Original subtitles

I bet we've been together for a million years.

And I bet we'll be together for a million more.

Oh, it's like I started breathing on the night we did.

And I can't remember what I ever did before.

What would we do, baby, without us?

What would we do, baby, without us?

And there ain't no nothing we can't love each other through.

What would we do, baby, without us?

Queen to rook five.

Checkmate.

At five in a row, you worthless pile of microchips.

You know, I could get a better game of chess out of the blender.

You really thought you could beat me, didn't you? Well, let me tell you

something, pal. I am not the Leland college chess champion for nothing.

I am the best. Do you hear me?

The best.

Alex, I thought I told you not to yell at the appliances.

You know, I have beaten this thing five games in a row, Mom. Do you know what

that means?

That means I'm in peace form for my big match.

Tomorrow, I'm going to be sitting across the table from Ivan Rosmarovich, one of

the top young Soviet chess players. The television cameras are going to be

rolling. The eyes of the world are going to be upon me. And, Mom, I'm going to

wipe up the board with that little Bolshevik.

Alex, that is a terrible attitude.

This is a cultural event. You should welcome this boy here with a spirit of

cooperation and goodwill.

Don't be so naive, Mom.

This kid has won every match he's played since he's come to the States.

Right now, Gorbachev and all his buddies in the Kremlin are laughing.

Tossing back a few vodkas, saying Keith on his next. Once we defeat him, nothing

can stop us.

You're right. What a fool I've been.

Hey, Alex, there's a telegram for you in the mail from Washington, D .C.

Whoa, Washington, D .C.?

Dear Mr. Keating, on behalf of the State Department and the President of the

United States, I would like to wish you good luck in your match tomorrow.

Look at that. It's practically signed by the President himself.

Edmund P. Lockridge.

Undersecretary of State for Chess and Backgammon.

My leaders are watching me, Mom.

Hey, Dad, how's the telecast shaping up? Were you able to get those things I

asked for?

We don't have the budget, son. This is just a local telecast.

What, no slow motion replays?

No can do.

I would go sell. Sorry.

Goodyear blimp.

It would never fit in the building, Alex.

And we're now just moments away from the start of this exciting match.

We are very fortunate to have with us today American chess grandmaster Eric

Nordstrom. who will provide us with a detailed play -by -play analysis of the

event. Now, Eric, this is your first outing as a commentator, isn't it?

Yes.

Thank you.

How you doing?

Oh, fine, fine, fine.

Look, there he is, Ivan Rosmarovich.

A Soviet automaton.

Cold and heartless.

Do it, Will.

Alex. Hey, guess you're excited, huh?

Um, no.

Um, Jennifer wanted to know if anyone's going to be coming around selling hot

dogs.

It's unlikely.

I wanted to wish you good luck.

Good luck.

What do you mean by that?

What do you mean by... What do I mean by that?

I think you know.

Good luck, Alex.

Good luck? What are you, with him?

So what did you say to him?

Good luck.

What did you mean by that?

I don't know, but I won't say it anymore.

Good afternoon, everybody.

I'm Mildred Atkins, chairman of the Leland University Political Science

Department. On behalf of the university, I should like to offer a most gracious

welcome to our guest from the Soviet Union, Ivan Rozmirovich and his coach,

Vladimir Rykov.

Gentlemen, we wish you a hearty здравствуйте и привет вам.

And now...

Now the match will commence. I wish you both good luck.

Let the chess begin.

Well, the match is underway.

Eric. You're absolutely right.

It is.

Yes, we have quite a match here.

Really.

Really something.

Very exciting.

Very, very exciting.

A very good move.

Thank you.

Well,

both players have just made moves.

They look like pretty good moves to me, but of course I'm just an amateur.

Unlike yourself, Eric.

What is wrong with you, Ivan?

There is nothing wrong with me. He is playing a fine match.

You must win this match. To lose a match to an unknown American would be a

disgrace, Ivan.

A disgrace to the Soviet Union.

Don't you realize that?

I do.

Damn him.

Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, players.

Due to the length of the match, we will adjourn until tomorrow, following the

next move by Rozmirovich.

Bishop, the night's over. Are you kidding?

Do you hear?

And Rokhmirovich has moved his bishop to knight two. And that's a very unusual

move. I'm not quite sure what it means.

I've gone over it a thousand times in my mind. There's no way around it.

Bishop to knight two is a bad move.

He made a bad move.

All I've got to do is move queen to bishop six and I can't lose.

Well, why are you so upset? about this, Alex. You want to win, don't you? Just

accept it happily. He made a bad move.

Ellen, he did not make a bad move. Yvonne Rosemarovitch is too good to make

bad move. How can you possibly say he made a bad move?

I didn't say it. You did.

It's got to be a trap of some sort. You know, some hidden strategy I didn't pick

up on. Well, it's not plausible. It's probably a trap. It can't be a trap,

Ellen.

I played a million games of chess. I know a trap when I see one. What's wrong

with you?

You're right. I'm sorry.

Maybe I'm just underestimating myself.

I was playing a great game. Maybe he just got thrown. He got nervous and he

blundered. Well, that's probably what happened. He got nervous and he

He did not get nervous and blundered.

Ellen, he's an experienced tournament player.

He would not get nervous and blundered. Do you know how ridiculous you sound?

I'm sorry.

Bishop and I, too.

It's like he's throwing the match.

Why?

Listen, I gotta get back to my room. Talk to you later?

Yeah.

Hey, uh, Keaton.

Played on the tube today.

Looked pretty good.

Thanks. You gonna demolish that commie tomorrow?

Yeah, I'll do my best.

Rambo Keaton's gonna get the ruski.

Real chess lovers.

Yvonne, what are you doing here? I mean, come in.

Now, Cecil, do they let you walk around here?

I'm sorry.

Sit down. Are you allowed to sit down?

Yes, aren't you?

How are you doing?

Fine.

I was just taking a walk around the campus, relaxing a little.

Hey, you any good at this?

I've never played. Good. Great.

Finally, a game I'm better than you at.

Nice shot.

You are doing superbly.

In our chess match, I mean.

When did you first take off the game?

I don't know. I guess I've been in love with chess ever since I watched the...

The Bobby Fischer -Boris Basky World Championship, 1972?

That's right.

How did you know?

Watching that match on television was what got me interested in the game as

well. No kidding. Oh, yes.

Some of the most beautiful chess ever played. Are you telling me? It was

unbelievable.

Last game.

The last game? I know it by heart.

Move 36.

Remember, Spassky moved Bishop to King 6.

Fisher countered with King to Bishop 5. Right, Bishop to Queen 7.

Rook to Queen, Knight 8. After this, he could not lose.

He made those pieces dance.

I used to love the game so much when I was a boy.

Playing a game of chess was like going to another world where I had the power

make things happen from my imagination. It was the greatest thing in my life.

What about now?

Now there's no joy in the game for me anymore.

Now it's a prison.

I have to win all the time or I've...

I disgraced myself.

I disgraced my coach.

I disgraced the Soviet Union. All I ever wanted to be was a chess player.

I didn't want to be a flag for my country.

Yeah, but you are, Ivan.

I mean, I am too. That's part of being a great chess player. You play for the

honor of your country. I love my country as you love yours.

But the competition that exists is not healthy. Alex, why can't two people...

who love the game as we do, just play chess for the joy of it. Why does it

to be international standoff?

Because, Ivan, it's part of the friendly rivalry that exists between our two

nations.

It's like a piano competition, the Olympics, the arms race.

Well, I do not want to be part of it.

I'm tired of all this.

I want to be home with my family, with my friends.

I want all this to end.

Is that why you're throwing the match?

Bishop to knight two.

All I have to do is move queen to bishop six and the game's over.

You know that as well as I do. You lose it on purpose.

It's inappropriate to discuss the match during an adjournment. No, hang on,

Ivan.

I think I understand it now.

See, I am the first guy you played who's given you a close enough match so you

can lose without anyone thinking you lost intentionally. You flip in the

rankings, you're off the team, and it's over.

That's it, isn't it? I do not know what you're talking about.

Hi, darling. Your dad and I just got here.

Mal and Jen will be along in about a half an hour.

Great. Look, Eric, we're paying you good money for this. I wish you'd comment

more on the match.

Oh, all right. I think both players have handled themselves. Not now!

We're on the air.

I can't believe Yvonne is throwing this match.

Well... Honey, if he really wants to lose, there's not much you can do to

him.

I guess not.

For a player as good as Ivan is to throw a match, what the poor guy must be

going through.

Poor guy?

The same person you referred to yesterday as that cold, heartless

I call a lot of people that.

I know.

You're right.

You know, last night in the snack bar, there were a couple of guys, you know,

jerks, cheering me on to beat the commie.

And it shook me up, Mom, because I could hear myself saying that. In fact, I was

saying that just a couple of nights ago.

But the fact is, Yvonne is not a villain.

She's just a guy who likes to play chess.

It sounds to me like you really don't want to win that much anymore.

Not like this one.

So what are you going to do?

What choice do I have?

Edmund P. Lockridge is wafting over me, cheering me on.

Can't let him down.

Well, you never have before.

You want to know something, Mom?

It's a lot easier to hate a country than it is to hate a person.

I remember when hate was so simple.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back.

If the players are ready, we can resume play.

It is Mr. Keaton's turn.

Will you please say something?

Well, it looks like Keaton is going to queen to bishop six check.

That's a very strong move. It could well win the match for him.

Fair, was that so hard?

What are you doing? You were going to move your queen.

Yeah, well, as you know, Yvonne, the move is not final until I take my hand

the piece.

I've reconsidered.

I had to move my bishop. But the queen moved. It's the better move.

As you.

Why are you doing this?

To even things up, Ivana. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.

Follick, please.

No.

There. It's all even now.

Bad move for bad move.

Let's play some chess, pal.

Trying to make a move if you'll let go of my hand.

You're making a bad move on purpose again.

Well, there's quite a bit more grabbing going on in today's

session. I'll say that.

I'm not going to let you do it, Yvonne. Let go of my hand.

There.

The move is official now.

Oh, yeah?

That's an even worse move than you made.

This is worse than yours.

That's the worst move you'll ever see me make.

That is bad, but watch this.

Let go of my hand.

Whoa, some great action.

You're not putting that queen in this square of honor. Give it to me.

Gentlemen, what is the meaning of this?

I never thought I'd say this after a chess match, but nice tackle.

I was just talking to Nordstrom. He said that this is absolutely a chess first.

Both players disqualified for wrestling.

Look, Yvonne was trying to lose the match so he could drop out of

chess.

But I just didn't think a player that great should go out with a black mark on

his record.

Well, you took care of that, didn't you?

Alex, I'm proud of you.

Some people have to win at any cost.

You're just not like that.

Sure, Dad. Kick me while I'm down.

Come on, everyone. Let's go home.

If you don't mind, I'd kind of like to be alone for a while.

All right, well, let's just go home.

I don't think I'll take up chess.

It's too violent.

I forgot to take it with me.

Stay back!

How you doing?

My arm is a little sore, but the nurse at your infirmary said it was just a

sprain. My first chest injury.

Listen, Ivan, I hope... I mean, uh...

Siberia for this, are they?

Because I don't think that's right.

I mean, if anybody should go to Siberia, it should be me.

And I'll tell you leaders that. I will.

I mean, who do I call?

They're close now.

Don't worry, Alex. Neither of us are going to Siberia.

Well, what are you going to do? Are you going to quit playing tournaments?

Oh, I don't know.

When I get home, I'll talk it over with my parents.

I trust their opinion.

Sorry I put you through all this. No, I am glad you did what you did.

Alex, everyone I've encountered in the world of chess has treated me as either

hero or a villain.

But you acted out of concern for me.

Out of love for the game.

Right now I have a good feeling about the world of chess that I haven't had in

long while.

I consider you my friend, Alex.

Same here, Ivan.

Sorry.

You should visit me in the Soviet Union.

I would love to play another game of chess with you someday. No tournament,

two friends.

Who loved the game.

Listen, Ivan.

I'm not going to be in the Soviet Union for at least a couple of weeks.

So why don't we play now?

What? Why don't we play right now? No flag, no international rivalry, no

no cameras, nothing at stake.

There's a couple of guys who like to play chess.

All right.

All right.

I'll play you for a buck.

Sit, Ubu, sit.

Good dog.