(Source: An actual tournament game I played all the way back in 2016)
I had the weirdest dream last night…
It started out normal enough, which for me, is basically nothing… but then I woke up, apparently…
I was sitting up in my bed… darkness was slowly creeping into my vision… I looked at the clock face to see what time it is… it was completely blank…
I couldn’t believe it, but… words were forming in my vision…
A game of your choice to fight for your freedom, against me
You only have one chance to escape… make it a good one…
Pick your game of choice… your key to survival…
“Chess?” I said, and a board and pieces appeared before me. It seemed like I was playing White… If I were to escape I had to play… Whenever I made a move the black pieces moved on their own...
- e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. c3
The weird shadow force had played into my favored opening as White. Interesting… Perhaps it was a strategy of some sorts?
3… d5
Position after 3... d5
Of course it played the most annoying move possible for me in this variation.
- Qa4 Qd6 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. d4 Nf6 8. 0-0 Bd6 9. Bc4 Qa5 10. Qb3 0-0-0 11. Re1 h6
Position after 11... h6
It had left its pawn hanging!
- Bxf7 e4 13. Nfd2 Ng4 14. h3 Nxf2
This move was definitely to get under my skin. I really don’t like getting attacked in chess and I tend to miscalculate.
- Kxf2 Qf5+ 16. Kg1 Qf4 17. Nf1 Qh4 18. Bd2 g5 19. Be6 Rf8 20. Re2 g4 21. Bxd7+ Rxd7
Position after 21... Rxd7
The situation was escalating. I was now seriously under attack. I had to get that queen out of there, so I played:
- Be1 Rdf7
That’s when I woke up, next morning, with a perfect memory of everything that happened except the last move or moves.
I saw a slip of paper on my nightstand with the words SURVIVAL: kuxwjhlvwfel
in my own handwriting.
What were the last move(s) of the game?
Minor Hint:
The story contains at least one clue.
Minor Hint #2:
You don't always need to checkmate to win.
Tag Clarification:
One tag is the clue to a clue. The no-computers tag is only for the chess problem, not for anything you find in the story.