A tense wager opens the episode when a group enforces a rule: if they beat any one of the players the other side will lose, but if the challengers lose they must pay with a finger. A player accepts the terms, is told to wash up, and the blade is sterilized in preparation. The match unfolds move by move; Laura launches a high knight's move into an 'avalanche' variation, exploiting Black's unfamiliarity and creating widespread weaknesses. Black is swallowed by White, faces atari, and finally concedes, saying, 'I lost.' The wagered consequence, a finger, now looms.