The story within this musical revolves around the
Chess champions from America
and Russia,
their confrontations and rivalries within the game and their emotional and
private lives during the Cold War era.
.
.
The first game between the
American, Frederick Trumper and the Russian, Anatoly Sergievsky, takes place in
Merano, Italy and is constantly disrupted
by the Americans outbursts and behaviour. Florence, his secretary and confidante hast
to pick up the pieces. This forces her to threaten to leave; at which point we
learn of her origins in Hungary and her move to Britain and becoming a British
citizen and her strong desire to learn of her father, who disappeared during the failed uprising in Hungary.
Following the
disastrous, abandoned first game, Florence
arranges with Molokov, the KGB employed second of the Russian, to get the two
players to meet and agree to continue. This brings her into close contact with
the Russian and with them being attracted to each other. Finally, after she
gets the two rivals to resume playing, she tells the American she has had
enough of his behaviour and will leave him after the match, no matter what the
outcome. He tries everything to get her to stay and his surfacing paranoia
convinces him it is all a Russian plot.
Some days later,
the Russian, who has become the champion, defects to the West.
A year later,
Anatoly, now Florences lover, is set to play
against a new Soviet opponent in Bangkok.
He agrees to an interview on Thai TV, only to find the American, Frederick, is
the interviewer and all his questions are about Florence and politics, not chess. Anatoly is
informed that his wife, Svetlana is being flown into Bangkok. This forces him to leave Florence during the
competition.
Because of some deal between The
USA and USSR, the American,
prompted by the US
government representative, tries to use information about Florences father and the possibility of
finding him as a way of getting Anatoly to lose. He tries, first with
Anatoly, then with Florence.
Both refuse to co-operate and Anatoly wins the championship. However, his
victory proves to be shallow, as he and Florence
realise that his only real love is his ambition. Florence
confronts him, tells him their affair must end and, even though his marriage
may be over, he must return to the USSR and his family.
The chess game
has been won. - The game of life goes on, unresolved.