Show Synopsis:
The world chess championship between 
Frederick Trumper from America and Anatoly Sergievsky from the Soviet Union is set to 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:
Svetlana, Anatoly?s steadfast wife.

Song Context:
Sveltana has traveled to Bangkok from the Soviet Union to see her husband, completely aware that their relationship has deteriorated. She is being bribed to convince him to lose to Freddie, and although she does not love her position, she wants to be reunited with the man she once knew.

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, and Barbara Dickson sang the role of Svetlana, although she was unable to reprise the role for the West End premiere. 
3. Marcia Mitzman played the role of Svetlana when the heavily revised version of Chess went to Broadway for a short time in 1988.