The story of an Idealic King, featuring a Realand Queen and the general mismanagement of circumstance Poor Chess contains a few days in the life of Archibald Wisenhunt, the eighteen-year-old all-powerful ruler of Idealia. Over the matter of these few days, Archibald experiences a number of events that lead him to suspect an imminent plot against his life. What follows is a satire on the subtle, as Archibald spirals his way toward that which seems to encircle him. A parody on the perceptions of power-players, these few days in the life of an Idealic King prove true the saying that the poorest played chess is misplayed checkers.