Black and White

A boat trip—a long journey. There’s time to tell stories, there’s time to play. A hotel room—just like a prison cell. There’s time to tell stories, there’s time to play. The lonely prisoner tries at all costs to survive the destructive oppression of the new regime with his wits intact. The endless interrogations. How can chess help in all this? Where does a passion for the game begin, and where does it turn into madness? The games just keep coming one after another, games that must be played—against oneself, against the other side, and against the powers that be. Go ahead and join in. The ship is about to set sail. Just like the thinking time available to make the next move.

Written by Gergely Légrádi, based on Stefan Zweig’s novella The Chess Story, and directed by Károly Ujj Mészáros.

Performed by Pál Göttinger