ENDGAME

The final contest between Freddie Trumper and Anatoly Sergievsky. All protagonists, delegates, observers, etc. take up positions during the choral chanting of the chess champions’ names. Anatoly is missing. Freddie looks relaxed. The Arbiter in charge.

ALL
1886 - WILHELM STEINITZ
1894 - EMANUEL LASKER
1921 - JOSE CAPABLANCA
1927 - ALEXEI ALEKHINE
1935 - MACHGIELIS EUWE
1948 - MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK

ARBITER
Welcome to the final game in this world championship. With all scores level, Mr. Trumper, the world champion, needs only a draw to retain his title. Mr. Sergievsky needs an outright win, but more important, Mr. Sergievsky needs to turn up. He has five minutes in which to do so.

ALL
DID YOU MAKE IT CLEAR
THAT HE HAS TO BE HERE?
DOES HE UNDERSTAND
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS?

ARBITER
HOW STRAIGHTFORWARD THE GAME
WHEN ALL ITS RULES ARE RESPECTED.

ALL
1957 - VASSILY SMYSLOV

ARBITER
AND THOSE RULES ARE THE SAME
FOR A CHAMPION OR FOR A NOVICE
NO SHOW, NO DICE, NO APPEAL
NO EXCEPTION, NO WAY.

(Enter Walter, Molokov and Svetlana)

ALL
1960 - MIKHAIL TAL
1963 - TIGRAN PETROSIAN

WALTER (to Molokov, sarcastic)
NOW WHEN YOU RAN THE SHOW
A PLAYER WOULD NEVER GO MISSING!

ALL
1969 - BORIS SPASSKY.

WALTER
I EXPECT THAT THEY'RE BOTH
MAKING THE MOST OF HIS FREEDOM
LUCKY FOR US THAT THE LAST THING THAT MATTERS IS CHESS.

ALL
1972 - ROBERT 'BOBBY' FISCHER

MOLOKOV (contemptuous)
IT'S THE WEAK WHO ACCEPT
TAWDRY UNTRUTHS ABOUT FREEDOM.

ALL
1975 - ANATOLY KARPOV.

MOLOKOV
PROSTITUTING THEMSELVES
CHASING SOME SPURIOUS STARLIGHT
TRINKETS IN AIRPORTS SUFFICIENT TO LEAD THEM ASTRAY.

ALL
1985 - GARRY KASPAROV.

SVETLANA (cold and clear)
DOES THE PLAYER EXIST
IN ANY HUMAN ENDEAVOR?
WHO'S BEEN KNOWN TO RESIST
SIRENS OF FAME AND POSSESSIONS?
NOTHING CAN HARM THE SUCCESSFUL EXCEPT FOR SUCCESS!

ALL
WE ARE ALL AWARE OF REPUTATION
BUT THIS EMPTY CHAIR IS CONDEMNATION
OF A MAN WHO BLEW IT, SOLD OUT WITH DISHONOR.

NO ONE GIVES A DAMN FOR HIS DILEMMA
JUST ANOTHER SCAM, WE'RE SICK OF THEM, A
PETULANT DISPLAY, ANOTHER PRIMA DONNA.

WE CAN HARDLY BEGIN TO
IMAGINE WHY HE'D RISK ALL HE'S PUT INTO
HIS CALLING THROUGH THE YEARS
THE BLOOD, THE SWEAT, THE TEARS
THE LATE, LATE NIGHTS, THE EARLY STARTS.

OF COURSE THE EFFECT IS
EXACTLY WHAT OBSERVERS WILL EXPECT, VIZ.
THE WORLD IS SET TO CHEER
THE ONLY ONE WHO'S HERE
THE BAD GUY'S GONE AND WON THEIR HEARTS.

(Florence enters.)

ALL
IS HE STILL IN BED?
OR IN THE SHOWER?
EVEN IF HE'S DEAD
THEY WON'T ALLOW A
MAN TO SHOW UP AFTER THE APPOINTED HOUR.

(Music builds. Anatoly enters at the last possible moment. Reactions among the protagonists)

ANATOLY
THEY ALL THINK THEY SEE A MAN
WHO DOESN'T KNOW
WHICH MOVE TO MAKE
WHICH WAY TO GO
WHOSE PRIVATE LIFE
CAUSED HIS DECLINE
WRECKED HIS GRAND DESIGN
SOME ARE VICIOUS, SOME ARE FOOLS
AND OTHERS BLIND
TO SEE IN ME
ONE OF THEIR KIND

(Anatoly takes his place at the board and makes a confident opening play. Freddie is unsettled by Anatoly’s sure play but relies strongly)

FREDDIE
SO HE HASN'T CRACKED
HE STILL CAN CUT IT!
MAYBE IT'S AN ACT -
IT MUST BE - BUT IT
MADE US ALL BELIEVE THAT
HE COULD EVEN SIT HERE

ANATOLY
NEVER LET THEM KNOW
THEIR EYES AFFECT YOU
NEVER LET IT SHOW
THEY WON'T SUSPECT YOU
MEAN TO LET THEM WIN
THERE'S NO ONE GOING TO QUIT HERE

(Anatoly makes a particularly decisive move - Freddie is taken aback.)

FLORENCE & SVETLANA (during which a stylised version of the game continues)
HERE WE HAVE TWO MEN CARING
ABOUT A MINOR SPORTING TRIUMPH, SHARING
A SHOW WITH ESOTERICS,
PARANOIDS, HYSTERICS
WHO DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO
WHAT GOES ON AROUND THEM
THEY LEAVE THE ONES THEY LOVE THE WAY THEY FOUND THEM
IS THIS THE LIFE THEY NEED?
A CHIDLISH, SELFISH GREED
WHILE THOSE AROUND THEM BLEED TO DEATH

ANATOLY (dramatically)
CHECK!
(Freddie is taken aback)
THEN I THINK OF HER
HER AND HER FATHER
WHAT WOULD SHE PREFER?
I KNOW I'D RATHER
NEVER WIN AGAIN THAN FEEL
THAT I'D BETRAYED THEM

(Freddie moves, Anatoly counters)

ARBITER (taking over the calling)
CHECK!
(clearly Anatoly attacking Freddie)

FREDDIE
MY GOD, HE'S NOT GONNA CRACK -

ANATOLY
WHICH MEANS THAT MY DECISION
REALLY ISN'T VERY HARD AT ALL -

FREDDIE
HE’S POSSESSED BY GUILT AND FEAR

ANATOLY
SO HERE WE ARE
THE FINAL STAGES OF A SOUL-DESTROYING GAME
THE SACRIFICE OF SOMETHING I SHALL NEVER FIND AGAIN

ARBITER
CHECK!
(Again, Anatoly attacking)

ANATOLY
NEVER!

('Check' and 'Never' are repeated by the Arbiter and Anatoly respectively as Anatoly makes a series of moves that destroy Freddie)

NEVER!!!

(Checkmate. Anatoly wins. Freddie turns his king over.)

FREDDIE
ON THE LOSING SIDE!
A VARIATION!
TAKEN FOR A RIDE
A SITUATION
THAT IS KNOWN AS DUES AND
FLORENCE, I JUST PAID THEM!

ANATOLY
THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO DO
MY CHOICE IS MADE
THE DIE IS CAST
THE GAME IS PLAYED
AND SO AT LAST
I HAVE FREEDOM!

ARBITER
Mr. Sergievsky is the winner and becomes the new world champion.

(All observers go to applaud. Anatoly gestures for silence and says quietly)

ANATOLY
And I shall be leaving Bangkok this evening - on the flight to Moscow!

(A stunned silence, then gradually a buzz builds towards fresh chaos. The final fanfare starts as Anatoly is surrounded by admirers. Downstage, Freddie is desolate. He exchanges a look with Florence, then stares at the board in disbelief before beginning his exit.)

CHORUS
WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED HISTORY MADE!
THIS IS THE FIRST CHAMPION IN EXILE!
WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR INTERNATIONAL CHESS!

(All exit amidst great jubilation. Molokov slapping Anatoly on the back, Svetlana embracing him. As they depart, Florence is left as if frozen, downstage.)