Brilliant! I love chess parallels in fic and this was just perfect. I like the way you rewrote Severus and Harry's more recent history at Hogwarts, the beauty of the ring as well as the meaning it held, Severus's relationship with Lucius-even tipping his hand to him, then of course Harry's choice in the end. I'm sure I am forgetting a million things but I truly adored this. Well done.