Murder by Rules of Chess

By Elbrus Kalbiyev

The first action of the mysterious, veiled killer by the side of Old Oak tree was murder. The old, worn-out newspaper page left in the hands of the deceased boy attracted more attention.
Prosecutor Ilyas Ocagov and his team worked tirelessly, but they couldn't trace the killer. Ilyas, however, had arrived at a rather strange conclusion based on some evidence: "This murder was committed according to a chess pattern." His colleagues didn't believe in this theory.
After some time, a series of new murders occurred in the same region. The cunning killer, however, left no trace behind. Ilyas was convinced that each of these events was carried out according to chess rules.
He had no other way and was only following this trail to find the killer. He hadn't even thought about the dangers he would face in the battle arena he entered to find the mad killer who had turned the region into a bloody chessboard...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elbrus Kalbiyev
• Release date: Oct 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223407461

Book preview

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The most beautiful victory is the simplest victory

Xose Raul Capablanca

THE GAME HAS BEGUN

In the farthest corner of Azerbaijan, there was a village located in the Balakan district. This village had its unique beauty, distinct geographical features, and rugged nature. A fast-flowing river divided the village into two parts. On one side, it was surrounded by forests, and on the other side, it was enclosed by rocky cliffs. The village was lush and green, with various fruit trees in every yard. Due to its elevation, winters were harsh, and summers were pleasantly cool. Considering the clean air and cool springs, it wasn’t hard to imagine how many guests this village received, especially during the summer. Mostly, the local community from the city came here to relax. But recently, foreign tourists also started coming to Gala for relaxation. Gala had nearly a hundred houses.

The village community was industrious and kind-hearted.

Despite occasional disputes and disagreements among the people, everything always ended peacefully, following the customary respect for elders and their wisdom, which was a rule not only in this region but throughout all of Azerbaijan.

Their word alone was enough to ensure that disputes were resolved justly and peacefully. Serious crimes were almost unheard of in these parts. However, it seemed like today might not be an ordinary day.

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According to the tradition of Tamerlan, he woke up in the darkness and went out into the courtyard to release the animals. Despite it being July, when the ground was hot during the day, people in the desert felt cold when the sun was absent. As he was herding the animals back, the darkness near the lightning-struck tree caught his attention. He rubbed his eyes and took another look. Tamerlan began to walk towards the shadow beneath the tall tree, even though he hadn’t fully awakened. As he got closer to the tree, the shadow lying on the ground turned towards him, and Tamerlan’s heartbeats increased incessantly. At this moment, Tamerlan’s neighbor Husein, who lived behind Fakhraddin’s house, came to his aid. Husein was also herding his own animals to the pasture.

Good morning, Tamerlan, Husein greeted his neighbor.

Tamerlan acknowledged his neighbor’s greeting without taking his eyes off the shadow. Seeing that Tamerlan was fix-ated on something, Husein turned to look in the same direction and froze in place. When they reached the side of the tall tree, both of them were almost speechless with shock.

On the ground lay a young boy with a knife stuck in his chest, and the area around him was covered in blood. He was clutching a piece of paper in his hand. Just then, Fakhraddin emerged from behind the tree. He didn’t have any livestock with him, but like most villagers, he was accustomed to wak-ing up early. Surprised to see his neighbors there, he called out to them:

Good morning, neighbors! What happened so early in the morning? Did lightning strike and cause livestock to fall again?

No, Fakhraddin! Someone has been killed here, Tamerlan responded with excitement.

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Fakhraddin, without much thought, bent down to look at the lifeless body on the ground with a puzzled expression. He then examined the paper that the deceased was holding in his hand.

This person is not from our village. There’s nothing to do here. We need to inform the local police, the village executive committee, and the community, Fakhraddin suggested.

These three houses were situated at the very edge of the village, which was bordered by the rocky cliffs. These cliffs were considered the boundary between this neighboring village and theirs. Many times in the past, livestock had fallen into the river from these cliffs during thunderstorms, result-ing in casualties. Despite this, solitary individuals occasionally called their livestock from this area using shouts, although it was a very dangerous practice. Despite the lack of a proper road to this part of the village, small cars struggled to climb the steep slopes.

It didn’t take long for a crowd to gather near the scene, some unintentionally trampling potential evidence as they wandered around. Approximately within a fifty-meter radi-us, nobody was allowed to approach the body. The district prosecutor, Ilyas Ocagov, had conveyed this instruction to the village executive committee via phone. There was a distance of around twenty-five kilometers between the district center and the village, and the road was far from being asphalted. Therefore, the investigation team arrived about forty minutes later.

The investigation team was led by the district prosecutor, Ilyas Ocagov, and included the head of the police department, Colonel Musa Aghayev. They conducted a thorough examination. The prosecutor and the chief meticulously inspected the crime scene, its surroundings, and the paths c 5 C

leading to the cliffs. The forensic experts worked on the body.

Meanwhile, the field supervisor and two other police officers spoke with the villagers, attempting to gather any information they could. After the examination of the crime scene was complete, the prosecutor invited several villagers to identify the deceased. Fakhraddin, Tamerlan, and a few other villagers participated, but none of them recognized the victim.

The body was sent to the district center for a forensic examination. In villages, people usually knew each other quite well, including many residents from neighboring villages. However, no one recognized the deceased. His clothing also made him resemble a city dweller more than a villager.

Therefore, the prosecutor instructed that the victim’s image be shown on both Baku and regional television to quickly identify his identity. Ilyas Ocagov, with his extensive experience, knew that if the victim’s identity remained unknown, it would be challenging to uncover the motive or trace the crime. Such cases fell into the category of crimes that were very difficult to solve.

Ilyas Ocagov scheduled the initial meeting at the village executive committee for 2 o’clock. Attending the meeting were the prosecutor’s investigator, Ali Salmanov, Colonel Musa Aghayev, head of the criminal investigation division, Major Feyzi Rahimov, the county attorney, two police officers, and the forensic doctor, Firuz Qarashov. Once everyone had taken their seats in the meeting room, the prosecutor stood up and walked toward the window, turning to face Colonel Musa.

What do we have, Musa? he asked.

They were of the same age and had a close, friendly relationship, which is why the prosecutor always addressed him by his first name. They had been working together for more c 6 C

than five years, and a strong friendship had developed between them. In contrast, Colonel Musa, unlike the other colleagues, formally addressed Prosecutor Ilyas as Ilyas. He attempted to explain the situation systematically.

There were no signs of resistance from the deceased at the crime scene, my colleague. On the victim’s body, we found 594 manats and a newspaper page from Football

that he was holding. The newspaper was published fourteen months ago, specifically on May 16 of last year. This newspaper is popular and is sold in almost all regions of the country.

However, there are no pages inside the newspaper, only the front page. No other documents related to the deceased were found. The victim was wearing men’s trousers, black shoes, and a short white jacket. The murder weapon is a specially prepared carving knife. There are twelve knife wounds, mostly in the front of the chest, abdomen, and throat. The final stab pierced the left chest cavity and was lodged there. As a result of the last strike, the knife penetrated about thirteen centimeters into the body. Based on body temperature, we can estimate that the murder likely occurred between 2:00

AM and 3:00 AM. More precise information will be available after a complete examination of the body.

Colonel Musa Aghayev, despite having limited experience, knew that hasty conclusions, based on both available and unavailable evidence, could be dangerous. He was well aware that investigators could draw different conclusions from the same piece of evidence. Furthermore, initial conclusions were not always correct, and one needed to weigh, consider, and take into account every detail without overlooking anything. Therefore, he refrained from offering his thoughts on the matter. He had learned this lesson early in his career when his criminalistics instructor, whom he great-c 7 C

ly respected as a student, had advised him. Years of experience had confirmed that rushing and making hasty decisions could lead to disastrous results. The initial impression could be deceiving.

Then, the forensic doctor, Qarashov, began presenting his initial findings:

"The deceased was approximately between thirty to thirty-five years old, physically fit. There were four stab wounds to the abdominal region, five to the chest, and three to the throat. Then the knife was plunged into the left chest cavity.

The last stab resulted in the knife penetrating thirteen centimeters into the body. Based on body temperature, it can be estimated that the murder likely occurred between 2:00 AM

and 3:00 AM. More precise information will be available after a complete examination of the body."

The county attorney and other police officers had almost nothing to report in their statements. No one from the village community had seen anything, heard anything, or recognized the victim’s arrival in the village. There were no screams or calls for help that anyone had heard. No one knew when or how the victim had arrived in the village, especially those living in the three houses.

Investigator Ali Salmanov remained silent. That was precisely what was happening for now. After listening to everyone, the prosecutor paused for a while. He took his seat and addressed the participants in the meeting:

"The main questions that need to be clarified by your investigation are as follows: Were all the stabs inflicted with the same knife? The depth and direction of each wound. Which was the first and which was the last stab? The exact time of death. Are there any signs of resistance? Are there any signs of the body being moved or transported from one place to c 8 C

another? Fingerprints and other general information. Any information that can be gleaned from the newspaper page.

Everyone in the meeting noted down the tasks assigned by the prosecutor. He continued:

Musa, keep the head of the Criminal Investigation Division, the county attorney, and, if necessary, additional police officers here. Let them talk to everyone, from the kids to the elderly, in the village. Maybe we can get some information about how and when this man came here. If he came here and was killed, it means there must be something or someone connecting him to this village. We might determine his identity soon, but we shouldn’t assume that his close relatives or acquaintances have no information about why he came to this village. Therefore, it’s essential to find out the reason for his visit and, most importantly, who he came to see, who made the request or gave him directions to come here.

Understood, Mr. Prosecutor, replied Colonel Musa, taking note of the instructions.

Then, the prosecutor turned his gaze to Investigator Salmanov.

"Salmanov, your first task is to determine the victim’s identity. Monitor the frequent broadcasts of his image on both the capital and local television channels for recognition. Keep the contact phones open 24/7. Other investigative actions should also proceed as planned. Once we have identified the victim, conduct a thorough investigation into his background and connections. The fact that a person could stab himself twelve times and then stab the knife into his own chest is impossible. Therefore, for now, we will open a criminal case under the charge of intentional homicide, and the investigation will be handed over to you. I don’t see the need to form a separate team at the moment because we will c 9 C

all work together to solve this case."

Salmanov took note of the given tasks. The prosecutor continued.

I know that each of you has drawn some conclusions from the information at hand. I, too, have come up with some possible outcomes based on the facts we have. However, I believe that discussing these results is premature due to the limited information we have, the pending expert opinion, and the unidentified victim. I consider it premature to discuss these findings. Our current task should be to gather more relevant information. I’ve given directions to each of you. Continue to work according to those directions. Fulfill the assignments you’ve been given. Immediately inform your superiors of any new information.

The meeting concluded, leaving the prosecutor and the police chief alone in the room. They were offered tea, but they had no time to enjoy it. Both of them sat in silence, pondering the case and hoping to reach some conclusion, even a small one. However, they were stumped because, aside from the knife and the newspaper fragment, there was no evidence.

And those alone were not enough. But both of them knew that leaving the murder weapon behind and the newspaper piece was a hallmark of a professional. It was Prosecutor Ilyas who broke the silence first:

Musa, you know what intrigues me the most?

What is it, Ilyas?

"The front page of the football newspaper. Do you think this man wanted to read a newspaper at 2 AM in the dark?

Certainly not. So why did he take it out of his pocket? It wasn’t stolen. I thought maybe he was a football enthusiast.

He had been reading the newspaper during the journey from the city, and the front page remained in his pocket. But why c 1 0 C

did he take it out at night? It doesn’t make sense. I’m thinking that perhaps he had drawn a map or some notes on that newspaper piece for his own guidance, and that’s why he had it in his hand at that moment."

This seemed to be the only plausible idea. However, upon examining the newspaper fragment, they found no additional markings, symbols, or coordinates other than the text and image already printed on the page. In fact, there were no additional notations or details of any kind.

Perhaps it was encoded? But encoded in such a way that we can’t decipher it. For instance, the picture on the newspaper page could have been overlaid with reference points for orienting oneself along the way. This person may have used those reference points to navigate to his death location,

Musa suggested, trying to assist the prosecutor in reaching a conclusion.

"It’s possible. But it was pitch dark at night. There was no light available from neighboring houses to allow reading or studying something on the newspaper. The weather was cloudy, so there was no moonlight either. And there were no items found on the victim, such as a flashlight, phone, matches, or any other means of illumination. The only remaining possibility is that he might have had some of these items, but the killer took them. The victim’s clothing and the amount of money found on him suggest that he should have had at least a basic mobile phone. In this day and age, almost everyone has a mobile phone, even schoolchildren. It doesn’t seem rational to travel to unfamiliar and remote places without a phone. The fact that the killer didn’t take his money confirms that this was not a robbery. My intuition tells me that this murder will be quite challenging to investigate. Let’s go back to the crime scene together and take another look. Perhaps c 1 1 C

we missed something," the prosecutor said.

They finished their tea and left the room. Both of them got into the prosecutor’s car.

To the crime scene, he instructed the driver.

They approached the elderly shepherd, the only living witness to the incident, although he lacked the ability to speak. This elderly goat had witnessed many events throughout its life, but this event was probably the most terrifying of all. Both Ilyas and Musa knew that this witness wouldn’t provide any statements. Therefore, they decided to take another look around the crime scene, hoping they might find something they had missed.

They arrived at the edge of the ravine, where two narrow paths descended to the river. Using these paths required skill, as one wrong step or momentary lack of balance could result in a fatal fall. The cloudy weather had cleared, and the sun was shining in the sky. However, they didn’t find anything of significance. But Ilyas hesitated to leave empty-handed. He walked about ten meters down the path with the precipice and looked down. Musa followed him cautiously. At the edge of the ravine, near the riverbank, they both simultaneously noticed a glint reflecting the sunlight.

The prosecutor didn’t waste any time; he immediately called the village executive representative and sent the driver back to the village. When the representative arrived with a pair of binoculars, he handed them to the prosecutor. The police officers also got out of the car. Ilyas and Musa returned to where they had previously stopped and used the binoculars to observe the glint.

What they saw was a piece of metal debris, and despite the age of the binoculars, the contours of the debris were clearly visible. There was no doubt about it. Ilyas ordered the c 1 2 C

retrieval of the debris.

The village representative hesitated, noting the challenging terrain.

Perhaps this piece of metal has been here for a long time, and it has nothing to do with the crime? he suggested.

Ilyas understood Sabir’s concerns and replied, "If the metal had been there for a long time, it would have rusted by now and wouldn’t be gleaming to reflect the sunlight. But when we retrieve it, we must follow all safety precautions.

There’s no need to rush. If necessary, call in specialists."

He then addressed the police officers and added, in a louder voice, When retrieving this item, make sure all safety measures are followed, and do not allow any fingerprints to be erased.

Ilyas gave the instructions, and he and Musa stepped aside.

What do you think, Musa? Ilyas asked.

"I think what you’re thinking, Ilyas. It’s highly likely that this item was brought here to bury it at the base of this tree.

It seems that this old goat isn’t just a witness but also a participant in the events," Musa replied.

The investigation continued, with Ilyas and Musa pondering over the significance of the discovered metal debris and the presence of footprints near the precipice. The metal fragment was sent for examination after being carefully packaged. However, the absence of the victim’s fingerprints on the debris didn’t discourage them. They considered various scenarios, including the possibility that someone had intentionally left the item there for protection or had discarded it recently.

One troubling question led to another. Why was the debris placed under the tree by the ravine? Did the murderer c 1 3 C

place it there, or was it the victim’s doing? The victim’s body had been thrown about twenty meters upstream from the point where the item had been discovered. Could it be that the debris had nothing to do with the crime? Perhaps someone had accidentally dropped it a few days earlier, and if that were the case, the metal fragment should have shown signs of corrosion from exposure to the water’s edge. However, this wasn’t the case.

Ilyas shifted his gaze from the ravine to Musa. They moved closer to the precipice once more, this time advancing about twenty meters further. They both leaned down to examine the item carefully. The fresh footprints on the ground didn’t raise suspicions. It could have been caused by natural underground water seepage or the village’s water supply pipeline damage, leaving the ground damp in this area. They did find several sets of footprints, indicating two individuals.

However, there were no returning footprints, making it impossible to trace anyone’s exit route.

The prosecutor gave instructions for experts to examine these footprints, hoping they would yield valuable information. Meanwhile, Ilyas and Musa also took a look at the road leading to the village. It appeared that many people had passed through there recently, making it challenging to find anything conclusive.

Musa, during this time, called the head of the Criminal Investigation Department and assigned them the task of investigating the matter of the metal debris. He believed that once the experts had finished their examination of the debris, they might discover traces leading to the person who had been searching for it. Or perhaps someone had lost it while disposing of it near the ravine.

Ilyas Ocagov, having graduated from Baku State Univer-c 1 4 C

sity’s law faculty 28 years ago, had started his career in Baku as an investigator before moving on to various prosecutor positions in Sumqayit, Zagatala, and other locations. Now, he was posted to this region, leading the investigation into a puzzling and unusual crime scene.

Ilyas Ocagov, despite his years of experience, had never encountered such a complex and mysterious