letting her down.
- You cannot be here. Listen to me.
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17. I need you to get back in the car,
and you'll come back.
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18. - We'll talk another time.
- We can't.
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19. We can talk now.
- No, we can't talk now.
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20. No, you shouldn't have brought her here!
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21. - Why did you bring her here?
- Because I need your help!
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22. It's too late! Please go.
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23. Mama?
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24. Who was that?
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25. A mistake.
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26. A-A rounding error.
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27. It's just a problem I gotta solve.
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28. What problem?
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29. What I do with you.
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30. This whole house belong to you?
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31. You're no orphan.
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32. Not anymore.
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33. - You've been in Lexington this whole time?
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34. Uh, Louisville.
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35. - What brought you back here?
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36. You don't seem
to like answering your phone.
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37. Mr. Shaibel died.
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38. There's a funeral day after tomorrow.
I thought…
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39. we could go together.
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40. Thank you.
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41. Mm.
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42. God, Beth.
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43. Yeah.
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44. I know.
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45. I'm working as a paralegal.
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46. - You went to college?
- I did, Kentucky State.
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47. I got a Physical Education scholarship.
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48. But when I found out
the school used to be called
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49. the State Normal School
for Colored Persons,
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50. it made me want to study history,
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51. which pissed me off
way more than I already was.
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52. - That's hard to imagine.
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53. I switched my major to Poli-Sci.
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54. I'm saving up for law school.
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55. I know, me, a lawyer,
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56. but the world is fucked up.
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57. And if I'm gonna change it,
I can't spend all my time
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58. teaching white girls
how to hold a badminton racket.
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59. - I'm gonna be a radical.
- Didn't know that was a career choice.
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60. It will be.
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61. Mm-hm.
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62. Hm.
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63. I still take them.
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64. Looks like you're doing
more than pills, honey.
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65. Haven't had anything today.
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66. Not yet, anyway.
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67. I'm supposed to go to Russia
at the end of the year.
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68. - I'm afraid.
- Then don't go.
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69. I have to go.
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70. If I don't, there's nothing for me to do.
I'll just drink.
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71. Well, looks like you do that anyway.
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72. I need to quit the wine,
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73. and the pills, and…
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74. clean this place up.
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75. That'd be a good place to start.
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76. I have to study chess eight hours a day.
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77. They want me to play in San Francisco,
be on The Tonight Show.
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78. - I should probably do all of that.
- Who's they?
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79. Chess Federation.
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80. Oh.
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81. But what I want…
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82. is a drink.
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83. If you weren't here,
I'd probably have a bottle of wine now.
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84. You sound like Susan Hayward
in one of those movies.
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85. I read about this pop artist once.
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86. Bought an original drawing
by Michelangelo.
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87. When he got it home,
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88. he took a piece of art gum, and just…
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89. erased it…
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90. leaving nothing but a blank page.
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91. I remember being really shocked by that.
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92. Now, I wonder if I haven't
somehow erased my own brain.
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93. Let's pretend that you didn't
just compare yourself to Michelangelo.
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94. And let's look at where you're at,
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95. which after being here
all of five minutes,
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96. looks like it's at the bottom
of a fucking hole.
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97. It's looking a lot
like you dug it yourself.
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98. My advice,
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99. stop digging.
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100. Well, maybe it's in my blood.
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101. My mother went crazy.
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102. Went crazy or always was?
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103. I don't know.
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104. She drink or any such?
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105. No, never.
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106. She gone.
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107. Quit thinking about it.
It's not doing you any good.
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108. Besides…
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109. I got you a present.
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110. It was me all along.
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111. I was pissed at you for being adopted.
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112. What about for being
a white trash, cracker bitch?
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113. Who could forget?
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114. How much does a paralegal make, anyway?
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115. Not enough to buy this car,
if that's what you're wondering.
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116. Was a gift
from one of the partners at the firm.
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117. - Was it, now?
- Mm-hm.
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118. He wants to marry me,
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119. soon as he divorces
the wife he's already got.
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120. Sounds like a real peach.
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121. He's white, too.
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122. Rick, his name is.
He's teaching me how to play squash.
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123. Squash?
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124. A game rich white people play.
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125. I bet you'd be good at it.
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126. Whole firm is white.
They hired me to keep up with the times.
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127. Instead of the usual Black cleaning woman,
they wanted a clean, Black woman,
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128. with a nice ass and a good vocabulary.
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129. - And you are very clean.
- Mm.
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130. When I did the interview,
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131. I made sure to use a lot of words
like "reprehensible" and "dichotomy."
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132. They perked right up.
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133. But I'm gone the second I pass the bar.
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134. What I want is what you got.
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135. You've been the best
at what you do for so long,
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136. you don't even know
what it's like for the rest of us.
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137. So, what will your fellow radicals think?
You being with a rich white lawyer?
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138. Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.
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139. A trailer?
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140. Wow, you really were the gold standard
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141. for white-trash girls everywhere,
weren't you?
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142. My mama came from money.
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143. Then she married into more of it.
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144. Then how did y'all end up way out here?
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145. It's complicated.
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146. I'll say.
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147. You wanna go in?
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148. Throw some rocks through the windows?
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149. Choices have consequences.
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150. No more chess.
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151. You're here
because your parents made certain choices.
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152. You will need to learn
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153. to make different choices.
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154. I just realized I don't ever
wanna go back in there again.
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155. "Come to me,
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156. all who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest."
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157. "Take my yoke upon you,
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158. and learn from me,
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159. for I am gentle and humble at heart."
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160. Mrs. Deardorff isn't here.
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161. - None of them are.
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162. Deardorff fell and broke her hip.
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163. Right after you left.
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164. She had to walk with a cane after.
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165. Was never the same.
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166. Made me almost believe in God.
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167. I didn't know William Shaibel,
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168. but I'm told he was not a religious man,
so much as a solitary man.
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169. None of them are crying.
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170. And I'm told that for the past 23 years…
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171. They all look like
they're waiting in line at the bank.
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172. …Methuen Home for girls…
- You okay?
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173. He performed his duties…
- I feel bad.
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174. …quietly and diligently.
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175. I owed him ten dollars.
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176. - [suppressed laughter, clearing throat]
Shh!
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177. Jolene.
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178. The director of the Methuen Home,
Helen Deardorff, says that…
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179. he was beloved by the staff
and students alike,
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180. that he had an admirable work ethic.
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181. I changed my mind.
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182. I'll only be a minute.
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183. You should be in chapel, young lady.
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184. Yes, ma'am.
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185. Beth?
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186. Oh, honey.
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187. Aw, did you bite off
more than you can chew?
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188. Aw, it's okay.
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189. Shh. It's all right.
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190. What we would really like
from you, Elizabeth,
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191. would be some kind of statement.
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192. Statement?
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193. Christian Crusade would like you
to make your position public,
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194. in a world where so many keep silent.
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195. What position is that?
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196. As we know, the spread of communism
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197. is also the spread of atheism.
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198. I suppose so.
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199. Oh, it's not a matter of supposing.
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200. It's a matter of fact,
of Marxist-Leninist fact.
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201. The Holy Word is anathema to the Kremlin,
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202. and the atheists who sit there.
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203. - I have no quarrel with that.
Good.
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204. What we want
is a statement to that effect.
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205. - To the press?
Exactly.
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206. We had something prepared. There you go.
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207. I'm a chess player.
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208. Of course you are.
But you're also a Christian.
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209. I'm not sure about that.
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210. I have no intention
of saying anything like this.
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211. - Why not?
- Because it's fucking nonsense?
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212. Christian Crusade
has already invested a good deal of money.
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213. We paid
for your last trip to San Francisco.
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214. We were all very proud of you.
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215. And we've already spent a good deal more
on your upcoming trip to the Soviet Union.
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216. Okay.
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217. Fine.
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218. I'll give it all back.
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219. I hope you know what you're doing, dear.
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220. Oh, it's official now.
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221. You're crazy.
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222. You are out of your fucking mind.
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223. Maybe. Probably.
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224. But I did it,
and it's too late to undo it.
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225. - Are the tickets paid for?
- No.
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226. Nothing's paid for.
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227. You understand you gotta pay Intourist
for the hotel in advance?
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228. I know that.
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229. I have 2,000 in my bank account.
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230. It would be more,
but I've been keeping up the house.
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231. It's gonna take a thousand more
to do it, at least that.
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232. - I was wondering—
- I don't have it.
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233. What do you mean?
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234. - You've got money.
- I don't have it.
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235. Did you gamble it all away?
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236. What difference does it make?
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237. You can call the Federation
or the State Department.
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238. The Federation doesn't like me.
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239. They think I haven't done as much
for chess as I could've.
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240. Should have gone on Tonight,
Phil Donahue…
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241. Benny, come on.
I don't wanna go to Russia by myself.
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242. - Benny?
- Are you kidding me?
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243. - What?
- First, you don't come back to New York,
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244. and you basically tell me
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245. that you'd rather be a drunk
than be with me.
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246. Now you pull this crap?
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247. No, you can fucking well go alone.
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248. Maybe I shouldn't have done it.
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249. Maybe I didn't have
to give the money back.
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250. Maybe? Maybe is a loser's word, Beth.
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251. - Benny…
- Don't call me anymore.
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252. What money the Federation
has comes from the magazine.
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253. Four hundred dollars
is the most we could possibly spare.
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254. Thought you said you could play.
I said I'm learning.
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255. - Cultural Affairs, O'Malley speaking.
Hello?
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256. Three thousand dollars?
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257. Yes, straight away.
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258. I'll see what I can do.
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259. - I'll get back to you in an hour.
- An hour?
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260. No dice.
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261. I'm terribly sorry.
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262. There's no way government funds
can be handed out to you
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263. without more time and approval.
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264. Don't you have some petty cash
or something?
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265. I don't need funds
to undermine the government in Moscow.
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266. I just need…
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267. money for my trip.
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268. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry,
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269. but we will be sending
one of our men with you.
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270. Keep you safe.
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271. Keep me safe?
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272. - I shouldn't have bought the house.
- Or all those dresses.
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273. Three thousand is a lot.
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274. It's expensive to go to Moscow.
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275. I'll give it to you.
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276. What?
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277. No, you just said it's a lot of money.
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278. I have it and more. I've been saving.
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279. You need it for law school.
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280. I do.
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281. And you'll give it back…
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282. when you win.
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283. What if I don't win?
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284. It's still worth it.
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285. Or you could give me the black dress.
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286. - Or the purple one. I like them both.
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287. You're like…
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288. my guardian angel.
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289. For crying out loud.
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290. Hey, Beth.
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291. Fuck you.
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292. Shaibel isn't the only one
who kept after you all these years.
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293. I know how you lost to Benny Watts
in Vegas and then beat him in Ohio.
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294. I read the papers.
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295. Even on a group trip into town,
I spent my ice cream money
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296. on the damn chess magazine
had your ugly face on it.
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297. For a time,
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298. I was all you had.
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299. And for a time,
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300. you was all I had.
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301. We weren't orphans.
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302. Not as long as we had each other.
You understand what I'm saying?
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303. I'm not your guardian angel.
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304. I'm not here to save you.
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305. Hell, I can barely save me.
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306. I'm here because you need me to be here.
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307. That's what family does.
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308. That's what we are.
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309. Someday, I might need you.
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310. It's doubtful.
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311. But you never know.
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312. But if I do…
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313. you'll come, won't you?
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314. I might.
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315. You been to Russia before?
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316. Have you?
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317. Once or twice.
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318. There's a few rules.
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319. One, stay in your hotel
at all times unless you're with me.
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320. Two, do not answer your door
or your phone, unless it's me.
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321. How will I know it's you
if I don't answer it?
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322. Three,
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323. no drinking.
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324. You just offered me a drink.
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325. That was a test.
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326. Let me know if any of the Russian players
tries to speak with you.
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327. In particular, Vasily Borgov.
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328. He sends a signal in any way,
or sends a note,
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329. I wanna know immediately.
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330. What exactly would a signal look like?
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331. Could be anything.
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332. - He could do it in one of your matches.
- How?
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333. I don't know.
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334. I don't play chess.
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335. Just be on the lookout.
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336. I'm told they may wanna talk.
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337. Talk about what?
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338. What part of the State Department
did you say you were from again?
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339. [man 1, in Russian]
That the chess player?
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340. She looks like Ann-Margret.
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341. Let's hope the Russians like redheads.
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342. This is definitely better than mine.
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343. Remember, stay in your room at all times.
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344. Do not leave the hotel
unless you're with me.
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345. I'll get you in the morning.
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346. Will you knock two times fast
and one time slow?
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347. Good one.
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348. Welcome to Russia.
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349. Yes.
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350. This will do nicely.
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351. In the words of Thomas Huxley,
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352. "The chessboard is the world,
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353. the pieces are
the phenomena of the Universe,
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354. the rules of the game
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355. are what we call the laws of Nature,
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356. and the player on the other side
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357. is hidden from us."
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358. Ladies and gentlemen, dear comrades,
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359. please welcome…
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360. Elizabeth Harmon...
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361. Thank you.
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362. [commentator 1, in English] As far as
they knew, Harmon wasn't at their level.
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363. Someone like Laev
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364. probably didn't spend a lot of time
preparing for their match.
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365. Elizabeth Harmon's not at all
an important player by their standards.
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366. The only unusual thing about her,
really, is her sex.
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367. And even that's not unique in Russia.
There's Nona Gaprindashvili,
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368. but she's the female world champion
and has never faced men.
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369. My guess is
Laev was expecting an easy win,
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370. and not at all the 27-move thrashing
Beth Harmon just gave him.
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371. Um, yeah.
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372. Yeah? Okay.
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373. Um…
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374. Beth Harmon's games
with Hellstrom and Shapkin were rigorous,
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375. and I'm sure,
for the young American, rather exhausting.
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376. But there was a solidity
to her opening moves
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377. that she was able to maintain
through the middlegame,
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378. and on to the point each of them resigned.
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379. Hellstrom, it must
be said, clearly took it rather hard.
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380. Didn't speak to Harmon afterwards.
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381. Shapkin, however,
was very decent, very civilized,
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382. and took his loss with grace,
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383. even though Harmon's win over him
was decisive and merciless.
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384. Vodka?
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385. Nyet.
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386. [commentator 1, in English]
Luchenko's the oldest player here,
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387. was World Champion
before Elizabeth Harmon was born.
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388. He defeated the great Alekhine
in an exhibition when he was a boy,
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389. played to a draw with Botvinnik
and crushed Bronstein in Havana.
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390. And while he's no longer
the tiger he once was,
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391. he's a dangerous player
when allowed to attack.
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392. Harmon will have to be very careful.
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393. I don't understand.
Did we win, or did we lose?
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394. We adjourned.
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395. - Meaning?
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396. Meaning we didn't finish.
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397. - So, uh…
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398. when do we finish?
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399. - Tomorrow.
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400. But right now, we really need some sleep.
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401. And maybe she takes with check.
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402. He takes back.
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403. But then she takes his rook.
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404. So what? He's got h5.
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405. Yes, that's a nasty pin.
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406. And she's done.
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407. Oh, good evening.
- Good evening.
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408. Harmon had her 90 minutes of play,
and Luchenko had the same,
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409. along with 35 minutes
he had left from the day before.
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410. This put three things against her.
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411. Luchenko having the white pieces,
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412. his still unstopped attack…
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413. and that extra allotment of time.
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414. So, it was all the more impressive
Copy !req
415. when she beat him with 25 minutes
still on her clock.
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416. Excellent.
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417. What a brilliant recovery.
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418. I resign with relief.
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419. I've played your games
since I was a small girl.
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420. I've always really admired you.
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421. You are how old again?
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422. - I'm twenty—
- Oh, no. Don't tell me.
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423. It will only drive a stake
through my heart.
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424. I went over your games
at this tournament.
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425. You are a marvel, my dear.
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426. I may have just played
the best chess player of my life.
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427. You will get used to it.
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428. Thank you.
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429. So far, Harmon
is proving to be the biggest attraction
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430. since the Youth Festival in 1957.
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431. Some in Moscow are even calling her
an ambassador of sorts.
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432. This evening she played
the English opening against Flento,
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433. a sequence I've always found
to be like the Sicilian in reverse.
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434. He's nowhere near her level,
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435. and I don't think she expected
the game to go on for nearly four hours.
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436. But Flento put up quite a fight
along the two main diagonals,
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437. and played the Four Knights Variation
with a sophistication that looked,
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438. for a while at least,
like it was far beyond Harmon's.
Copy !req
439. But by the middlegame,
she'd traded herself out of that position,
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440. and ultimately forced Flento to resign.
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441. The result being
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442. she could come to her match
with Borgov tomorrow, exhausted.
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443. You shouldn't have brought her.
Why did you bring her here?
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444. - Because I need your help!
- It's too late!
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445. Who was that?
A mistake.
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446. A-A rounding error.
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447. It's just a problem I gotta solve.
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448. What problem?
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449. What I do with you.
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450. Mama?
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451. Close your eyes.
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452. [commentator 2, in Russian]
Elizabeth Harmon plays pawn to Queen four.
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453. Borgov plays pawn to Queen four.
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454. Harmon plays pawn to Queen Bishop four.
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455. The Queen's Gambit.
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456. Borgov declines,
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457. moves pawn to King four.
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458. [commentator 1, in English] Borgov's
second move is a bit of a surprise.
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459. Normally, Borgov would do
something more solid,
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460. but here, he's going against his own style
and playing a rare line to win.
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461. He must win.
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462. Harmon's response
was a complete deviation from the Albin,
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463. which must've surprised him right back,
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464. whilst allowing her
to get out into the open.
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465. Now, the two of them can fight it out
from here with their own wits.
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466. [tournament director, in Russian]
Knight to G6. Go!
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467. Knight to G6!
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468. Adjourn.
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469. Miss Harmon, Miss Harmon!
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470. Paris Match, Time Magazine,
The Observer, Reuters, UPI…
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471. You're bigger than The Monkees.
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472. Please, I just wanna go to sleep.
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473. Don't be like that.
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474. It'd be good to talk to them.
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475. Tell them that being in Russia
has made you feel lucky to be an American.
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476. Ms. Harmon!
One question!
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477. Hi, Dick Evans from Time.
Do you have a minute?
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478. That depends.
Will you put me on the cover?
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479. - Hmm. Are you going to beat him?
- I haven't made any mistakes so far.
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480. Hm. Neither has he.
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481. Is it true you learned how to play
at an orphanage when you were two?
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482. - I was nine.
- Such a young age. Who taught you?
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483. His name was Shaibel.
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484. William Shaibel.
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485. He was a janitor.
We played in the basement.
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486. - The janitor taught you to play chess?
That's right.
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487. William Shaibel was a fine player.
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488. He spent a lot of time at it,
and he was quite good.
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489. Now, will you please
promise to print that?
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490. Absolutely. Thank you.
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491. Yes, yes. Sure.
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492. Thank you.
If you'll excuse me, I'm very tired.
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493. [man, over clamor] Excuse me, Miss Harmon,
I'm with the Lexington Herald-Leader.
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494. Our readers back home in Kentucky
would like to know if it's true.
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495. That you're here all by yourself?
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496. How did you even get a visa so fast?
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497. The newspaper helped me.
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498. I'm an associate editor now.
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499. And the Moscow Embassy.
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500. - Really?
- Yeah.
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501. I'm guessing
they thought I'd distract you.
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502. If they only knew.
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503. I know you were angry with me.
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504. And I'm sorry.
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505. I should've told you the whole story.
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506. No.
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507. I'm sorry.
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508. I should have let you.
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509. I will admit…
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510. I was a little…
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511. confused.
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512. You really are something.
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513. But, um, what I really wanted
was for us to be friends.
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514. And you kind of broke my heart.
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515. I have a way of doing that.
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516. Do you forgive me?
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517. Clearly.
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518. Consider me your second. What do we need
to do to help you beat Borgov?
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519. Well, what I need are…
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520. the pills.
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521. The booze. I need my mind cloudy to win.
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522. - I can't visualize the games without them.
- Really?
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523. - You think that's what brought you here?
- I think that's what I'm used to.
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524. Yeah, but you've been doing fine
without all that.
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525. - Haven't you?
- Yes, I…
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526. threw away the pills.
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527. And then I asked the front desk
where I could get more.
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528. I just really need them right now.
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529. Or I thought I did.
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530. Hey.
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531. Lady, you were out!
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532. What time is it?
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533. It's late.
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534. Thank you.
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535. I'll get it. Drink your coffee.
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536. Yes, put him through.
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537. You all there?
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538. I'll put her on.
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539. - Hello?
- If he goes for the knight,
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540. hit him with a king rook pawn.
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541. Benny?
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542. If he goes for the bishop,
do the same thing,
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543. but open up your queen file.
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544. How do you know?
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545. It's in the Times.
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546. It's 7 a.m. here,
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547. but we've been working on it
for three hours.
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548. We?
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549. Hi, Beth.
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550. Hi, Harry.
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551. - It's really nice to hear your voice.
Oh, well, hang on.
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552. Hey, Beth! Hey!
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553. - It's Mike!
- It's Matt!
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554. We're so proud of you!
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555. All right. Hey, assholes,
this is costing me a bundle.
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556. Beth, listen to me,
you gotta open up that file, okay?
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557. How do I do that?
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558. There are four ways,
depending on what he does,
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559. and we've each been working a way through.
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560. You have it handy?
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561. Yes, I do. Yes.
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562. Great, okay. Well, let's start
with his knight to rook four.
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563. We push that king knight pawn.
You got that?
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564. - Yes.
- Great. I'll pass you back to Harry.
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565. There are three things
you might do now.
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566. So, after the queen to knight three,
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567. you play knight to king six,
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568. then if he plays rook to rook five,
then you play pawn to king three.
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569. Another variation: If he plays
knight takes pawn on king five,
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570. then you take the rook.
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571. But if he plays rook to rook seven,
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572. check, then play rook to bishop two.
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573. Harmon! Harmon!
Harmon! Harmon!
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574. Harmon! Harmon! Harmon!
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575. Benny?
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576. It's almost five here.
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577. Okay.
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578. Go beat him.
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579. [commentator 2, in Russian]
Borgov withdraws his queen to G6.
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580. Harmon's knight boldly invades E6.
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581. Borgov attacks Harmon's king-pawn.
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582. Shit.
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583. - He's not doing what he's supposed to do.
- Shh!
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584. Draw?
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585. Borgov never offers draws,
but he's offering Elizabeth Harmon one.
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586. If she accepts,
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587. she leaves the stage in a tie
with the world champion.
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588. If they play on,
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589. once the dust settles
and the endgame emerges,
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590. she could find herself
in a very different position.
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591. Borgov is death on endgames.
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592. He's famous for it.
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593. Harmon, on the other hand, is not.
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594. She's more known
for coming up early and strong,
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595. demoralizing her opponents from the start.
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596. So, I think she should accept the draw.
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597. The world will see it
as a solid achievement.
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598. A draw, however, is not a win.
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599. The one thing
we know about Elizabeth Harmon
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600. is that she loves to win.
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601. That was
the point of the sequence,
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602. beginning with the bishop,
cutting down the scope of the rook
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603. by forcing it to a less threatening rank.
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604. - The question is…
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605. what will she do now?
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606. It's your game.
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607. Take it.
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608. She won!
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609. Thank you.
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610. Good for you, cracker.
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611. Good for you.
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612. Mm.
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613. The president has invited you
to the White House.
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614. There'll be a chess board
set up in the Oval Office,
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615. and, of course,
a photo-op of you kicking his ass.
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616. Texas being more of a checkers state.
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617. And there's a dinner tonight
at the Russian Chess Club in Georgetown.
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618. A lot of prominent dissidents belong, so…
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619. we've prepared a list of talking points.
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620. It's a big deal.
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621. Beating the Soviets at their own game.
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622. Could you stop the car, please?
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623. I'd like to walk.
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624. To the airport?
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625. - You're gonna miss the fli—
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626. Harmon?
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627. Liza Harmon?
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628. Da.
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629. Harmon!
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630. Liza!
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631. Let's play.
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