A strange little side quest
The rules may be simple on screen, but the backstory around SparkChess is anything but tiny. The word 'checkmate' is linked to the Persian expression 'shah mat', used when the king was trapped. It also connects to a different milestone: Pong was field-tested in California bars in 1972 and helped launch the modern arcade-game era. The screen is modern; the urge to test skill, pattern and timing definitely is not.