The Luzhin Defence Page #2

It's past midnight.

Good night, Papa.

Good serve!

Hello!

Oh. Hello.

I want you to be my wife.

I implore you to agree.

Now everything will be different

and wonderful. Everything will change.

You see, the first time...

when you spoke...

your voice...

All my life...

I've been waiting to hear...

All my life...

Please.

Please compose yourself.

Excuse me.

Do you not think, before proposing

marriage, you should ask me my name?

What is it?

Natalia Katkov.

I'm...

Aleksandr Ivanovich Luzhin.

Come on, Natalia!

- I have to finish my game.

- Ah. Yes.

I can only promise you...

that, in keeping with

the speed of events...

I'll try to give you

an answer soon.

Right.

Fetch the luggage.

Seven pieces, huh?

Yes?

- I've got questions.

- Yes.

- Lots of questions.

- Yes.

- Do you have any brothers or sisters?

- No.

- Any cousins?

- No.

Is there anyone

who had a significant influence?

I had an aunt.

Yes?

Apart from chess,

do you have any other abilities?

No... Yes.

I dance a little.

You dance?

Yes.

So...

there was a short life

before chess.

About ten years.

And then chess

became your whole life.

And then there was

the day before yesterday.

Yes.

When we met.

That's it.

The whole thing.

It's amazing.

You have

absolutely no small talk.

Yes.

You answer every question

with "yes" or "no"...

and you haven't asked me

a single one.

You have no flattering observations

to make whatsoever.

Am I not beautiful?

I don't know.

Exciting? Witty?

- Yes. You're...

- No, no, no.

It's fine.

It's welcome.

I like that part of you.

I can...

breathe.

It seems so much a part of you.

His name is Turati.

He's an Italian grand master.

Luzhin's main rival for the crown.

I was wondering if...

It's a perfect afternoon

for the lake.

Yes, it is...

but I've arranged

to meet my mother.

And don't ask her along too. The boat

will become very small indeed then.

I understand.

Mama, wait.

It isn't what you think.

He isn't here yet.

I'd like you to meet

Aleksandr Ivanovich Luzhin.

- I don't understand. Where is...

- Mama.

Aleksandr is a very famous

chess player.

So, why don't you two...

Yes.

How long have you

and my daughter been friends?

We met the day before yesterday.

Your daughter, she...

likes...

cooling beverages.

She enjoyed one earlier on.

There's a nice atmosphere here.

Yes, the hotel...

lake, flowers, footpath.

That's where I was struck.

Not with an arrow.

With a pebble.

I don't know what you mean.

Please, I, I must...

have an audience.

I have the honor...

the honor of begging

for your daughter's hand.

Isn't he amazing?

- Do you really despise me this much?

- I'm sorry?

He wants to...

To trick me into thinking I was

meeting a handsome, well-mannered...

And then that!

If you had listened.

But you ne...

Jean de Stassard

is a very charming man.

I, however, desire

something a little different.

A little different?

You will not see that lunatic again.

I want to send a telegram

to Berlin, urgently.

Ladies and gentlemen,

welcome to the opening ceremony...

of our world chess championship.

Il Signore Salvatore Turati

from Italy...

and Il Signore Aleksandr

Ivanovich Luzhin from Russia...

will each take on 20 players...

invited from our wonderful audience.

I did resist for ten moves against him.

I can tell my grandchildren about that.

Papa?

Natalia.

Oh, Papa, this is Jean de Stassard.

My father.

- How do you do?

- I'm honored, sir.

It's wonderful to see you,

but why have you come so early?

I mustn't intrude. I will leave

you two together. Excuse me.

What's the matter?

Well, he doesn't seem at all like

the dangerous, gloomy character...

your mother described

in her telegram.

She's had me chase her

across the length of Europe.

Donkeys were a particular favorite,

I recall.

Your whole childhood

was littered with stray animals.

I remember her duck.

I grew quite fond of that.

Poor, sick creatures

that were better off being put down.

Nothing was too far gone

for your compassion.

Mama, this is very dangerous.

As an adolescent, you were forever

having crushes on eccentrics.

Thank God you were

too shy to approach them.

You mean that writer

across the lake from...

And now these two fundamental flaws

in your character have combined...

to produce this...

liaison...

with...

With a man I've yet to meet.

No doubt that's the reason you're

not taking this matter more seriously.

I'm sure

when Papa does meet him...

he'll understand exactly why I think

that Aleksandr Ivanovich Luzhin...

is the most fascinating,

enigmatic and attractive man...

that I have ever met.

Mate.

Check.

Check.

Check.

Mate.

I'm beginning to get some idea

of how all the pieces take each other.

I saw him take on 20 players,

and he was in absolute control.

But in the end it's going to come down

to 2 players:
Aleksandr and an Italian.

You know that...

deep down your mother

has only one wish in life...

to see you happy.

I don't want you to judge him

when you first meet him.

He can appear slightly odd.

Come up to my room.

Come on.

Your mother isn't around.

- Aleksandr, please.

- Come up to my room.

Papa, this is

Aleksandr Ivanovich Luzhin.

Aleksandr, this is my father.

I'm sorry my wife

couldn't be with us.

She's a bit under the weather.

Ah, such a kind, sensitive woman.

We hit it off very well.

My dear.

So, after you've had

your game of chess...

I expect you'll be off to play

somewhere else, yes?

And how long are you

here for, exactly?

Mama.

By the way,

I've always wondered...

is there a move that

always enables one to win?

A move that one

always plays towards?

I see what you mean.

There are quiet moves

and strong moves.

A strong move is one

that gives an immediate advantage.

The capture of an important piece

or discovered check, perhaps...

or when a pawn is queened.

A quiet move implies trickery...

subversion, complication.

I see.

- No, I don't really.

- Let's take some position.

Take an ending from a recent game.

White had King C-3, Rook A-1...

Knight D-5,

Pawns B-2 and C-4.

- Now, black...

- Yes, a complicated thing, chess.

Black had the advantage, because white

overestimated his initiative's value...

after the exchange of queens.

Black had King A-5.

I needed a quiet move.

So...

I moved my pawn...

to B-3.

Why don't you tell us about

the early days when it all started?

Mama?

I was wrong.

Aleksandr does have a gift.

Quite a remarkable one.

We all missed it.

If only it wasn't so all-consuming.

It's like a fever with him.

The doctor stopped him playing once...

and we took him off to Europe to escape

the wretched game, but it didn't work.

I try to limit the hours

he spends at the board, but...

oh, the arguments.

I'm sure. And being a busy author and

artist, it must be quite a distraction.

Yes, it is.

That's what none of them understand...

the need to immerse oneself.

It must be very difficult for you.

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