Chess (London Version)

Act One

Behind a translucent gauze, a life-sized, ancient chess set stirs to life, bathed in a mystical blue glow. As the overture unfolds, the chess pieces reenact the legend of the game’s invention, moving with deliberate grace. Then, on the final words of "They thus invented Chess," the pieces align into their traditional starting positions, revealing a massive, underlit chessboard beneath them. The game’s history plays out in a stylized match, with captured pieces exiting one by one until only three remain. As two of them assist the third in shedding his elaborate costume, he is revealed as The Arbiter of the 1986 World Chess Championship. (The Story of Chess)

The Arbiter officially announces that the reigning champion, American bad boy Freddie Trumper, will defend his title against Soviet grandmaster Anatoly Sergievsky. The championship, held in Merano, Italy, will be decided by the first player to win six games.

Merano buzzes with excitement as the townspeople prepare