Original subtitles

Did you win?

Of course.

How many moves?

Twenty.

Still club champion?

You know it, Harry.

That's my kid brother.

Here you go.

I don't plan on using this tonight, but, uh...

Always be prepared, huh?

♪ ♪

Mrs. Taylor?

Mrs. Taylor?

What do you want?

Take anything.

Anything you want.

I-I'll be quiet.

Take it!

I don't care, but don't, don't hurt me, please!

Are you Mrs. Taylor...

Whose husband died last month?

Unfortunately his death

put very valuable stock voting rights into your hands.

The situation can be remedied only by...

the suicide of the distraught widow.

No!

I'll give you anything.

Anything.

My contract calls for your death, Mrs. Taylor.

Oh, no...

Please...

Having trouble with the bike?

Yeah, the plugs keep fouling.

What fuel mixture are you using?

20-to-one.

Maybe you ought to try 32-to-one.

Good morning, Mr. Phelps.

Peter Cordel, a killer for hire

is a man of extraordinary intelligence.

Although we are certain that he has murdered

at least nine persons,

conventional law enforcement agencies have never been able

to obtain the evidence even to arrest him.

More importantly, we have been unable to identify

the Syndicate employer for whom all these murders

are thought to have been committed.

Your mission, Jim, if you decide to accept it,

is to get Cordel and to learn the identity of his employer.

This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.

Good luck, Jim.

The Mid-Town Chess Club has accepted my credentials

as Dr. Charles Gregory.

He's an accredited Illinois chess master.

Cordel accepted the challenge.

We play the first game of the match tonight at 9:00.

Are you set, Barney?

Yes, Jim.

I have a camera lens here, here and here.

I'll be able to see any chess table you play on.

And the computer will be able to solve any chess problem

within a few seconds.

Hidden inside of those is a two-way radio.

Now, the receiver is a highly sensitive

bone conduction device.

The signal can only be heard by the person wearing them.

Sandy?

Leslie Harper.

He's a new face from a new crime syndicate

in the Southeast.

He arrives on the 10:00 plane tonight, Jim,

to meet Cordel at the West End Bar at 11:00 p.m.

Our information is that Harper

is carrying some kind of I.D.

that will identify him to Cordel.

Mm-hmm.

What about the drug, Barney?

Just a drop will make Cordel easily susceptible to hypnosis.

It will absorb through his fingers?

Right.

Okay, according to club rules,

white goes to the challenger for the first game of the match.

So Cordel will be black.

Right.

Dr. Adler.

These pills will simulate death long enough to convince Cordel.

Mm-hmm.

Peter Cordel is highly intelligent, he's charming,

but above all,

he's a cold-blooded professional killer.

Getting him to lead us to his boss won't be easy.

You've given me a very warm and cordial welcome, Mr. Harley.

I appreciate it.

The pleasure is indeed ours, Dr. Gregory.

Jim, if you read me, clear your throat.

Beautiful chessmen.

Well, thank you.

Uh, here he is, our club champion, Mr. Cordel.

Your challenger, Dr. Charles Gregory.

Mr. Cordel.

Gentlemen, have a good match.

Thank you. Thank you.

I was just admiring the chessmen.

I've heard that you're a very hard man to beat, Doctor.

Medicine, philosophy?

Psychiatry.

An expert of the mind in a game of the mind.

Mr. Harley tells me you've just moved to our city.

Yes, I just opened my offices.

I'm on staff of County Hospital.

Would you mind if we either finished

or adjourned by 11:00?

I have an important business appointment.

No, 11:00 is fine.

Knight to queen bishop three.

Would you recheck the passenger list, please.

Harper, first name, Leslie.

Should have come in on Flight 9.

Pawn to king three.

Yes, Willie?

We may have a problem.

Harper didn't show on Flight 9.

It's been confirmed that Cordel has an 11:00 appointment.

Let's go as planned.

Bishop takes pawn, Jim.

Bishop to knight seven.

Checkmate, Jim.

Checkmate.

Perhaps I should have taken

a doctor of psychiatry more seriously.

You know, the match is two games out of three.

Well, tomorrow is Saturday.

Are you free in the afternoon?

2:00, here?

Fine.

Good night.

Good night, Doctor.

Oh, uh, Mr. Cordel, do you happen to have a cigarette? I'm all out.

Oh, Samuels, old boy, what did you think of the match?

I only saw a little of it.

Thanks.

Cordel...

you're falling asleep.

Sleep... sleep...

sleep... sleep...

sleep...

You're going into a very deep sleep.

Five, four, three,

two, one.

You're now in a deep sleep.

If you can hear me, close your eyes.

Now I'm going to give you some instructions.

When you awaken, you will follow them explicitly,

do you understand that?

Yes, I understand.

Now you will do as follows:

Chess is not just a game of intelligence, no, no.

Nor is it just physical stamina.

There is something, something of the sort

of the intellectual stamina that must prevail.

From now on, you'll fall into a deep sleep

each time you hear the words,

"When in doubt, take a pawn."

Take a pawn...

You will awaken each time,

according to the instructions that I have given you.

You will not remember my voice.

Now sleep

until you hear your name.

Absolutely brilliant

if it had been bishop to knight two.

It's an infallible ploy.

Uh, well, I don't really wish to detain you.

I'll walk you to your car.

That'll be fine, Dr. Adler.

Yes, very interesting really.

Very, very interesting.

Well, good night.

Good night, Dr. Adler.

You know, Samuels,

we must play a match sometime.

Cordel?

Sheer luck

that he won, old boy, just sheer luck!

What? I beg your pardon?

Your-your-your match with Gregory.

You played perfectly

until the 16th move.

Then it should have been bishop to knight two.

You were watching the game?

Yes, yes, of course. Bishop to knight two.

No. I was threatened from other directions as well.

Oh, no, no, no, not at all. No, no, no.

In the 18th move,

if you'd taken bishop with bishop...

He would have taken my pawn with knight for check.

That'-that's nonsense!

You could have countered!

That is nonsense!

I would have had to move king to queen one!

Ridiculous!

You don't even seem

to have the board in mind at all!

Who are you, the club bore?!

It's elementary! When in doubt,

take a pawn!

Very well. Would you just step this way?

Cordel.

Is everything okay?

So far.

Harper still hasn't shown.

Have you heard from Jim?

Yes. Cordel's on his way. He'll be here any minute.

Harper.

Leslie Harper?

Cordel?

No, I'm his man.

You're late. Come with me, please.

Right in here.

Evening, Mr. Cordel.

Scotch.

Yes, sir.

Double.

Uh, martini, please.

Cordel, if you had taken bishop for bishop...

He would have taken my pawn with knight for check.

Nonsense, absolutely nonsense.

I would have had to move king to queen one.

Ridiculous!

Who are you, the club bore?

Here it is.

Good.

Waiting for someone?

I thought I had a business appointment.

So did I.

Thanks, but not tonight.

By the way... my name is Leslie Harper.

Another double.

I was expecting a man.

My parents were to blame.

All right, Leslie, what is your boss's offer?

50% higher than what your present employer is paying you.

There may be complications.

I'm prepared to negotiate.

I live at the Glenville Towers, that's an apartment-hotel.

Are there apartments available?

I'm sure there are.

Harry?

Yeah, I saw this in this morning's paper. So what?

Some nut probably did it.

I just thought you'd like to know.

The boss is getting a little nervous.

I mean, we don't want Pete

going around doing jobs for other people.

Harry,

it would be a good idea to keep your brother away

from that club for a while.

He would have taken my pawn with knight for check.

Nonsense. Absolute nonsense!

I would have had to move king to queen one.

Ridiculous!

There's a torpedo downstairs, one of the Man's.

He's just a little bit bugged about that thing that happened

at the Chess Club the other night.

He thinks you did it.

Well, I didn't.

Pete, why don't you go away for a while,

have a little rest, huh?

Stay away from the chess club altogether.

Are you trying to tell me what I can and cannot do?

All right, all right, okay. All right, Pete.

You're number one, but at least can we talk

about this other thing, that chick?

There's nothing to talk about.

Look, she's trying to get you away from the Man.

With a better offer.

He has an exclusive on you! You know that!

Will he take me to court over it?

Aw, come on, Pete!

Harry, that's all.

That just could be.

Answer it.

My brother, Harry, Miss Harper.

Hello.

He has a low opinion of your offer.

I could sweeten it considerably.

I'm sure you could.

I'm sure I would like to.

Peter...

I'd like you to come over to us

for more than just business reasons.

The proposition interests me, but...

there might be some complications.

Peter Cordel?

I'm Lieutenant Williams.

Yes, I... guess I've been expecting you.

About the chess club.

Come in, please.

Thank you.

Lieutenant Williams, Miss Harper.

Miss Harper.

A man was killed behind my chess club last night.

It was in the papers this morning.

I'm afraid I can't be of any help, Lieutenant.

Would you like me to...?

That's quite all right, Miss Harper.

I arrived at the West End Bar promptly at five after 11:00.

Mr. Cordel

came in almost behind me.

Mm-hmm. Well, I guess that about wraps it up.

I hope you understand that,

because the club meeting was just about over,

I had to question everyone who was there.

Of course.

In fact, I'll be at the club myself this afternoon.

So will I.

I have a match going.

Good luck.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miss Harper.

I didn't get to the West End Bar until 11:20.

I know.

I don't want you to be inconvenienced

for something that doesn't concern you.

I agree.

You play chess?

Mm-hmm.

You play it well?

I do everything well.

I'm playing a Dr. Gregory this afternoon at 2:00.

That doesn't give us much time, does it?

Enough.

Not... if you have a chess game at 2:00.

I'll see you later, Peter.

You stay away from my brother, or I'll kill you.

Sorry I'm late, Mr. Cordel.

Had an emergency at the hospital.

That's all right.

Interesting case, actually.

Dementia praecox, extraordinary delusions.

Delusions?

Yes, uh, the man was a soldier, a career officer.

Some commando outfit in Vietnam.

His job was to kill.

What kind of delusions did he have?

Well, about what you'd expect.

You know, um, a race driver dreams of winning,

a killer dreams of killing.

Then for him it was normal?

Yes, dreams of combat, firefights...

But always ending up with him killing the enemy.

At least, that's how it started.

You mean it changed?

Yes. The dream became a reality for him.

He killed a fellow officer.

In cold blood, for no reason?

Well, he said there was an argument.

Well, then for him it was real, motivated.

There's no delusion about that, is there?

Ah, but for him, the argument was part of the delusion.

There was a witness.

He said that my patient and the man that he killed

were standing quietly, watching a sunset...

Bang!

A classic form of insanity.

Well, shall we begin?

Would you consider it a default if I requested a postponement?

No, not at all.

♪ ♪

Mr. Cordel,

I want to talk to you.

Over here.

Did you see that stop sign, you stupid...

Don't worry about a thing... I'm insured.

It'll be taken care of. Oh, no, you don't.

If it's not an arrest, why to headquarters?

Questions, Mr. Cordel.

You already questioned me.

That was before I got the statement from the bartender.

You had Miss Harper's statement.

Not enough.

When in doubt, take a pawn.

Didn't you hear that? Let me go!

You're not leaving the scene of an accident.

Look, I told you my insurance company will take care of it.

Now, let me go! I don't care!

You're not leaving here till we get this settled, mister!

I said, let me go!

Okay, mister, you'll be hearing from me!

Hello, Peter.

Over here.

I don't remember

giving you a key.

The door was open.

I always lock the door.

Not this time.

All right, what happened?

What happened back there? And what's she doing here?

What do you mean, what happened? What'd you see?

You know! I don't know! I can't remember!

I...

I-I blacked out.

Aw, come on, Pete, I can't buy that.

What is the matter with you?

Somebody doing something to you?

You act like you're on drugs or something.

Don't listen to him, Peter... when in doubt, take a pawn.

Pete?

Pete!

What is the matter with you, Pete!?

Snap out...

He's out.

Cordel...

why did you do it, Peter, why?

My brother...

I killed him, my own brother.

Cordel?

Cordel?

Mr. Cordel?

Uh...

Doctor?

Dr. Gregory.

You remember, from the chess club?

My brother!

My brother!

You're in the prison ward at County Hospital.

Mental section.

Then I did kill him?

The detective...

Dr. Adler... so the police say.

Do you remember that?

Oh, then I am insane?

All right, just take it easy.

Try to calm down.

Just try to be calm.

Oh!

Now let's say that you're... mentally ill.

But, for illness, there are possible cures, with help.

You mean, your help, psychiatric help?

Yes, that's right.

And with the help and the moral support of your friends.

My brother was the only friend I had.

According to the police,

there was a woman there who was very concerned about you.

Some kind of a relative?

A woman...

Harper, Leslie Harper?

I think that's it.

Is she a cousin?

Yeah...

Yeah.

Psychiatric

and legal help, huh?

From the look of it, there should be a plea of insanity

or temporary insanity.

But we'll talk about it...

We'll get it all out in the open.

Uh, have I, have I talked?

Did I say anything peculiar when I was passed out?

Don't you worry about what you said.

I'll send for you.

And we'll start talking.

♪ ♪

Uh, am I, uh, to see the doctor now?

Huh?

Hey, what, uh,

what are you doing?!

Hey, what are you, uh...

what are you doing to me?!

Hey!

What's the matter with you?!

Help!

Help!

Help!

Hey, what's the matter with you?!

Help! Help!

Now lay off that button, mister.

There's no room service here.

He tried to kill me.

The other attendant... He tried to kill me!

Oh, yeah, I know, well, don't let it bother you.

It happens around here all the time.

Wait a minute, I'm telling you he tried to kill me!

You want to be put in a jacket,

or are you gonna calm down?

Okay, wait...

All right... okay.

Oh yeah, you've got a visitor,

but I think she'd better come back some other time.

"She?" Uh, Harper, Leslie Harper?

Yeah, I'll tell her to come back again.

No, wait, wait a minute!

Uh... the doctor said I could have visitors.

Ask him!

Ask him if I can see her now.

I'm all right. I-I'm telling you, I'm calm.

I'll calm down.

Ask him. Dr. Gregory.

Okay, you just take it easy and I'll go check with the doc.

Yeah, okay.

He'll be coming out of it in a little while.

You can have him then.

Peter.

I'm glad you came.

But, uh...

I don't understand why.

Because you're in trouble.

Yeah.

My employer knows that I'm here,

and he's afraid

of what the doctors might get out of me...

Names, my employer's name.

He's already tried to have me killed.

Now I've got to get out of here, fast.

I want you to deliver a message to my employer.

In person to make sure that he gets it.

He's to call off his dogs

and get me out of here today,

or I'll name him to the police.

All right.

But how do I find him?

You don't find him.

He finds you.

Go to a phone and call

555-6784 and follow the instructions.

555-6784.

All right.

But how will I know it's really your boss when I meet him?

In 1892, Steinitz defeated Tchigorin

in a chess game of 29 moves.

Ask the man that you meet to name the winning move.

The correct answer is queen to bishop four.

Queen to bishop four.

Okay.

All right.

He's still out.

Give him 15 minutes or so before you start asking any questions.

I'll have an attendant up here very shortly.

Ten minutes.

He said he'd call back in five.

Yes.

Yes, I called.

I'm Leslie Harper, a friend of Peter's.

I came to visit him here when I read about it.

I'm sorry.

He said to deliver the message to you in person

or he would name names.

All right.

In 30 minutes at the intersection

of Route 23 and Diablo Road.

Water.

Water, could I have some water?

Want a lift, Miss?

I'm waiting to deliver a message.

Get in.

Well, Miss Harper, what is the message?

Peter said to make sure you're the person I'm supposed to meet.

I'm here.

What else do you want?

In 1892, Steinitz beat Tchigorin

in a chess game of 29 moves.

What was the final move?

That's a question for you, Alex.

Yes?

This is Harry Cordel.

There's something wrong here.

The cops got me and ten-to-one they got Pete, too.

He met this blonde chick

and I feel she's rigged something.

You might be right.

The final move of the Steinitz victory

was queen to bishop four.

But I didn't know policewomen

were interested in chess.

Keep her quiet.

The one in front.