Show Synopsis:
The world chess championship between Frederick Trumper from America and Anatoly Sergievsky from the Soviet Union will take place in the Italian town of Merano during the Cold War. Freddie is sleeping with his second, Florence Vassy, and Anatoly wonders if chess is what he really wants to be doing with his life. During the first match, Freddie barges out the arena under pressure and argues with Florence, reminding her of her missing father captured by the Soviets during the Hungarian Revolution. Florence begins to fall in love with Anatoly as he advances in the tournament. Florence leaves Freddie, who resigns from the competition, but her romance with Anatoly and his desire to defect from the Soviet Union make people doubt his loyalty to his country. A year later, the competition is held in Bangkok, Thailand, with Anatoly playing against Leonid Viigand and Freddie present as a special presenter. Anatoly's wife Svetlana is joining them for the championship, causing tension between Anatoly and Florence. Viigand is being coached by Anatoly's old second Molokov, who is plotting Anatoly's downfall by blackmailing Svetlana, manipulating Freddie, and bribing Florence with her father's potential release from prison. None of these attempts are successful, and Anatoly manages to win against Viigand. Florence asks him to go back to Svetlana, who is not fond of him at the moment, and she is told that her father may not even be alive. 	

Character:
Florence Vassy, a beautiful Hungarian woman skilled at chess who was raised in England; manipulative and proactive; strongwilled; loves Freddie but is eventually tired of dealing with his brashness.	

Song Context:
While Anatoly seeks asylum from the British embassy to defect from the Soviet Union following his championship, Florence reflects on the change in her affections and what the future might hold for her and Anatoly.	

Fun Facts:
1) The creators of Chess drew on the lives of chess grandmasters Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov, and Viktor Kichnoi. 
2) The songs of Chess were originally released on a concept album before a production had been staged. Elaine Paige sang the role of Florence and later reprised the role in the West End world premiere. 
3) Jill Paice played Florence in DC's Signature Theatre's revised version of Chess in 2010. In an interview with DCTheatreScene.com, she said that Florence is "at a point in her life where she?s tired of not being listened to. At the top of the show she even says, 'I feel I need a change of cast.' She?s ready for a change and here comes Anatoly Sergievsky into her life, and he treats her completely different than Freddie. There is a kind of tenderness and a quick love between them, so much that Anatoly is willing to defect to America. She is a strong lady to play, which is wonderful, because you don?t always find strong women in musical theatre. Usually it?s the women who are fooling the men around hoping to get some attention. It?s nice being the one who?s putting her foot down, and explaining what she means, and pursuing what she wants."