The Luzhin Defence Page #4

Flag!

- Flag, Mr. Luzhin, on move 43.

- How many moves?

Flag on move 43, maestro.

Here are the moves, please.

Adjournment, gentlemen.

Mr. Luzhin will now seal

his next move.

Well, what did I miss?

Who's won?

They'll resume tomorrow.

It's very close. Very tense.

Thank you, maestro.

I've got it!

I've got it!

The whole piece!

I've cracked it!

Right there in front of me!

It's the rook!

It was the rook!

It was the rook!

Oh, yes!

Oh, it's the rook!

It's Rook H-3.

Do you understand?

Rook H-3.

If he moves, he can take my rook

and I mate him.

I mate him with my bishop on F-2.

He has no escape!

I've got it!

Thank you! Thank you!

Please, take me home!

Not a trace of alcohol.

No paralysis.

He's not an epileptic.

The condition is a consequence

of prolonged strain.

A complete nervous breakdown.

A catastrophe, Dottore Turati.

A real catastrophe, believe me.

Signore Luzhin is too ill to continue.

The tournament is over...

finished without conclusion.

Then by default,

the title must go to Dottore Turati.

No, no.

The rules are very clear.

There has to be a definite conclusion.

There will be no world champion.

The rules allow for illness.

Postpone the match for a few weeks until

he's back to his normal self again.

- But the doctor?

- Doctors.

The sicker the patient,

the bigger the fee they demand.

To have everything that you've achieved

in this tournament simply destroyed...

on the basis of one man's opinion...

doesn't sound very sensible.

Think.

He will need to know

I have your approval.

I will do the rest.

The game is his life.

If he stops...

He will be cured.

If he doesn't, it will kill him.

He's an addict.

I don't know if I have the right.

If joy can be found in one way...

it can be found in others...

in a balanced, ordered, normal life.

A "normal" life.

Is that what I have to reduce him to?

Sasha, my love.

This is very difficult.

It's so very difficult...

and I know you're going

to be confused and hurt by it.

You see, my love,

things can't be as we planned them.

The doctors are very adamant,

and so am I.

The only way to give you back your life

is to take chess out of it.

We will have a life together...

but you can never play chess again.

Listen to me.

Listen to me.

You are not going to the tournament.

The doctors say you cannot play.

The wretched game makes you ill!

So you will not play!

You will not play!

How good to see you

up and better again.

This is from all of us.

I'm so looking forward to you

finishing the game with Turati.

I want to see you pull off another

one of your brilliant defenses.

I could take you to see him now,

if you like.

You could finish the game.

No crowds, no fuss.

Just the two of you.

Needs to be finished.

Do you remember when you were a boy,

what I used to tell you?

Shine while you can.

This is the time to do it.

Please, allow me.

Go away. Aleksandr

isn't well enough for visitors.

You've always hated him, haven't you?

Born with a talent you never had.

I spent more than a decade

caring for Aleksandr.

Caring for him?

If this infatuation of yours even lasts

out the summer, I'd be surprised.

You made a fortune out of him,

and then you scuttled off to America.

You made a big mistake.

Without you, he did better than ever.

And then you couldn't stand the idea

of his being world champion.

Just allow him to finish this one game.

Then he can retire.

I told you, he's too ill to play.

Listen to me.

I know Aleksandr better than you

could ever hope to, and trust me...

even in this state

he could still play his finest game.

Or your newfound friend Turati

could have a very easy win indeed.

And then you could spend

the next ten years exploiting him.

I'll come and see you again soon,

old friend, hmm?

This world tournament

will be concluded.

No visitors.

Doctor's orders.

We came to see how things are.

We've waited this long

out of delicacy...

knowing how difficult things

must be for you, now that he's...

so different.

My darling, no one will blame you

for changing your mind. No one.

It's started to rain.

Have you really thought this through?

About the future?

Your future?

I will not abandon him,

and that's the end of it.

Then you'll end up

in the madhouse with him.

Soon we have to leave this place.

Good.

But you have to turn your mind

in a new direction...

that has nothing to do with chess.

Yes.

"A short life before chess...

then the lost years...

and now here we are. "

That's it, exactly.

My dear Aleksandr...

the so-called experts continue

to argue about the outcome.

Although black

has short-term threats...

there's no perpetual check,

let alone a freak mate.

Of course, black can immediately

regain the piece...

but afterwards he will have

one way or another...

to defend a most unpleasant

opposite bishop ending.

Then, there are only two of you

who can finish this game.

Let me remind you

of the adjourned position.

There's a pattern emerging.

A definite pattern.

Not Turati. I beat that game.

I've beaten him.

His moves are repeated,

repeated, repeated moves.

I must keep track of every second.

Every second I must keep track of.

Every second.

It sounds like such a lonely battle.

Please don't go away from me again.

It's been thrown together.

I've never seen a hem like it.

No more fussing now, Mama.

It's fine.

You look so beautiful.

I promise I'll keep the howling

to a minimum.

This was your grandmother's.

She gave it to me on my wedding day.

Your mother-in-law to be gave me

strict orders to see you off.

It's the least I could do

for an old friend...

drive him to his wedding on time.

We just have to make

one brief stop...

on our way in order to honor

a previous commitment.

Everything's been taken care of.

Natalia will wait.

It will just be you,

Turati and myself...

and a couple of officials to make sure

that everything is legal.

I'm quite certain Natalia

would rather marry a world champion.

Imagine what a wonderful wedding

present that would be for her.

Where is she? Natalia!

Natalia!

I have to get to her.

No! That's a wrong move!

It's an obvious move!

No. Natalia!

A glass...

A glass king.

A beautiful glass king.

I've got the king, but I need...

the whole army!

It's here somewhere!

It was here somewhere!

I've got the king,

but I need the whole army!

Aleksandr, will you listen to me!

Aleksandr, open this door!

Listen to me.

Listen to me.

Aleksandr, open this door!

You are not going to the tournament.

The doctors say you cannot play.

The wretched game makes you ill.

So you will not play!

You will not play!

Sasha, please open the door.

As Pushkin's doomed duellist said...

"Let's start, if you're willing. "

Sasha, open the door.

What is it?

He was trying to defend.

There are also several lines.

But then at the end...

he went back on himself.

Something he'd given up

at the very beginning.

Just four moves.

He thinks it's hopeless.

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