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.