Keeping a watchful eye, the Master laid out his trap, making his careful moves one by one. He waited to see if Svetlana would catch it and move to counter it. It would be that counter move that would get him more interested in her, give him enough reason to manipulate her mind. The Master had manipulated almost everyone he'd encountered in his 900 years. Humans, Time Lords, anything that would give him an advantage. Or sometimes just because he was bored. Usually his manipulations were part of a larger plan, such as with Romana before she was killed. But Svetlana would only be because he was bored. He had no grand plan that she fit in to. His master plan was reserved for later. This would just provide entertainment until he could unleash his plan.
"There is nothing like a good game of chess." He smiled politely. "My father taught the game to me when I was a child. But I don't get to play it as often anymore. Work calls me away." He was lying through his teeth. Time Lords didn't exactly have parents in the way humans did. It had been something he'd learned later on. Sometimes, just sometimes, playing the game helped him concentrate long enough where the drums quieted down to a dull roar. It was one of the rare times where he could actually think well. And when the drums went quieter, he was exceptionally dangerous.