Chess: The LARP

by ChibiSilverWings

A full set of character sheets, setting and cast in order to play as the characters. Set in Bangkok before the final match between Vigand and Anatoly, this game is basically playing out most of the second act of the musical.

Before I start, I want to explain that this is technically a playable game rather than a fanfic. The documents included can be printed out in order to play. If you don't know how aLARP wirks, you can feel free to email me and ask. But at the basic level, this is a game where 16 people get together and each take a character to play from Chess (and a few more characters to flesh out the cast). The full zip folder of the files is available here: .com/#/d393hws

Without further ado, here is the Setting, Cast List and Characters for you to enjoy.

Chess the musical is subject to copywrite, by Tim Rice, Richard Nelson, Benny Andersson, and Björn Ulvaeus, etc. You should never use this game for any sort of profit, just a fair-use game that'll allow other people to run the game for fun if they enjoy the concept or the musical's many iterations. If you have any comments or variations you did or enjoyed I'd be delighted to hear from you and might even add them to the original for other players to try! Email me at if you'd like to comment.

SETTING

The year is 1980, and the location, the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok. The reason that you've all gathered here today is to celebrate in anticipation of the final match for the World Chess Federation Championship. The two contestants, who are both present this evening, are current champion Anatoly Sergievsky and challenger Leonid Vigand. At the start of the match, Sergievsky dominated, winning five straight victories, but before he could clench the sixth needed to win, Vigand made an unheard of comeback. They are currently tied at 5-5 games. This final match will settle the tie and declare the winner.

But below the surface, more than just the Championship title is at stake. In the mountain town of Merano, Italy just one year ago, an epic struggle of ideals and politics took place during the Championship chess matches between the reigning American champion, Freddie Trumper and the Russian challenger, Anatoly Sergievsky.

The matches were heavily overshadowed by the audience and press focus of East vs West. The media hyped the tension, and Freddie, a man of spectacle and controversy, made it a hobby to sensationalize the conflict even further. None of this did much to help bolster the supposed air of cooperation. He made antagonizing statements, threw tantrums and caused increased media attention by playing the man you love to hate. He kept the press on their toes, wondering if the arrogant American would beat the kindly Russian.

By Freddie's side, trying to improve his public image and combat negative press, was his chess second Florence Vassy. After a particularly nasty temper tantrum was unleashed on Vassy, she was driven into the arms of Sergievsky. By the end of last year's championship, Trumper had lost almost every game against Sergievsky in his distress over the loss of Vassy. And after winning, Sergievsky riled up the media even more by leaving the Soviet Union and his family behind. He got his passport and ran off to Britain with Vassy after winning the championship, where he's been for the past year.

The aftershocks from the events one year ago can still be felt strongly at this party. Many of the attendees have a history, and though everyone there is striving to keep up a pleasant facade, hidden motives lurk behind every smile. This year, Sergievsky will be playing for the West, and the representative from the East seems eager to grasp the championship for the countrymen who were scorned by last year's desertion. Who will grasp the victory? No one is sure, but everyone has an agenda. Beware...

GENERAL CHARACTER SHEET

Anatoly Sergievsky – A Russian born chess champion, defending his title at this year's match. He's never been much interested in politics nor the spotlight but he's been thrust into it for his controversial defection to the West after his win last year.

Alexander Molokov – The charismatic head adviser for the Russian player, Vigand. He also acts as a representative of the Soviet way of life, making sure that the press keeps their eyes on the good side of communism.

Freddie Trumper – An American chess prodigy, and former chess champion. He's now helping Global Television by working with them as a special interest interviewer. He has a bit of a history with Vassy and Sergievsky because of his actions in the championship last year.

Florence Vassy – The chess second of Sergievsky. She was rumored to be a key factor in Trumper's loss last year and in Sergievsky's defection. She's a British citizen with a strong personality; she never shows any weakness to the press.

Leonid Vigand – The Russian who is competing for the championship title. He is very loyal to his countrymen and wants to win the title to bring glory back the the East. He's fairly quiet in a room of big personalities, but he's called the "chess-playing machine" because of his methodical playing.

Walter de Courcy – A producer working for Global Television. He seems to talk to a lot of important people. He oversees many stories the press sends out and spends lot of time with Trumper.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Anatoly's lovely wife, who has been let out of the Soviet Union to see him after a full year of his absence. The two have a family together and it's been rumored that her arrival is something of a veiled threat to Sergievsky.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – A man who lives and dies by the rules of chess. He loves the game and would do anything to make sure that no one corrupts the chess match. He judges the games.

Derrek/Daria Cook – The head Global TV host(ess) is a common face on international news. He/She is known for always getting the most hard-hitting stories and the juiciest drama in any story. He/She would never miss a chance to make breaking news.

William/Wilma Hunter – The dedicated Global TV camera-person. He/She has worked with Cook for many years, and though he/she is too shy to contribute to the verbal portion of the news, often the ideas that he/she contributes are vital to the interviews.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – He/She seems to be writing a novel about this year's and last year's chess championships. He/She ask a lot of questions and take a lot of notes, especially focusing on the Global TV employees for some reason.

Addrian Lakatos – A older man from the Soviet Union with a Hungarian accent. He looks very worn out and doesn't seem very interested in the chess match. He arrives with Molokov.

Secondary Roles:

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – Molokov's assistant and Vigand's chess second. He/She seems fairly soft-spoken, though next to Vigand it's hard to tell.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – An honored American spectator who looks wealthy and has a bit of an elitist air. He/She seems to be very intent of the match.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British spectator who's looks fairly well-off. He doesn't seem to know much about chess, though he is quite interested in the match.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul - A Bangkok cultural attache, working hard to promote his/her country to all the visiting spectators, players and press. The host(ess) of the party, showing the great things about Thailand.

Regina Wender – An older-looking woman with a large smile. She seems to be hanging on Trumper a lot, but not romantically. She doesn't know a lot about chess.

Addrian Lakatos

Tonight is an important night for you. You don't know anyone here, but you have to pretend to. Addrian Lakatos is your real name, but for the evening, you must pretend it's just your code name. Tonight your "real name" is Gregor Vassy.

You're a prisoner of war who was captured during the 1956 Budapest uprising in Hungary. You were rising to fight the oppressive Communist government being imposed by the Soviet Union with a group of men who lived nearby to you. You fought to free the country and you seemed to succeed, the Soviets seemed willing to negotiate a peaceful solution. But in a sudden rush, they betrayed their promises and invaded many areas of Hungary with large numbers of troops.

This sudden aggression quickly overwhelmed the civilian armies. During this surge of aggression, many were killed, others fled or were taken captive. One of those men who had fought with you, Gregor Vassy, was killed in the defensive push to repel the Soviets. Others in your battalion weren't so lucky and were captured. The KGB sentenced you and your 9 fellow troops to a gulag where you're spent the past 23 torturous years.

Alexander Molokov, a man you'd never met, called for a meeting with you and several other soldiers who you'd fought with, asking how well you'd each known Gregor Vassy. After determining that you were the best candidate, he explained to you his deal. You had to help him humiliate a former-Russian Chess player Anatoly Sergievsky into losing.

His plan is to offer to release some war prisoners if Sergievsky is willing to lose the final match. He plans to use Sergievsky's lover, Florence Vassy, to pressure him to lose by offering her the release of her father, who she hasn't seen since she was a very young child. He wants you to pretend to be Florence's father. It has been 23 years since she's seen him, and without any pictures, she'd be none the wiser. You must act as proof to Florence Vassy that her father is still alive. Molokov says that he'd be willing to let you and your fellows return to Hungary if you could convincingly act as Gregor Vassy just for one night.

You're thankful now for your good memory. You can recall some of his talk about his wife Julianna, who he always called Anna. He also mentioned his little girl, whom he called Flo. He once told a story about taking her to a relative's house in the Alps for a month long vacation. Hopefully these details will be enough to convince Florence that you're her father. At least for tonight.

Molokov wants you to pretend that you can't be called your "real name" (Gregor Vassy) because the Arbiter, or another of the officials might disqualify the Russians for using emotional blackmail. You should do your best to only use the name "Gregor Vassy" around a few people, namely Florence and Molokov. To everyone else you're just a guest of Molokov's who's curious about chess. You feel guilty about what you have to do, but you do have to do it. You and your fellow soldiers have suffered for far too long to worry about lying to one person for a few nights.

GOALS

Secure a safe release for yourself and your friends. Your best bet will be through getting Sergievsky to lose the match.

Don't let anyone figure out you're not Gregor Vassy. You're supposed to be "undercover", if people figure out that you're Gregor Vassy, that's not ideal, but not the end of the world. If your REAL cover gets blown you're in serious trouble.

Try to find any ally! A backup plan would be good in case Sergievsky doesn't come through.

RELATIONSHIPS

Alexander Molokov – You don't know this man or his position well, but you've seen high-ranking KGB agents bow to his orders, so you know he's powerful, and that crossing him could have dangerous consequences. It's difficult to imagine life getting worse for you or your compatriots, but if anyone could do it, Molokov could.

Anatoly Sergievsky – A Russian who was able to escape from the USSR intact, you're envious of this much more than his chess prowess. It might be nice to see him win, if just to see Molokov get jilted. But, since his losing seems to be the only way you'll ever be free, it's best you keep that to yourself.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A wealthy-looking American. It's been long since you've been out, perhaps the Americans still care about fighting the communists, so maybe, if all else fails, you can appeal to him/her, being that he/she seems to be rich.

Derrek/Daria Cook – Looks like he/she is a reporter for this TV station "Global Television". If they come over to interview you, it's best you just tell them you're Molokov's guest who was curious about the match.

Florence Vassy – You knew her father in the uprising, and the two of you were close enough that you know you can convincingly play him. You know that this will bring her nothing but heartache, but the safety of your men have to come first. You must convince her of your identity to get her to push Sergievsky to lose the match. Make sure to call her "Flo", her father's nickname for her.

Freddie Trumper – From what you've heard from Molokov this guy is working with you to force Sergievsky to lose. Apparently he's Florence's ex-lover. It's best you don't encourage that relationship because Sergievsky's loss depends on Florence's relationship with him being strong.

George/Jerri Hutch – From his/her accent, a well-off Brit. He/She is about as familiar with chess as you are. Which is to say, not very. Might be a good person to try to engage in small talk with.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev -Vigand's chess second, another Soviet, but he/she acts a little off. Especially around Svetlana. Maybe he/she is worth talking to, in private of course.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The president of the World Chess Federation, he regularly presides over championship matches. He might be a danger if he finds out who and what you really are. Or even if he finds out who you're pretending to be. It's probably best just to use small talk.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – This person SAYS he/she is an American novelist writing about this and last year's chess championship events. But you saw him/her talking to Molokov and you overheard something about the exchange of prisoners. You think this person might be more than they appear.

Leonid Vigand – The man playing against Sergievsky for the Soviet Union. He's very committed to his country, which really bothers you. He hardly seems to think for himself. Not surprising, any Russian who can think for himself isn't quite so devoted the oppressive government.

Regina Wender – She has an American accent and looks about your age, so she's 60 or so.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – This person is said to be from Thailand. They're quite cheerful in stark contrast to most of the party attendees. It's refreshing to meet someone so well-adjusted. As an added thought... perhaps this person, being connected to the government in Bangkok, might be sympathetic to your cause.

Svetlana Sergievsky – A lovely Russian woman, Sergievsky's wife. Shame that Mr. Sergievsky is cheating on her so publicly, you hear they even have children. She's in pretty much the same position as you are, pushed in a corner by Molokov with no way out but to hope that you can convince Anatoly to lose.

Walter de Courcy – An American who seems to overseeing the Global television staff. He also seems to be involved with Molokov's plot somehow. He's around him often but you've not yet figured out why.

William/Wilma Hunter – He/She is a Global Television camera-person. They seem friendly enough. Perhaps a bit too friendly. Careful not to let these press types catch a wiff of what you're up to.

Alexander Molokov

You're Alexander Molokov, a powerful force in the Soviet government. Though you were once a mere chess second to Anatoly, you're a member of the KGB, tasked with promoting the Soviet Union's image through its chess prowess, an obvious sign of the superior Soviet intellect. Your higher ups put a lot of trust in your work and you'd be loathe to let them down. Last year you were put in charge of getting Anatoly Sergievsky to beat his American opponent Fredrick Trumper. You succeeded in a sense but failed in a much more profound way. Sergievsky won for the Soviet Union, but threw the win away by defecting to the West immediately afterward, shaming the USSR just as much if they'd lost, if not more.

You received more than your share of punishment and subtle threats after this terrible event, but they're giving you the chance to redeem yourself. You have the chance to have your revenge on Sergievsky after he got you in so much hot water. You have a new player, Leonid Vigand, and you must bring him through to victory. It shouldn't be so hard, he's a loyal Soviet; he plays chess like a machine and his methodical playing will not be easy for anyone to influence.

Unlike Anatoly, he'll be vulnerable and subject to the emotional barrage you have setup for him. He has much to own up to, leaving his wife and children behind in the Soviet Union, having an affair with Ms. Vassy, and generally betraying his home country. It will be a stressful ordeal. You'll be making sure of that. Anatoly may be a better chess player, but you don't give a damn about chess tonight. Almost no one really does, all they care about is who wins. And the way you win is to destroy the opponent's will to compete. You did it effectively last year, getting Ms. Vassy to leave Trumper.

You can do again, through the women in his life. You've got Svetlana Sergievsky, his wife, and any of his children or other extended family easily within your vicegrip. It would be all too easy to make a brother, a child, a wife, disappear. That threat is simple to convey through Mrs. Sergievsky. If only Anatoly were to throw the match, then he and his family would be safe to leave the country, to go anywhere they'd like. And perhaps that would be enough of an offer. But it might not be enough.

You also have some back up using the other woman in his life, Ms. Vassy. They seem quite close, and Vassy is quite stuck on her tragic past in Hungary. Her Father died during the uprising in 1956, but she doesn't know that. At least not for sure. You could always say he was captured and held prisoner, and that you'd release him, if only Anatoly would lose the match. Of course, you got yourself a patsy to play Gregor Vassy, her father. And for him, if he succeeds, you promised his release along with some of his Hungarian military buddies stuck in a gulag.

The stress seems to have already taken a toll on Anatoly, he was ahead by five games before you started to play your cards, and now he's lost 5 matches in a row. It's up to you to keep that losing streak going. Really put on the pressure.

You keep all these charlatans in the palm of your hand. You're charismatic, and you know just how to keep a grin for the masses while giving a dark threat to those who attempt to oppose you. You learn people's weaknesses, and have the drive and the power to exploit them. You're the undisputed authority here, deep down. The Arbiter may control the matches, but you control the game.

GOALS

- Get revenge on Anatoly by making him lose the match, and forcing him to choose to come back to the Soviet Union. That bastard thought he could escape you, but you'll always get your way. You can threaten any member of his family still left back home, or try to bribe him with promises of Florence's father.

- Keep Vigand's and Demichev's sights and spirits high. Lead them to victory.

-Talk up your homeland in front of the cameras. That's the reason you're all at this event: to cast your country in a positive light.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – Shipped off to a gulag for his part in the Hungarian uprising of 1956, few would think this man to be at all useful. But if he can convince Florence Vassy that her father is still alive (by pretending to be him, of course), he can prove crucial to the night's proceedings. You brought him along and told him to only reveal his "true identity" to Florence.

Anatoly Sergievsky – This traitor was once your pride and joy. He was a shining example of Soviet intellect, working for the betterment of the country and its image. Youth looked up to him and men admired him. But after Sergievsky defected, he destroyed all of that, and made the nation a laughingstock. He must be defeated, shamed, and brought back home, so everyone can see his folly and learn the consequences of defecting.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A rich-looking American. Probably a diehard for those selfish capitalist ideals.

Derrek/Daria Cook – A Global Television reporter. In front of him/her, you should always put on a smile and show the Soviet Union's best face. Anytime you get the chance, be sure to show utter civility and kindness towards those naïve Westerners.

Florence Vassy – A Hungarian woman with a bitter grudge against your country. When Trumper lost her, he lost everything. The traitor Sergievsky seems nearly as devoted to her now, and you hope that he cares enough about her to give up everything to bring her father home to her.

Freddie Trumper – An American madman. He lost it long ago, and the media only keeps him around for who knows what strange American entertainment. One thing is for certain; he hates the traitor Sergievsky, which makes him your ally for the moment. You know that he is vehemently anti-Communist, so tread lightly; this unstable twig could snap on you at any minute.

George/Jerri Hutch – A Brit by his/her accent. None of your concern.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – An assistant of yours and Vigand's chess second. He/She worked with you last year as well. He/She is loyal but very quiet. He/She seems to blend in a lot, which is a good trait. You usually don't even notice him/her.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The president of the World Chess Federation and the one in charge; if you can control him, you can control the game. But he calls himself incorruptible. After various bribery attempts last year, you may be inclined to believe it. Drugs, women, money, you've tried a number of routes to sway him, but nothing seems to work. Yet.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – A CIA agent posing as a novelist. You've made a deal with them, a deal to let out Gregor Vassy (actually Addrian Lakatos) and a few other prisoners of war, so long as Anatoly loses the match. They might try to negotiate more, if you think it'll help in making Anatoly lose, you'd be willing to give up plenty more prisoners. You still can't completely trust him/her, which is why you've lied about Florence's father. He/She won't figure it out.

Leonid Vigand – The disciplined, Soviet, "chess-playing machine." He looks up to you with the innocence of a child, and you work hard to maintain that fatherly image in his eyes, even if he is just a pawn. He lacks the traitor Sergievky's brilliance, but you've chosen him for loyalty, not skill. He will never defect, and that's his job. Fixing the game so he wins, that's yours.

Regina Wender – You know from your extensive research before last year's match that this is Frederick Trumper's estranged mother. You aren't sure what effect she'll have, which is why you didn't try to use her to stress-out Trumper last year, but she gives you a bad feeling.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – A cultural attache, serving a purpose somewhat similar to yours. You're both just making sure that your country is seen favorably by the outside world.

Svetlana Sergievsky – The traitor Sergievsky's wife. He betrayed her and their two young daughters when he defected, so she has nearly as much right to be angry as you have. She's here to convince Anatoly to come home. To give her an incentive to succeed, you've reminded her that life could be very... difficult should she fail.

Walter de Courcy – He poses as the head of Global Television, an American news station, but he's secretly in league with the US government. To your great surprise, the man's been playing ball. He's very easy to get along with, and has helped you get Trumper involved, a man you're sure will put Anatoly on edge.

William/Wilma Hunter – The camera-person for Global TV. They're working for Walter but they don't know the whole story. Just make sure you help them capture the civility and intelligence of the Soviets.

Anatoly Sergievsky

Ever since you were a child, you've loved chess. Being Russian, you were in the perfect position to develop the right skills, as your chess studies were encouraged by everyone around you, and eventually funded by the government. You worked your hardest, letting all of life's other doors slam shut so you could continue down your chosen path. Only once did you stray from chess, when you married your wife, Svetlana. But when the call of the game beckoned you back, both you and Svetlana knew that your one true love in life was not her, but it.

You have been fairly distant from her and your two little daughters ever since. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered but those sixty-four squares. In a country obsessed with chess, you rose to the top. The best of the best. A grandmaster above all the other grandmasters.
Last year, with the full support of the entire Soviet Union, you went to the chess championship in Merano, Italy. A party of Russian advisers came with you, led by one of your former chess seconds, Alexaner Molokov, a man with KGB ties. You were to face the world champion, American Frederick Trumper. Trumper was a brilliant lunatic who played in chaos, games that didn't seem to make any sense until the very end; games that always ended in crushing defeats for his opponents.

But away from the board, Trumper was immediately unlikable: his anti-communist rantings and general racism offended you and all of the people who came with you. It was a demand from the government: Trumper must be beaten. But you weren't about to do this for them. It was about the game; about your own skill. The championship title wouldn't be some product of Soviet engineering, but of your own blood, sweat, and tears. Trumper threw tantrums and sullied your matches with incessant whining and demands for more money, and when he refused to play at all, his second, Florence Vassy, arranged a meeting between you and Trumper.
You never got to have that meeting with Trumper, but Florence was there, and something clicked between the two of you. Florence understood the hard work that went into managing the life of a grandmaster, understood the stresses of such a high position, and knew exactly how to take care of everything. Most important of all, she was a chess player, a strong one in her own right. She knew the game, and when you started to discuss the merits of the standard openings, that's when you knew something, too.

You knew you were head-over-heels. At that point, she was still in a relationship with Trumper, but his continued whining drove her away, straight into your arms. His spirit spiraled, and after losing five straight games, he resigned and you were named World Chess Champion.
Molokov prepared to take you back to the Soviet Union, but you weren't ready. There was such freedom in the West, freedom to say whatever you wanted, to go where you pleased without guards, to love who you wanted, without having to play the family man. You still love your country, and believe that no poor leadership decision shoulddrive a man to hate his motherland, but you had to leave. Florence and her sponsor, de Courcy of Global Television, snuck you into England, and you announced that you'd defected from the Soviet Union. Molokov and the others lost it, and denounced you as a traitor. But they represent everything that's wrong with the government, and you don't care what they think of you.
Life in the West hasn't been a bed of roses; instead of the government hounding you, it's the media, who follows you day and night. Still, Florence protects you, and it's been a bright, passionate romance. She's come with you this year as your chess second and is trying to step up the romance, but there are some problems there. That isn't the kind of stress you need going into a championship match. On top of that, Molokov's people have your old chess second as this year's challenger. And they've brought Svetlana here to try to lure you back home. And Global Television has brought Trumper as a special correspondent; you're pretty sure he'll do anything to get Florence back. With all these attacks, you stand to lose your freedom, your honor, your lady, and worst of all, the game.

Because through all that's happened, the game is still the true love of your life. You had won the first five games with ease but then all this stress started to get to you. Vigand achieved 5 wins off you and now it's the last game. There's no more room for mistakes.

GOALS

- Keep your cool. There's a lot of emotions involved here and they want you to lose because of the stress. If you lose, you want it to be your decision, not because you can't concentrate.

- Protect those you love. You can't be sure of how, and you don't know if you should change your game based on your family, but perhaps there's a way to keep your integrity along with the safety of your friends.

- Don't lose Florence, she's very special. She's noticed how cold you've been acting due to all this pressure Molokov's been heaping on. Plus Freddie is here. She tried to assure you that he's not here for her, but you're unconvinced.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – Florence has been eyeing this guy for the past few hours. She hasn't told you who he is, maybe to keep you from feeling any more stress, but he has a Hungarian accent. Maybe it's someone she knows? Or knew?

Alexander Molokov – A high-ranking official in the KGB. Molokov has his own goals, and a will to bulldoze everything in his way. That once included you, but you're free from his orders now. However, he still poses a threat; now that he's backing Vigand, he's prepared the foul play. He brought your wife here to talk to you, and that alone is a threat to her and your children. A threat he has the power and ability to make horrifyingly true.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A wealthy-looking westerner, you're pretty sure he/she sounds like an American. You're not sure what they're here for, but you don't have time to worry about it, and must focus on the game.

Derrek/Daria Cook – A Global TV reporter. Those guys are vultures waiting to jump your carcass as soon as you trip up. Toss them a token interview then try to avoid him/her if possible.

Florence Vassy – Your lover, and possibly your last tie to humanity in an increasingly insane situation. She's a remarkable chess player in her own right, and she understands you. She's supporting you despite all the pressure that's being placed on you both.

Or perhaps not. Maybe it's just paranoia, but perhaps she's just like your wife, just like everyone else, riding your coattails, stealing your fame and hard work. You try to tell yourself not to worry, you work so hard to trust her. But that "what if" still lingers...

Freddie Trumper – Jerk is not a harsh enough term. Neither is idiot, madman, bastard...you could go on. To describe this man's cruelty, his level of immaturity, his selfishness; only obscenities would do. You're a calm, collected man, but he gets under your skin like nobody's business. You both hate each other, a fact which is common knowledge. He also might be here to win Florence back, which cannot happen.

George/Jerri Hutch – A wealthy British person who you've never seen before. Not sure what they're up to.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – You worked with this guy/girl last year, he/she is one of the Soviet puppets in Molokov's puppet shows. Though they never said much, apparently he/she is Vigand's chess second. Another dog, ready to jump when he tells them to.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – He's the president of the World Chess Federation, and in the middle of all this mess, he's the only neutral person. He's French, and couldn't give a damn who wins the Cold War, so long as people can keep playing chess. He's distant, but surprisingly comforting in a world that's cracking apart.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – A novelist writing about the drama of this and last year's Chess Championship. Of course it's mostly about you, Florence, and Freddie. They're probably going to pester you for an interview. They'd be even worse to talk to than Cook.

Leonid Vigand – Your opponent in the championship match. He was your chess second last year, and due to the stress of the situation, you may not have treated him very well. He was Molokov's puppet last year, and if anything, the strings have only tightened. He plays like a machine, but you don't view that as an insult. He's not as good as you but if you're not careful, he will beat you.

Regina Wender – An older American woman. She doesn't seem that remarkable.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – A friendly Thai citizen. They're hosting the party and you're sure they mean well, they seem intent on making this party a good time for all those gathered. You wish it could be that easy...

Svetlana Sergievsky – Technically your wife, though you both decided to separate long ago. The love's been gone for years; your relationship with her was more of a failed project. You didn't feel too bad about leaving them in the USSR, Chess always comes first, and when she couldn't understand that, there was no reason to keep up pretenses. Though you can't shake the nagging concern for her and the kids. Even if you're not in love, no one deserves what Molokov could do to them if you win.

Walter de Courcy – The head of Global Television, a news network in America. He promised you asylum in the West, where your problems would be, if not over, at least lessened. What he actually did was gather a huge surprise press conference and turn you into a spectacle. It was just like the pressure in the Soviet Union, only from a different direction. The man is a conniving bastard.

William/Wilma Hunter – The camera-person for Global Television. It's like the press has to stalk every step you take! If they had their way you'd be under glass like a museum display. Ugh. Journalists.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter"

You're the Arbiter, the President of the Chess Federation, and you're proud of that. As a Frenchman you can be counted on to be relatively neutral in this arena of politics and coercion. France as a nation is fairly unconcerned about the outcome of the Cold War. You have been told before that you're a bit TOO devoted to your sport and that sometimes it seems as though you treat chess as a religion more than a game.

But naturally, a sport like this, where all people can come together and revere intellectual prowess, deserves to be respected. You know that chess masters are very difficult to deal with, they know how good they are, but it's your job to try to make this thing a fair fight if you can!

OPTIONAL PRE-WRITTEN SPEECHES:

Upon starting the game:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the final game of the 1980 World Chess Championship. I am Jean Jacques van Boren, the president of the World Chess Federation, and I will be presiding as the Arbiter over tonight's game. The score is tied at five games to five. Current champion Anatoly Sergievsky took an early lead, but challenger Leonid Vigand managed a stunning comeback. Tonight's event will determine which Grandmaster will become the victor of this year's competition. The game will begin at _ sharp. On behalf of our sponsors, Global Television, and the City of Bangkok, let the final match's festivities begin."
Before the final match:
Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come for tonight's game, which will determine the World Chess Champion. With the end of this match comes the honor of the world's most admired title. He who wins here will win his spot in history, to join the noble ranks of champions past, of legendary figures, whose mental prowess is well to be respected by all. And when we speak of this respect, how can we not not stop to pay it to chess champions of days past? It is with warm hearts that we remember Tal; Lasker; Steinitz; Alekine; Botvinnik; Smyslov; Spassky; Euwe; Fischer; Petrosian; Anderson; Capablanca; Morphy; Karpov; have Freddie cut in somewhere in here, saying something like "Get on with it already!"

GOALS

Keep the match fair. If you spot any shady dealings, you should call them out.

Give out the bonus cards at the end of the night.

Be social, seems like a few people here don't know the game that well. Might be worthwhile to tell them about how great chess is!

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – A man with a Hungarian accent, you're not sure why Molokov brought him to the match but you don't need to know.

Alexander Molokov – You have a history with this guy. He's a bit shady but you've never been able to really BLAME him for anything that he did last year. Keep your eyes on him. Don't let him ruin a good chess match with politics.

Anatoly Sergievsky – The former Russian champ who sought asylum in the West. They say he "changed sides" but chess, in your eyes, has no sides. It's all about the two players, not the country that sponsors them.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A US business person. Not much else you can tell.

Derrek/Daria Cook – Seems this person is a reporter from Global Television. You're not sure about how you feel about all this press interest but... It's not like it's all bad.

Florence Vassy – Formerly Trumper's chess second, she's now working for Sergievsky.

Freddie Trumper – This man is undoubtedly one of the most talented chess players the world has ever seen. It's a shame that he's also on of the biggest troublemakers the world has ever seen as well. He loves to showboat in front of the press and push people's buttons. He knows how much it bothers you to see someone make a mockery of this proud sport, and he does it often just to bother you.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British business person. You don't know them.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – Vigand's chess second. He/she seems to be quiet, perhaps they don't know English very well? Well at least they play the great sport of chess, that makes them god in your book.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – An American author that's been hanging around Walter and Molokov. You hope they're not up to something...

Leonid Vigand – Tonight's challenger. He is a talented chess player that keeps his head in the game, unlike a lot of other masters. You respect him for that.

Regina Wender – An older woman, attractive enough, if you cared about that sort of thing.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – Bangkok's cultural attache who's been kind enough to host you all. You get along fine the few times you've spoken.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Anatoly's wife, it seems a bit odd to have her here what with Anatoly's current situation but... that's a personal matter that you're not here to speculate about.

Walter de Courcy – An American, in charge of a TV news program known as Global Television. You find him a bit sleazy but he never did anything you could really accuse him of.

William/Wilma Hunter – Global TV's camera person. You hope the news is covering the best parts of chess.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle

Doyle, of Doyle Brokers, NYC. Stocks are your game, and it seems like you're the only one doing well in an otherwise terrible market. But that's because you're shrewd. You stepped onto Wall Street with empty pockets and big dreams, and you've already seen those dreams grow to fruition. You could retire this minute, and never want for money ever again. And with the growth rate of your portfolio, you're not sure you could run out of money if you tried. So in a moment of arrogance (and a few too many drinks), you bet half your business on Anatoly Sergievsky to win.

It's the only thing that could ruin you, because it isn't the monetary worth you're worried about. It's brokers that are working under you; up and coming, fresh kids that remind you of yourself back in the day. The man you're betting against has made it very clear that if he wins, he'll make you liquidate your half of the company and take it with him, and that'll cost those people their jobs. If you could, you'd just pay them out of pocket, but the whole thing's gotten tied up in a legal loophole.

The only way to keep them in the office is to win that bet. This Sergievsky guy won his first five matches in a row, and the thing looked like a cinch, but then he started losing miserably. The match is tied 5-5 now, and your stress level has been rising. This is the last match, and you're desperate. It's time to take matters into your own hands and make sure that Sergievsky wins. He seems like he's been stressed too, maybe some money will help motivate him to relax.

And while you're here, you also want to look for possible investments. Time is money. But you'll have to cut through any bad offers, and disregard all the people not related. Sure, you look out for for company, but you don't have to worry about anyone else unless you want to.

GOALS

- Grease as many palms as possible to make sure that Vigand loses and Sergievsky wins.

- Look for business opportunities. With the poor market in America, it's time to go global.

- Try to keep stressors away from Mr. Sergievsky. His mood will change his game.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – A member of the Russian party to support Vigand.

Alexander Molokov – A member of the Russian party to support Vigand. He seems to lead them. Perhaps a big shot like this could convince Vigand to lose the match, but you'd have to take care: chess is a point of pride for Russians, and if you don't phrase your proposal right, this could get you into big trouble.

Anatoly Sergievsky – The current world chess champion, and your favorite to win. Paying him probably won't make him do any better, but he seems stressed out. You've heard about the mind-games chess players play on each other. Perhaps you could find a way to help him calm down?

Derrek/Daria Cook – A reporter for Global TV. It'd be a good place to name drop the company, get a little international press.

Florence Vassy – Sergievky's second. When she was with Trumper, he was the champion. Is she a gold-digger or a lucky charm?

Freddie Trumper – Last year's world champion. Known for being unruly and intensely unlikable. Might want to try keeping him away from Sergievsky, he'd probably just upset him and distract him.

George/Jerri Hutch – This British jerk is the one with whom you have the bet. He/She doesn't give a damn about your company. All they're after is the cash. Keep an eye out: he/she may be trying some of the same underhanded tactics you're employing.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev - Vigand's second, so very close to him. Perhaps this would be another good place to slip some cash...

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation, this man runs the show. He's calling the shots on everything. He could fix the game six ways till Sunday, and nobody could stop him. He makes the rules.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – Some kind of writer? Looks like they're trying to get the scoop on the game.

Leonid Vigand – The challenger for the world chess Champion, and the man you need to lose. He's also intensely loyal to his country, so you aren't sure that you could flat-out bribe him to lose. You'll have to get to him some other way.

Regina Wender – A older-looking American woman.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – Thailand's cultural attache. A very accommodating fellow.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Sergievsky's wife? Ex-wife? You're hazy about the details.

Walter de Courcy – The head of Global Television, who's covering the match.

William/Wilma Hunter – The person behind the camera. Works with Cook.

Derrek/Daria Cook

Cook, Ace reporter, reporting live for Global Television! You're thrilled to have this job in Bangkok, as this year's match is a ratings magnet. True, you don't know that much about chess, but you know a ton about something even better. Tonight's party is really an A-list crowd, and you've dug up some dirt on just about everyone who's anyone. You aren't completely sure that all of it's true, so you'll want to validate what you can. Your boss, Walter de Courcy, doesn't want you creating an international incident. But then again, wouldn't be be fun to cover one?

You don't really need to do much to stir up trouble around here, though. Nobody does drama like theses chess grandmasters. There are scoops everywhere, and all you've got to do is find them! Last year was full of them. You watched the footage from last year over and over and you're pretty sure that Vassy, Trumper and Sergievsky have some sort of a love triangle going on.

Your camera-person, Hunter, has been very helpful in the time you've worked together. They always spot good scandals, and makes up even better ones. You're glad to have he/she by your side for this big event.

GOALS

Get the scoop on people. Scandals and big stories make for great TV!

Stop Kurt/Kathrine Sanders from stealing your stories. Thwart them whenever you can. Nobody likes old news!

Get an interview in with everyone, especially those hard-to-nail people like Sergievsky.

RELATIONSHIPS
Addrian Lakatos – A member of the Russian party supporting Vigand.

SCOOP: He may be a prisoner of war from the Hungarian revolt of 1956, held in a gulag all these years. The drama, the pain! The story!

Alexander Molokov – The leader of the Russian party supporting Vigand, with ties to the KGB. A surprisingly amiable fellow.

SCOOP: He let Svetlana Sergievsky out of the Soviet union so she'd keep mum about their torrid love affair! Scandalous!

Anatoly Sergievsky – The current chess world champion. He defected from his country, left his wife and children so he could shack up in England with Freddie Trumper's ex. You don't even need a scoop to know he's hot news, and your most coveted interview. The problem is that he hates to give interviews, and Florence Vassy's there to keep you out.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A wealthy American here to see the game. Good for a laymen's interview?

SCOOP: This person is dangerously wagering half their assets in a bet on this game! What are they doing?

Florence Vassy – A Hungarian-born émigré, she was brought up in England. She was involved with Freddie Trumper for seven years, but ditched him for Sergievsky during the match last year.

SCOOP: She still stays in contact with old members of the Hungarian resistance. Maybe she can tell you when to expect an uprising?

Freddie Trumper – The snazzy American ex-champion, the darling of the media...is a wash-up. He lost last year, and quit the game forever! The boss brought him here to give some extra commentary, blah blah blah. He's contractually obligated to appear, but that doesn't mean that you have to give him any more camera time than anyone else. You'd prefer less, really.

SCOOP: If he has to be on TV, why not talk about this past year? He's be suspiciously quiet about what he's been doing since his defeat.

George/Jerri Hutch – A wealthy British chap. Good for a laymen's interview?
SCOOP: This guy/girl, is a spy for the CIA whose faking that British accent!

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev - Chess second to the current challenger, Leonid Vigand.

SCOOP: Vigand was Sergievsky's second last year, and now they're facing each other. Perhaps next year it'll be Vigand vs Demichev? You'll want to get the interview before they're famous.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation, the head honcho around here. Only likes to give boring interviews about the history of Chess.

SCOOP: People say that he's totally incorruptible. He won't take bribes of money, drugs, social standing, dates with lovely women, anything. In fact, there's no history of him and women at all, ever. Is he obsessed with his work, or could there be a closet scandal at the top of the World Chess Federation?

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – Someone writing a book about the game. They're running around, stealing your scoops. Worst of all, they're always chatting up the boss! Get in their way and stop them before they uncover everything good before you do!

Leonid Vigand – The challenger for the Chess Championship. Known as "The Chess-Playing Machine." Great nickname.

SCOOP: Vigand's just a puppet; somebody's been feeding him chess moves through a tiny earpiece!

Regina Wender – A loud nobody. Don't even need to interview her.

SCOOP: Or do you? Sources say that she's actually Freddie Trumper's mother! She was a horrible person who ignored her son's genius, and to this day, he's still got a terrible Mommy complex!

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – Thailand's cultural attache, here to try to sell Thailand to the word. You're not here to give people free airtime, so they can get their minute like everyone else, then take a hike.

SCOOP: They're working so hard because Thailand is actually bankrupt! They desperately need the tourism money!

Svetlana Sergievsky – Sergievsky's poor ex-wife. He abandoned her and their two little daughters! The public eats up sob stories like this.

SCOOP: She had an affair with Molokov, and is blackmailing him to be here today. Saucy.

Walter de Courcy – Your boss. He's pretty great to work for, and he's the one who put in the good word for you. You want to do him proud.

William/Wilma Hunter – Your trusty camera wo/man. You've only been working together for a year or so but you have good chemistry. They offer good ideas and usually have their lens pointed in the right direction.

Florence Vassy

You're Florence Vassy, born in Hungary and raised in England. You would have liked to have grown up in your home country, but the Communist regime steamrolled over your childhood and your country. You're too young to recall it well, but you know what happened. In 1956, when you were just 5 years old, your country rose up to over throw the oppressive Soviet-influenced government, and they succeeded. The Soviets said they were willing to negotiate with the civilian armies, and so the guerillas predicted a peaceful end could be reached.

But they were tricked. The Russians deployed an overwhelming mass of troops and crushed the rebellion and retook Hungary, closing it deeper in the iron curtain. You remember hazy thing, your mother and father playing games of chess together, and the time when you visited the Alps for a season when you were just a girl. Your Father would call you "Flo," the special nickname that only he knew. But that was all destroyed in the uprising in Budapest. Your mother fled with you to England and your father stayed to fight the Soviets. You have no idea where he is now, but he's probably dead. Your mother too, died 10 years ago. But not before she taught you to play chess in remembrance of your father.

A few years after her death, you heard news of a very talented American chess-player, Fredrick Trumper, who was slated to visit England for an exhibition match. You saw him play, and you could tell he was a genius, the best chess player alive today. After the match you found a way to talk to him and begged him to allow you to study under him, to learn from the best. And that was how it began. You and Freddie spent seven years together, three as his assistant, four as his lover.

He wasn't a bed of roses but but the two of you shared the same wicked sense of humor. You had times that you enjoyed the little games he'd play with the press. His tantrums and scandalous remarks that the press ate up. But you also resented it sometimes too... He would usually stomp off; make a huge mess then leave you to clean it up. When you worked to save his job during last year's games, he treated you like a traitor for meeting up with Sergievsky to negotiate.

He insulted you, he insulted your father, and he just plain disrespected you. And Anatoly treated you like a human, after so long of feeling like slave to Freddie's random whims. Where did he THINK you would end up? Of course you ended up attracted to Anatoly. You two hit it off and you helped him leave behind the oppressive Soviets who had been holding him back from having the best game he could. You brought him back to your home in England with the help of Walter de Courcy.

You two shared a very wonderful year together, you were almost upset to have to spoil the magic. But you knew you'd have to face up to real life and some point and that point is now. His wife will be here, Molokov, his old boss and one of the most loathsome men you know. deCourcy feels like you owe him something after all his help, and then of course, there's Freddie. Which is enough to stress out the both of you. It's going to be tough to hold it together, this Championship is going to test your relationship with Anatoly to the limits.

GOALS

Don't get played for a fool. So many people are eager to lie to you and twist your arm. After last year, you can't take that anymore. Be wary of who you trust and make sure that you keep the upper-hand.

Support Anatoly. You've fallen in love with him and for as many people who will be trying to get to you, there will be twice as many trying to get to him, especially the media, who he deeply loathes, and his wife, who could make major trouble.

Molokov has some sort of business regarding "Addrian Lakatos." Get to the bottom of it.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – This man looks very familiar, and he speaks with a Hungarian accent. Molokov always seems to be keeping an eye on him.

Alexander Molokov – A leading figure in the KGB. This man represents the forces who destroyed your home. He could even have been active in it; he's old enough. He's also Anatoly's old boss, and as Anatoly's never had a kind word to say about him, there's no reason to respect him. You know he'll be up to his old tricks, there's no reason to believe the things he says. All he wants is to get to Anatoly through you.

Anatoly Sergievsky – Your lover and partner, a calm man who's dedicated to the game of chess. You've been with him for a year, and while it's been no walk in the park, you've made it through together, hopefully stronger for the experience. His nerves have been very frayed lately, though, and though he was once so dedicated that he left his country and defected to England for you, you can now feel his trust in you slipping in all this chaos.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – An American man/woman who seems quite interested in the game. You're not sure who they are.

Derrek/Daria Cook – A Global Television reporter. Freddie seems to be in the the Global TV crowd... You're not sure what they're up to but it can't be good.

Freddie Trumper – Your ex. You were with him for seven years, three as an assistant, four as lovers. He's temperamental, craves the spotlight at all times, and acts like a jerk to anyone, great or small. But you know it's because he doesn't relate well to people. He spends almost every waking hour practicing his moves, he didn't even finish high school, so he's never gotten the chance to relate to people.

He did, however, treat you miserably during last year's game, and it was the last straw. It was a messy breakup, and he ended up turning his back on you like it didn't even matter. But to your surprise, he promptly lost the rest of his games, forfeited the match, and announced his resignation from chess. Was he really that heartbroken? He seemed so venomous, but was he actually hurt? Nobody's heard from him in the past 12 months. Global television must've offered him a hell of a lot of money to be here. What else could bring him back into the spotlight?

George/Jerri Hutch – A fellow Brit. He/She is someone you haven't seen around the chess circle. But you might have something to talk about, being two British chess enthusiasts.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – One of Molokov's entourage. You have to assume he/she is probably just another of the Soviet drones. Just try to be civil as you can. You're representing Anatoly as well as yourself.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – This man is the President of the World Chess Federation. With all the madness going on around, it's nice to have a no-nonsense head in charge. He can't fix things going on outside of the game, but you know he'll do his best to ensure a fair match.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – Apparently this person is a novelist waiting to ride on Freddie and Anatoly's coattails. Like all journalists.

Leonid Vigand – Anatoly's opponent. The Russians sure can churn out their grandmasters, but Vigand's a very poor replacement for your man. People call him "The Soviet Chess-Playing Machine," which is a pretty accurate description. He plays like a machine: determined, calculating, but easy to outsmart. If Anatoly can keep it together, he should have no problem beating this man.

Regina Wender – Oh God. You recognize her from one of Freddie's old photos. That's his mother. She was horrible to him when he was younger; completely distant and uninvolved in poor Freddie's life. You've never even met the woman, which is saying something considering how long you were involved with her son. What's that woman doing here? And should you bother trying to help Freddie? Maybe he deserves this... Though... maybe NO ONE deserves to be tortured by their past, you know this better than anyone.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – A friendly looking man/woman, keen on showing off their city, Bangkok, as a lovely place to live. It does seem like a pretty nice place, but you like England just fine. Not that you carry any huge attachments to it anymore, now that you have no family there.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Take a deep breath, because this one's your fight. This is Anatoly's wife. This is not news to you, they've been separated every way but legally, and you know he no longer loves her. But the fact that she's been let out of the country means that the government has something up their sleeve; a trick of Molokov's, no doubt. Her mere presence is stressing Anatoly out, something he can't afford with the final match around the corner. Even worse, she may be here to try to take Anatoly away from you. Don't let her call you the "other woman." She may be his wife, but you're the one Anatoly loves. At least you're pretty sure.

Walter de Courcy – The head of Global Television, an American broadcasting company. He represents your sponsors, but there may be more going on with him. He seems to walk pretty tall, even for a businessman, and you once heard him take a "government call." It's bad to cross your sponsors, but it's dangerous to cross someone with federal power. Keep sharp around him.

William/Wilma Hunter – The camera-person for Global Television. Travels with Walter and Freddie. You don't want to bother with them but maybe you can keep them off Anatoly's back by distracting them?

Fredrick "Freddie" Trumper

You are Fredrick Trumper, but most people just call you Freddie. You're an American, and well-known as a Chess prodigy since you were only a nine year-old boy. A lot of people think of you as an immature, arrogant, jerk. They think you don't consider the feelings of others very much but that's not true, you just have trouble connecting with people. Sarcasm and quips are much easier for you than genuine statements. Your childhood is mainly to blame, you had a deadbeat mother, who ignored you most of your life and never supported you, and a spineless, alcoholic father who ran out on you when you were 12 (probably only drank to get away from your shrew of a mother).

This past year has been very painful for you. You lost a lot at last year's Championship. You worked your way up to being the World Chess Champion and your opponent, Anatoly Sergievsky, stole everything from you. He took your title, he took your fame, and worst of all he took Florence Vassy, your chess second and lover. He stole her from right under your nose and her loss caused your playing to suffer terribly. You lost 6 games in a row just at the thought of her leaving you for him. After your humiliating defeat last year, at the hands of that under-handed bastard, you had no choice but to retire.

Florence was there for you before he came along. She's a Hungarian-born British citizen who approached you many years back asking to work with you because she "wants to learn from the masters." She was passionate about chess and you shared a closer relationship with her than anyone else in you life. Sure, you may have had your arguments, but you feel like the relationship is still salvageable if only she could see you've changed. And you have, you really have, this year was so miserable with out her. You couldn't even play chess because you felt so out of sorts.

You have played the "love to hate me card" many times before, and Florence was there to defend you whenever the press tried to defame you. She knew the real you, and she's the whole reason you're here; trying to win her back. So even when you're in the midst of all this stress, you need to somehow try to keep your cool and show her you're a changed man. But then again you can't change everything about yourself, you still have a need to look good in front of the press and to stay on top of a situation mentally.

You were brought here and your trip was paid for by the head of Global Television, Walter de Courcy. He's a man who happens to also be in the payroll of the US government, fighting communism in the Cold War. You've promised to help him with some political bargaining for the release of some prisoners of war. It's too bad for him that your true intent is purely revenge and personal gain.

However, if he can make his goals and your goals align, then there should be no trouble. He and Molokov seem to want to to get Anatoly to lose the match, and in exchange, Molokov will release some prisoners from the USSR, Florence's father promised to be among them. Florence is your goal in all this, and if getting Anatoly to lose gets her father out of the Soviet Union, you can't be sure of where Florence will land after this shake up. It might be worth it, just take care to find the path that leads Florence back to your arms.

You're most assuredly the best chess player here and that also makes you the best schemer. All the others involved seem to think they have the upper-hand but this is really your game. Anatoly is on the ropes and if you can just get him to feel guilty enough to return to the Soviet Union, then Florence might give you another chance. Or perhaps if Anatoly wins... and he doesn't show concern for Florence's father, that might also help your cause.

GOALS

Get Florence back at whatever cost. If you can get Anatoly to return to the Soviet Union, Florence will be left behind and you can make your move.

Make trouble for Anatoly in any way you can (on camera, to other people, make him nervous about the last game, etc.)

Get some press exposure, good or bad, your name in the paper means more money for you.

Find emotional support, a couple of adoring fans or a friend couldn't hurt.

You can see a flaw in both Vigand's and Anatoly's game. Will you choose to let either of them know about it? Maybe. Which one will get you closer to Florence?

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – You've heard rumor that this guy with a Hungarian accent is Florence's father. Molokov says that if Anatoly will throw the match, he'll be let out of the Soviet Union. But Anatoly seems too selfish for that. Perhaps if you can help him get out of here, it will make Florence happy after all.

Alexander Molokov – This man is the ultimate puppet master and grade-A communist slime. He is a deadly sort of snake that smiles while he plans to devour you. At the moment this red is on your side. You're both out to make Anatoly fall from his throne, but it sickens you to have to share a side with this commie.

Anatoly Sergievsky – It's impossible to choose just one thing to hate this man for. Is it because he promoted communism? Is it because he took your championship title? Or is it because he stole Florence Vassy, the love of your life? You make it a personal hobby to torment him with all the weaknesses you can possibly exploit. His wife, his politics, his uninspired chess playing and his relationship with Florence are all just tools to use to get under his skin. He's been cracking under the strain, you know it because it happened you you last year, bring him down!

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A fellow American. You don't know him/her but they look pretty loaded.

Derrek/Daria Cook – One of the reporters for Global Television, they're covering this event. Maybe you can con your way into a bit of their filming. Your face on TV is always a good thing!

Florence Vassy – While last year's breakup may have been a little messy, you've come to realize that she's the love of your life. She knows who you are and she should be with someone who really loves her, not Anatoly, who wouldn't throw a match for her sake anyway. You'd do anything to get her back, even partner up with these filthy commies.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British guy/girl, they also seem wealthy but oddly desperate and you've never seen them at any chess events prior to the this one.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – Vigand's chess second and assistant. Just another commie bastard you have to pretend to be nice to.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – He's the President of the World Chess Federation; boring and obsessed with the game even more than you are. He's incredibly anal and was unamused by your tantrums and antics last year, seeming to think that it cheapened "his" sport. But now that you've retired he can't touch you, so you think it might be fun to tease him a bit.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – Some CIA agent pretending to be a novelist. They keep asking you to "do your duty for your country" and get Anatoly to lose. You could care less about the your patriotic duty, but bringing Anatoly down is fine with you as long as it drives Florence away from him.

Leonid Vigand – This guy has no passion for the game. He plays like a machine. His chess is mediocre at best and the fact hat he might win this just because Anatoly is being bombarded with personal drama irks you a bit. You could beat this guy with your eyes closed.

Regina Wender – You can hardly believe your eyes, but your mother has showed up despite taking no interest in your life for almost 20 years. She's a terrible, awful mother who had a revolving door of men after your father left. You should just ignore her like she did to you for your whole childhood.

But in all honesty, you can't. She's your mom. Surely you can prove to her that you're worth her love. After all, if she came all this way, she's got to care about you right? And deep down, you know you'd give the world for just a moment of her sincere 're very wary of her motives but still feel the tug of wanting to gain her love and respect.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – Some Thailand person sent to tell you lies about how great their town is. To you it's a city like any other.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Anatoly's wife. She's pretty hot, but you're not interested. Sanders, Walter and Molokov are using her as emotional blackmail for Anatoly and you might as well jump on the bandwagon. Maybe she could help you get Anatoly back to the Soviet Union.

Walter de Courcy – This guy brought you to Bangkok in order to hassle Anatoly. Fine enough by you, but he seems to think this makes you indebted to him. Hardly. You just happen to be sharing a cause at the current time and you're really good at getting under Anatoly's skin.

William/Wilma Hunter – This Global TV camera guy/gal is fine with you, as long as they keep the camera on you. They seem to have a tendency towards the fanciful rumors, but they mostly just make you laugh about how untrue they are.

George/Jerri Hutch

It's not your fault that you've fallen on hard times. It's just this market. Your firm went under, and you were forced to pay damages, which drained your bank account. You were used to a life of relative comfort, and you're not adjusting well. In a few more months, you'll be broke. But that's your secret. On the outside, you keep that smile plastered on, and pretend money is no object. If you look like you're doing poorly, your social groups will ostracize you, and any hope of getting a new job goes out the window. You even flew over to New York with some friends a while back, and your back account took another kick to the stomach.

With all that difficulty, it's no wonder that you needed a night out. Alone, you found a bar and drank until your problems faded. You met Doyle, a rich wall-street broker, and got to chatting. When the talk turned to the upcoming chess championship, another drink went down, and another, and the next thing you knew, it was the next morning and you'd bet somewhere in the area of 30,000 pounds that Vigand would win the championship. True, this could solve your money problems. But you barely have thirty thousand pounds to your name. It would cost you just about all you had. So now, you're in Bangkok, where Vigand must win, or you'll officially enter debt, and no longer be able to hide your financial state.

You were able to get about 10 thousand pounds out of your bank account beofre arriving and perhaps, using it now will give you enough of an edge to win that bet! Now you just need to find out where to put that money to make Vigand win.

GOALS

- Assist Vigand. Any way you can give him an edge, do it.

- Hinder Sergievsky. Any way you can bring him down, do it. This one's more tricky: if you try anything too drastic, you could get thrown out. Be sneaky.

- Secure a different means of cash. If this doesn't pan out, you need a plan B. Plenty of rich people are ambling about, see if you can secure a deal for some cash.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – One of Vigand's party. Be friendly!

Alexander Molokov – The leader of Vigand's party; a very important- and intimidating- looking man.

Anatoly Sergievsky – The current world champion, and the person who you've bet against. He's played his last few games miserably, so there's still hope for you. And who knows, he might be the type that takes bribes?

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – The American with whom you have the bet. They've got plenty of cash to spare, but they don't know that you can't fulfill your half of the bargain if you lose.

Derrek/Daria Cook – A TV reporter.

Florence Vassy – A Hungarian-born British citizen, she was Trumper's chess second last year, but she left him for Sergievsky. Now she works for him. Might help if you made her a bit uncomfortable. Maybe attempt to get to Sergievsky through her.

Freddie Trumper – The American ex-champion. Maybe he's got money to spare?

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev - Vigand's chess second. Give them a pep talk and your support! Help your guy win.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation. He probably wouldn't like to know you're betting. Just try to keep it under wraps what you're up to.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – A writer who's been popping around asking questions.

Leonid Vigand – The challenger for the championship. He's known as the "Chess-playing machine," and he has to win. For your sake. Keep up with him, and give him encouragement. A few kind words in his direction might help you get out of this financial rut.

Regina Wender – An American spectator.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – The Thailand cultural attache. Seems very eager to get people to immigrate. Might not be a terrible idea, does Thailand extradite?

Svetlana Sergievsky – Sergievky's abandoned wife.

Walter de Courcy – A TV producer from America.

William/Wilma Hunter – The Global TV reporter's camera-person. Try to appear aloof and wealthy if you end up on camera.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev

You're a Soviet chess-player chosen for your quiet demeanor and decent chess skills. You've been Molokov's assistant in this small group of chess advisers for a year now. You're seen what Molokov and the rest of the higher ups have decided to do, and until now, you've been silently approving of the actions that they've been taking. But this year it feels they're going too far. Anatoly was a nice enough person when you worked with him last year, though he was never political.

Now Molokov is out for blood, using Anatoly's family. His wife and children didn't do anything to deserve the threats he's lobbing at them. You're fairly sure that Anatoly will feel little guilt about his family's impending danger if he doesn't bow to Molokov's demands. He cares far too much about his game and his integrity as a player. He left them already, last year, knowing this would put his whole family in danger and that didn't stop him. That just means that Mrs. Sergievsky is in a lot of trouble with almost no way of saving herself. You're not sure how you feel about it.

You understand the need to keep the Soviet image strong in a place where many hate your country and ideologies, but you don't think that a woman and two children should suffer for the mistakes of a single man playing a board game.

However, before you had this somewhat lofty position for your government, you were a normal citizen in the USSR. Your family was not living at a very safe place, and your income was unstable. Now that you're more important, the government makes sure you're provided for, and that might not be something worth giving up, even if you're not very pleased with what's been going on. You have to consider your family's safety. Perhaps there's a way to keep Svetlana and her children safe? But you have to be very careful who you trust. Acting unpatriotic is extremely unwise in front of the wrong people.

GOALS

Decide where you stand. If you think it's worth the risks, you could even look into leaving the country like Anatoly has. But it could be dangerous to your family.

Learn a bit about other places to live. You know... just in case.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – A man with a Hungarian accent who traveled with you to the event. You're not quite sure who he is or why he's been with you but Molokov seems to have plans for him.

Alexander Molokov – Your boss. You know that if you disobey this guy, it could have harsh consequences. You're unsure of his objectivity in these proceedings and think he's out more for himself than for the Soviet cause.

Anatoly Sergievsky – A man you worked with last year who defected to the west. You don't admire his actions or condone them, but it does make you wonder...

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – An American who looks well-off.

Derrek/Daria Cook – A Global Television reporter. They're working under Walter but they don't know about his ties to the Us government. It's probably best to not talk to much around them.

Florence Vassy – She used to be Trumper's partner, now she's Anatoly's chess second and lover. You don't know much about her but she seems to resent Soviets.

Freddie Trumper – Anatoly's opponent last year. You were part of the plan to bring him down and it did work, Anatoly won. Now this guy is trying to help Molokov, convincing Anatoly to lose the match.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British spectator.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation, he seems very dedicated to the game.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – This person seems to be interviewing the players. If they talk to you, try to just talk about the game.

Leonid Vigand – The man who is playing in the match. You're his chess second, so you are his assistant and adviser too. The two of you are friendly enough, but both of you aren't very talkative and he's a lot more enthusiastic about the Soviet cause than you are.

Regina Wender – An American, she resembles someone and you can't place who...

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – A native of this city who is hosting the party.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Anatoly's wife, you think that the things that are happening to her are unfair, though you're not sure what to do about it.

Walter de Courcy – A Global Television announcer who is also working with Molokov for the release of some prisoners of war. At least you think they are. You didn't know Molokov had this much sway in the government.

William/Wilma Hunter – The Global Television camera-person. You're not sure what to say in front of a camera... you've never been a charismatic public speaker.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders

You're a novelist from the US writing about this and last year's chess championships. You want to research the relationship between Freddie Trumper, Florence Vassy, and Anatoly Sergievsky. You'll want to interview anyone that knows them and take plenty of notes. You're an eager and persistent journalist who wants to write THE book on these historic games.

Or at least that's who you are tonight. Who you REALLY are is an agent from the US Government. CIA to be exact. You've been sent to work with Walter de Courcy to get some prisoners of war released from the USSR. It'll be about 50 men mixed Americans, Brits and Hungarians. A few important people who you've been looking to negotiate out for quite some time. You're impressed that all Molokov wants in return is to get Sergievsky to lose the match.

It seems simple enough. You are here to be sure things go smoothly and the Soviets keep their word. And in this role you might actually be able to add to Sergievsky's stress levels and cause him to lose. Remember that a little stress is worth it for the rescue of 50 men. You have never had trouble with a cover and you're sure tonight will run smoothly as long as you keep your ears and eyes open and play the part.

GOALS

Don't break your cover. An agent should always keep their identity safe.

Insure that the 50 men will be released by insuring Anatoly's loss. If he loses, it's win/win. The Soviets are happy and so are you.

Get some juicy details about Sergievsky, Vassy, and Trumper. You're not actually writing this book but gossip is fun.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – Molokov says that this guy is Florence Vassy's father, Gregor Vassy, under-cover. You're pretty sure he's lying, but a prisoner is a prisoner. Getting people out is the most important thing. You're not too concerned if one of them isn't who he says they are.

Alexander Molokov – This guy is a head honcho over in the USSR. He's been playing ball and that's good news. You don't see any reason to worry about the deal going sour unless Sergievsky wins the match. He's helping you make the game very difficult for Sergievsky.

Anatoly Sergievsky – The chess champion that you'd like to see lose this final match. Do your best to psych him out and stress him, it'll help your cause. Ask him questions about leaving his country, his wife, and his children and shacking up with Vassy. That'll rattle him up.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – An American spectator.

Derrek/Daria Cook – A Global Television reporter. They seem to think you're stealing their stories. Might as well run with it.

Florence Vassy – Trumper's ex and Sergievsky's current lover. She seems to have thing for chess-obsessed men.

Freddie Trumper – Last year's chess champion who lost to Anatoly. He knows who you are because he's working with Walter and Molokov. He's a loud-mouth but he knows how to keep information to himself.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British spectator.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – One of Molokov's men. You don't think Molokov has told him about you so it's better to act the novelist role around him and ask him questions.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation. He's seen a lot. He wouldn't approve of your real mission here, but to him you're just a novelist. He'll probably spill some juicy details if you can get him talking.

Leonid Vigand – The challenger in this match. He's a pawn. He knows nothing of the deal, so just play the novelist around this guy.

Regina Wender – An American woman. You think it might be it's Trumper's mother. Delicious drama if that's true.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – A cultural attache for Bangkok who's hosting the party.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Anatoly Sergievsky's wife, who he's abandoned for Florence Vassy. Seems he has kids too. That's pretty cold.

Walter de Courcy – Your current partner on this case. He was here last year so he knows the players well. If you need any advice, he's a good man to defer to, but oyu're the one with the real contact to the CIA. He's just working with them, not an agent.

William/Wilma Hunter – One of Walter's cameramen/women.

Leonid Vigand

You grew up in a semi-industrialized village in Irkutsk, the Soviet Union. To you, your parents aren't just your Mom and Dad. The whole of the Soviet government is your family. You see, when you were just a child, you showed an exceptional aptitude for chess, and the government was quick to send you to a chess school, driving your talents forward. The government has taken good care of you and your family, and you're more than happy to support the family with the same talents they nourished. Of all those special students, you're one of the best, playing with a steady, inevitable style which earned you the nickname "The chess-playing machine." You like the title; it's strong, forceful.

Last year, Comrade Molokov honored you with the position of chess second to Anatoly Sergivesky, the challenger to take back the championship title from American Frederick Trumper. You were fully prepared to help Sergievsky in any way you could: The man was a hero. But he continued to brush you off, refused to go over games with you, ignoring the person who should have been his partner. You have great self-control, and you swallowed your pride for Molokov's sake, but that doesn't mean it didn't sting. You supported him anyway, and he won the championship. To were prepared to bask in the glow of the team's victory, and the rightful return of the champion title to the country that treasured it the most.

Then Sergivesky defected from the Soviet Union, leaving his wife and children, betraying Molokov, spitting in the face of everyone you've ever loved. That was the last straw. You began to study every one of the traitor's games, vowing to learn his weaknesses and someday destroy him. Molokov saw your hard work, and encouraged you to play in the qualifying matches to determine who would challenge the champion. You've always been dedicated, but during those months, you breathed chess. You carefully studied each opponent, and methodically decimated their defenses, making your way to the top.

Here in Bangkok, the support hasn't weakened. Molokov is always there to encourage you, not that you need any motivation. Sergievsky started the match strong, and as hard as you fought, he destroyed you in the first five games. But you were just biding your time. Having studied his style, you came back, and haven't lost a game since. This final game will be like these others. So long as you can stay focused, he has no chance.

The Chess-Playing Machine will crush him.

GOALS

- Win the last game. Take back the championship title for the Soviet Union, and show Sergievsky how wrong he was to ever leave.

- Be an example for your country, show everyone what a gentleman you are, and drum up good press for your group. Molokov said it was okay to take interviews, tell them what a great nation you come from!

- Help advance Demichev's career. They're a fine player, and deserve recognition for their skills. Unlike Anatoly, you know that helping your comrades is vital.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – Some guest of Molokov's. He hasn't told you who he is, just be respectful, and there shouldn't be any problem.

Alexander Molokov – It's thanks to him that you're here today. A year ago, you were Sergievky's second, but this year, you're going to be world champion. Molokov takes good care of you, because he has faith in you. You won't let him down.

Anatoly Sergievsky – Last year, you were his second during the championship. This year, he's your opponent. And you couldn't be more pleased. He's the darling of the media, but you knew him when the cameras were off: he's a curt man who steps on the people below him. You looked up to him, and did your best to appease him, but he brushed you off like dust on his coat. No wonder he defected to the west! He doesn't care at all about the rest of his team, about his country. To let him win is to let him slap the Soviet Union in the face for a second time. This villain must fall. He's an incredible chess player, but you have the edge over him; your dedicated style of play and support of your comrades give you the peace of mind that he so lacks. Tonight's victory is inevitable.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A wealthy American, here to see the game.

Derrek/Daria Cook – An American reporter. You don't mind giving those Americans a few words about the greatness of Soviet life.

Florence Vassy – A Hungarian refugee, Trumper's old second and ex-lover, she now fills both positions for Sergievsky instead. You've heard her name bandied about by Molokov, so he must have some plans to talk to her tonight.

Freddie Trumper – The obnoxious American ex-champion. Sergievsky beat him so badly last year that he retired and went into hiding. His presence this year would be irritating if it weren't so sad. These American players are too prideful in themselves instead of in their team and their country.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British spectator who seems very encouraging. It's pretty nice but why would he support you?

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – Your chess second. You aren't about to be like Sergievsky: you show them respect and treat them like a partner. You're comrades, and that's the strongest bond you know. You met them at your own chess school, but their style of play is very different. This is incredibly useful for discussing tactics.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation, the Arbiter is a man who believes in chess above all other things. He's known for his ability to keep the game fair under any circumstances.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – A writer, asking questions for a proposed book about the match. Molokov says it's fine to talk to press people and knows you'll do your country proud.

Regina Wender – A loud American woman whose hanging on Mr. Trumper. You're not sure why.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – Thailand's cultural attache, eager to discuss the country's finer points. He/She's friendly enough.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Sergievsky's deserted wife. Molokov's brought her here to talk some sense into the traitor. You pity her. She's done nothing at all wrong here.

Walter de Courcy – A television producer from America. He was also around last year. Molokov and him speak often enough. He must be friendly to Soviets, which is much more than you can say for most Americans you've met.

William/Wilma Hunter – The person behind Cook's camera.

Regina Wender

You were once married to a man called Trumper, a man who was on the straight and narrow until booze got the better of him. The two of you had a son together, a quiet little thing who you named Fredrick. Freddie stayed out of your way, and spent most of his time in his room, tinkering with his chess set. It was good, because it reduced the stress when other areas of your life were too much. Life with his father was terrible, and after you kicked the man out, you finally had time to pursue your own interests.

Freddie moved out at a young age, he even dropped out of high school. He was beating some fancy chess people and getting sponsored to travel this way and that. He was out quickly, freeing up space in your house, and removing a burden from your bank account. You made it clear that he could go off and do his own thing, and you'd keep doing your own thing too. Nice and easy. But his leaving didn't make things too much easier. You tried to lean on lovers for financial help, but you've been getting more and more "no"s lately. Things have been bordering on desperate.

You hadn't heard from Freddie for years and years, but two years ago, his name was plastered all over the papers: TRUMPER WORLD CHESS CHAMPION. You didn't think too much of it; he'd gotten a lot of recognition from people when he was younger too. Making it big, good for him. But the year afterward, during the next championship, you heard stories of all the money he was demanding, and it began to add up, literally and figuratively. This wasn't any little hobby anymore.

He had been making hundreds of thousands of dollars off all this, and now quiet little Freddie was rolling in the dough. He never once thought to ring up his dear mother? To say hello, or offer to help his poverty-stricken mother? How ungrateful can a child get after you raised him so well and never got in the way of his ambitions like a lot of other parents would have?

So you planned carefully. Even though he lost last year, he was still going to be at this year's game. You pulled in all the favors you had left (and some you didn't,) and got a one-way ticket to Bangkok to see Freddie. You're months behind in the rent back home, you've pawned almost everything you own, and you have no way of getting back to America. Everything comes down to Freddie helping his mom. Or... finding another man to get you well-positioned again. There seems to be no shortage of them at the party.

GOALS

- See your son, and convince him to pay back his mother for all those years of love his mother spent bringing him up. $50,000 should do it. The kid was always quiet, but he responded well to praise. He's really too old to have his mother doting on him, but you can keep it up until you get the money you need.

Find some romance on the side, scout out some potential matches. If Freddie doesn't pan out, there have got to be some wealthy men who could help you pay for a ticket home. And back pay for the rent. And groceries. Etc, etc.

Take care not to let Freddie see you flirting with a lot of men, he always seemed to look down on that for some reason.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – This guy has an accent, but you don't know what it is. He looks about the same age as you but doesn't look like he's got much money. Maybe he's more wealthy than he looks?

Alexander Molokov – A Russian. Not worth trying to get close to, those Soviets are not to be trusted.

Anatoly Sergievsky – Another Russian but apparently now he's playing chess for the West. What is that about? We have to be represented a Russian? What's the world coming to?

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A wealthy-looking American. You've heard their name bandied about in business news; they're incredibly successful in...stocks, you think?

Derrek/Daria Cook – The TV reporter. The camera follows them wherever they go and hey, at least they're semi-famous.

Florence Vassy – You heard from someone that she dated your son. She's probably of no use to you now, he probably did something stupid to upset her. Kid never seemed to have luck with the ladies. She might be useful to find some soft spots on Freddie though, if you play your cards right.

Freddie Trumper – Your son. He's always been a private child, but his little face got so bright whenever you said something nice to him. So the best way to his wallet is probably through his heart. Best of all he seems a bit stressed out, he'll probably respond even better to your votes of confidence.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British man/woman looks like they have some dough. Butter them up as best you can.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev - Some member of the Russian party. Why bother.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation. Pretty stuffy, but you know what they say about Frenchmen...

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – An American writer, asking a lot of questions. Novelists don't usually have a lot of dough though.

Leonid Vigand – The challenger for this year's match, and the darling of the Soviet team.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – The well-situated cultural attache to Thailand. Looks very intent on making sure that everyone is comfortable.

Svetlana Sergievsky – The wife of Anatoly Sergievsky, the commie that beat your son last year.

Walter de Courcy – A wealthy and powerful looking American businessman. He seems to know your son too. Perhaps you have an in...

William/Wilma Hunter – The person behind the camera. At least they're employed.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul

You're a citizen of Bangkok, a native of Thailand. You love your country and your city and you were part of the committee that fought hard to have the Chess Championship held here. You, along with many other spectators have noticed the incredibly oppressive atmosphere that all the participants exude towards each other. You are hosting this party to try to relieve some of that tension. The press and watchers of the show will sense the hostility and might associate it with the location in their minds.

You want all in attendance and all watching to see how great Bangkok is. Even its name is record-setting. The full ceremonial name is, in fact, the longest name of a location. The name translates to, "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarma".

You can babble to everyone about the tea-houses and restaurants along the river, Chao Phraya River and the charming, traditional temples. More than anything else however, you want to try to make the attendees happier. It will present the whole place look better if you can make sure the press gets some footage of the participants in high spirits.

You are sure to see some conflict at this party but if you can intervene and show everyone a good time, that will help make sure things stay civil. The Soviets and the Westerners are bound to get in ideologically based tussles, and though you have a bit of a bias for your democratic nation, you're willing to put that out of your mind for the night to be as fair as you can to both your guests.

Actually, you government has allowed you to carry with you several temporary visas, in order to offer asylum to anyone who might seek it. Or maybe just for someone who falls in love with the place and wants to move here! You wouldn't blame them, it's a wonderful city.

Fun Facts about Thailand and Bangkok:

-On and off before 1949, Thaliland was known as Siam.
-Thailand is the only Southeast Asian nation that has never been colonized.
-Bangkok is a tourist's dream! There are many markets:

Chatuchak weekend market (largest market in Thailand)

Suan Lum Night Bazaar (trendy lifestyle)

Suan Lum Night Bazaar Ratchadaphisek (new mall and open air market)

Pratunam Market (tourist oriented)

Patpong Night Market (tourist oriented)

Pak Khlong Talat Market (by the Chao Phraya River, fresh flowers and vegetables)

Major Ratchayothin Market (Selling many things from clothes to watches/sunglasses etc. next to the Major Cineplex Ratchayothin opened every day from 16:00 to 23:00)

Taling Chan Floating Market

-Also of note is the Siam Square. Within Siam Square itself, there is a range of shops and services, including tutor schools, restaurants, cafe, designer clothing boutiques, record stores, bookshops, and banks. The customers vary from young-aged school and college students to office workers and foreign tourists. It is sometimes referred to as the"SoHo" or "Shinjuku of Thailand".

-Bangkok can very well be called "Temple City" with the presence of Buddhist temples in almost every street and corner. These fascinating temples serve as one of the greatest cultural symbols of Thailand.

-Bangkok is split into separate patches of land by the Chao Phraya River, which is Thailand's longest river.

GOALS

Help everyone have good time! Smile as much as you can, and make sure all those good spirits get caught on camera. Make sure to tell people great things about Thailand and Bangkok.

Break up any conflicts you notice by trying to appease both sides.

See if you can get a few people to move to Thailand! You have only 2 visas with you but perhaps you can pull a few strings if there happens to be more people eager to live in your country.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – An elderly man with a Hungarian accent.

Alexander Molokov – The head of the Soviet party, and a high-ranking member of the KGB. If something goes wrong for him, you'll have an international incident on your hands. Tread lightly.

Anatoly Sergievsky – The current world Chess champion. He doesn't like the limelight, but you could get more screen time on Global if you could manage to get him to talk to you with the cameras rolling.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – A wealthy American spectator. Maybe encourage him to spend some of his money, inject a bit into the Thailand economy...

Derrek/Daria Cook – The Global Television TV reporter. You'll want to make sure that they get plenty of footage of you discussing the finer points of your fair city.

Florence Vassy – Sergievsky's chess second; she'll be handling all his affairs. But considering their current situation, you may not want to use the word "affair" around them.

Freddie Trumper – The American ex-champion. He's in a bad mood, and doesn't seem to like Bangkok very much. Perhaps your sunny hospitality can change his mind?

George/Jerri Hutch – A wealthy British tourist. Encourage him to stay for a few weeks!

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev - Vigand's chess second. Chess seconds, from what you've read, usually handle all the details for their players, but as Molokov is arranging everything, Demichev looks a little lost.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation, given his reputation of being neutral, he should be your ally here in helping to keep conflict at a minimum.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – A writer, working on a book about the game. Excellent! You'd love to make sure they get all the details about the setting right.

Leonid Vigand – The challenger for the world champion title. A quiet man who keeps to his group.

Regina Wender – An American tourist.

Svetlana Sergievsky – The current champion's estranged wife. They could perhaps cause a scene, look out.

Walter de Courcy – The head of Global Television, and the boss of the reporter and the cameraman. He's also funding Sergievsky to participate in the match.

William/Wilma Hunter – Probably one of the most vital people at the party to you. He/She holds the camera. You want to be sure that they film a few of the lovely sites in Bangkok and if you can be interviewed you should be sure to promote your city and country.

Svetlana Sergievsky

Your life started out simply and plainly enough, growing up in the Soviet Union. You were more than happy to keep well away from anything political, as it seemed the safest route. But your father took a liking to watching competitive chess, and dragged the family out to see public games. Everyone knew that chess was no innocent game. The government idealized it, treating the Soviet chess prowess as a symbol of your country's mental superiority. The games your family attended grew bigger and bigger, and your unease grew with them.

It was at a qualifying match to determine the next challenger to the World Champion that you met Anatoly Sergievsky. He didn't make it, but he placed fourth in the tournament, considered a brilliant success for someone so young. Your father introduced the two of you through a mutual acquaintance, and, allured by his mystery and quiet charm, you two began a romance. To your surprise, Anatoly proposed to you a year later, and at the urging of your father; you accepted.

You're no chess player, but looking back now, you feel you should've known it was a terrible move. Though you had two children with Anatoly, it did nothing to keep him at home with you. He was always off to some match or another, and you quickly realized that the man was obsessed; there was no room in his life for you and the children. After six years of trying to make it work (you trying far harder than he was of course), you and Anatoly agreed that the love could not be rekindled. Perhaps for him, it had never been there at all. You still haven't divorced him, out of respect for his public image, and the sake of the children, but if it weren't for the government coverups, both of you would be known to have had multiple affairs.

Anatoly's brilliance secured him the patronage of Alexander Molokov, a member of the KGB tasked with promoting the government's image through Soviet Chess. Nothing was denied to you or your family, but you always felt the subtle threat: nothing would be denied, so long as your husband continued to play well. That wasn't a problem; you've always been sure of Anatoly's skills above all else. But he is very strong-willed, and proud of his prowess. He wants to win for himself, not his country, and that kind of selfish behavior is incredibly dangerous.

Last year, he went to Italy and won the championship title. You breathed a sigh of relief when you heard the news, but not an hour later did another call come through for you, telling you that he had defected to England, and run off with some Hungarian woman. This time, his selfishness would not go unpunished; but you knew it wouldn't be him bearing the brunt of the pain. Your family lost their home, as the government has moved you to a lousy apartment in Moscow, where they can keep an eye on you. The living conditions are dreary, and the children had to switch schools. This was unsettling, but you had hoped that the worst was over.

Then your father and mother started receiving vague threats at home in the mail. Whenever you take a phone call, you can hear clicks: they've been tapped. Your kids come home asking about the strange men who follow them there and back. Cousin Dennis was nearly killed in a car bombing. Over the past year, your life has become increasingly nightmarish, and still you haven't heard from Anatoly.

Then, Molokov showed up at your door. You felt tears well up in your eyes, sure that this was the end; he and his men had come to take you and the children away. But instead, he told you to pack for Thailand. You dropped the children off with your parents, and Molokov's men brought you here, to Bangkok, for the Chess World Championship. They've promised that life can all go back to how it was before, if only you can convince Anatoly to lose the match, and come home with you. This is all but impossible: Anatoly's pride comes before everything else. But he must listen, he must! Because Molokov's offer has another side: should you fail, life can still get worse, for you, and your children...

GOALS

- Whatever it takes, convince Anatoly to lose the match, and come home with you.

- If Anatoly won't listen to you, find someone who CAN convince him. Surely you're not the only one who wants him to lose...

- Demichev seems odd sometimes, maybe it's worth privately confronting him about it.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – A man Molokov's brought along with them. He looks about as happy to be here as you are. Probably another person being blackmailed for whatever reason.

Alexander Molokov – A member of the KGB, and the leader of your group. He seems to be an amiable man, and he would always bring sweets to your children when he visited your home. But he always made you uneasy, because you knew something terrible lurked behind that smile. And you were right. He's a monster. You've tried to beg, told him that you know Anatoly won't listen to you, but he won't be bartered with at all.

Anatoly Sergievsky – Your husband, with whom you've been distant these past few years. You still feel the bitter sting of affection when you see him, you still love that man you once knew. But you know that that man never existed; he was always the cold, chess-obsessed man he is now. You hope that there may be some sliver of humanity left in him, that he might care enough to come back. Certainly not for you, but for the children you hope.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – You don't know this person but they have an American accent.

Derrek/Daria Cook – A TV reporter. The media in the Soviet Union is government-run, so you aren't used to being confronted with personal issues like this. Should you talk to them about Anatoly? You're not quite sure...

Florence Vassy – Anatoly's lover. You have a lot of self-control, enough that Anatoly's affairs don't usually get to you. You have enough of your own to keep your mind occupied. But there's the chance that Anatoly actually loves this woman. And that's hard to handle. You'd thought him incapable of real affection, just meaningless trysts. Anatoly might not have been yours, but he was your husband, and that was something. You're caught between wanting to hate this woman, and wanting to warn her. If he really loves her, then you'd love to driver her away out of spite. But if the passion is cooling, you could feel sympathy. You know what it's like to be abandoned by him.

Freddie Trumper – The American ex-champion. Loud and obnoxious; you can see why Anatoly would dislike him.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British spectator. He/She looks fairly well off.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – Vigand's chess second, and a member of Molokov's party. You sometimes see reluctance in their eyes when Molokov gives them an order. Best to keep that hidden for now.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation, The Arbiter has been presiding over the past few championship matches. He's known for an astounding ability to keep neutral under the most terrible stress.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – A writer, going around asking questions. You don't really feel like talking about it right now, but if getting his name smeared in print will make Anatoly come back and protect his children then it might be worth it.

Leonid Vigand – The challenger for the championship, and the man Molokov is supporting. He's very quiet, and as obsessed with chess as Anatoly.

Regina Wender – An American spectator.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – Thailand's cultural attache. Filled with trivia about their home city.

Walter de Courcy – A producer for Global Television, an American news station.

William/Wilma Hunter – The reporter's camera-person.

Walter de Courcy

It's not easy running a media company. It's harder running it when you're such a hands-on kind of guy. It's hardest when you're running missions for the CIA on the side. Hard, but oh so worth it. Your main job is running Global, but occasionally the CIA asks you to keep an eye out, or deliver a message. Small, but satisfactory. You get the public attention of a media mogul, and the private reassurance that the same stories you're running are actually making a difference. Last year, you had exclusive rights to broadcast the World Chess Championship game, and the CIA made it clear that that little bit of East-meets-West was exactly that: a chance to meet up with a KGB bigwig, Alexander Molokov. You two took a liking to each other right away, and this year, you're doing business again. You and Agent Sanders (who is currently undercover as a writer) secured a deal with Molokov for the release of some fifty political prisoners from Soviet gulags, including Americans, Englishmen, and a few Hungarians. This is nothing short of huge, and you'll have the breaking story firsthand, not to mention a personal accommodation from the President. Who cares if it's secret? It'll put you in a better place to break more stories, and that means more cash in the future.

In exchange for setting these prisoners free, Molokov wants Anatoly Sergievsky to lose the match. Fine by you. But he's a prideful man, and even if they had a hundred prisoners, he'd never do it. Lucky for Molokov, then, that he has a man who's worth a thousand: Gregor Vassy, Florence Vassy's long-lost father. As Florence is currently Anatoly's main squeeze, this is one powerful piece. Molokov's brought him here tonight, in the hopes of convincing Anatoly to throw the final match. He's posing as a man named "Addrian Lakatos."

There is, however, a catch. You suspect that Molokov may be lying about this man's identity. There's far more chance that Gregor Vassy is dead. But that really doesn't matter to you; one Hungarian prisoner is as valuable as the other. But it'll matter to Florence and Anatoly, and that's the important part. So you'll play along with Molokov. What else are friends for?

And because you like to be worth the commission that the CIA pays you, you've brought along a little more assurance. Freddie Trumper, the ex-champion, is here on your dime. He was impossible to control in the past, but since he lost his title, he's settled down. You also suspect that losing Florence is the cause of the difference. Now that she's been with Anatoly for a year, Freddie's bound to be getting a little desperate to get her back. You can make this work. If Anatoly loses Florence, then he could repeat Freddie's actions last year, and be too distraught to finish the match.

Everything hinges on Florence Vassy. If Anatoly wants to keep her, he'd better throw the match and save her Father. If Anatoly won't, that'll put her in a position to be comforted by Freddie, and he'll lose from grief. Everything is set. You can't have overlooked anything, can you?

GOALS

-Convince Florence to make Anatoly throw the match. Use "Lakatos" as collateral.

-Alternatively, break them up, and get as many people as possible to hassle Anatoly. If he can't concentrate, he can't win.

-Keep an eye on your camera crew, and make sure they're getting newsworthy footage.

-Keep an eye on Freddie Trumper. Remind him who's paying for him to be there. Be sure he doesn't stray from your goals.

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – Brought by Molokov, this man is actually Florence Vassy's father. Or so Molokov claims. Truth be told, you're not really sure. But you are damn sure that this man's been in a gulag for twenty years, so he has as much right as anyone to get rescued.

Alexander Molokov – Your contact from the KGB, and the head of the Russians' little chess group. He's backing Vigand this year. You know you can't always trust a communist, but you've had a number of deals with him before, and apart from some minor details, he's always done right by you. It's all business, and he knows that screwing over a business partner is no good. You don't talk much in public, but when doing business, it's almost like you're old friends.

Anatoly Sergievsky – Poor bastard. He really never knew he'd get caught up in all of this. He thinks he's playing the game, when he's really just a piece. To be fair though, he's a pretty important piece, and it's vital that he falls. Right now you're sponsoring him, but that's just so you can be in a prime position to stab him in the back. Nothing personal, just business.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – An American spectator.

Derrek/Daria Cook – One of your employees, a reporter who you brought along due to his/her skills. You trust them to make a good show, so you can go about your business without much worry about your reporters. Though you can advise them if you think they're forgetting something vital.

Florence Vassy – She used to be with Freddie, but now she's with Anatoly. Funny how things work out. If both men had been kings on the board, she's always the queen; take her away, and either one is crippled. Freddie lost it when he lost her, but you're betting that Anatoly will choose anything rather than lose her. She's got spunk, and you really hope that that Lakatos man is actually her father. You'll have to say that he is either way, but you'd like for her to have something good when this is all over.

Freddie Trumper – Ah, Freddie. The delusional madman. It was only a matter of time before he snapped. You supported this ex-champion financially last year, and though he kept demanding more and more money, he always brought in the ratings promised. A real cash cow. So you brought him back again this year for some special commentary for the broadcast. He's calmed down a lot, though. Losing Florence was pretty hard on him, it seems.

He's also here for your ulterior plans with Molokov: he could really mess with Anatoly's head. And anything that brings Anatoly down is good for you.

George/Jerri Hutch – A British spectator.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev – A Soviet, working with Molokov. One of his assistants.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation. He's a bit stiff about the rules but he's none of your concern.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – The undercover agent whose helping you make the deal with Molokov to release the prisoners of war. They seem nice enough, though you're not really bothering too much with their personality. You'll have to be partners even if you don't get along.

Leonid Vigand – The Russians' current contender for champion. He's pretty boring, compared to the amiable Anatoly, let alone the firecracker Freddie was. But the Russians want him to win, so he can bring honor to the state. They want it so bad that they'll trade quite a few prisoners of war for a victory. And when men's lives are at stake, you do what it takes, even letting the boring guy win.

Regina Wender – Freddie's mother. You were alerted ahead of time that she'd wormed her way over here. This could be a problem. Freddie's mother is a bit of a pressure point for him, and seeing her here could cause his unstable mind to snap like a twig. And if her son's this crazy, you don't even want to guess what kind of trouble she could cause.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – A political attache for Bangkok. They're hosting the party.

Svetlana Sergievsky – Anatoly's wife. They've even got two little girls, and he left all three back in the Soviet Union. Ouch. Molokov brought her here to convince Anatoly to go back with her. Another sad little pawn on your board.

William/Wilma Hunter – One of your employees, a camera-person who seems to be good at his/her job. You brought him/her here for their good footage and the fact that he/she works well with Cook.

William/Wilma Hunter

You're a Global Television camera-person and clearly a well-respected one to get chosen to film at this major news event. You've been working with Cook for a while now and the two of you have a good professional relationship. You do good stories together and unlike a lot of the reporters this one actually listens to your suggestions and respects you. You know that this is a big deal and your boss Walter de Courcy will even be with you on this. You've never worked with him but he seems confident in Cook and yourself.

You have a knack for getting good scoops. It's all because you're not afraid to bend the truth on occasion, if you say, "You two are actually brothers!" and then one says, "No we're just cousins." You've found out more about them than you would have if you simply asked "Are you two related?" It's fine as long as you edit out the lies and keep in the facts you learn you never have any trouble. Of course sometimes lies make good news too.

GOALS

Don't miss any big news or drama!

Spread a few bits of gossip. Gossip can betray more of the truth than people usually think. Plus it's really fun!

Get the respect of your boss. Promotions are good!

RELATIONSHIPS

Addrian Lakatos – A Hungarian man; your uncle was Hungarian, so you recognize the accent. What's he doing with the Russians?

Alexander Molokov – The head of the Russian party.
SCOOP: You've heard that he's a KGB agent.

Anatoly Sergievsky – The current world champion.
SCOOP: He's going to retire from chess after tonight's match. There's a curse that no champion will hold the title for more than one year.

Christopher/Kristen Doyle – An American spectator.
SCOOP: His wealth comes from illicit activities: he's a crack smuggler.

Derrek/Daria Cook – Your usual partner in crime. They do the reporting and you do the filming, the two of you are pretty good at reading each other's moves.

Florence Vassy – Sergievsky's lover, who convinced him to defect from his country and move to England.
SCOOP: Her hair color isn't natural. She's prematurely gray.

Freddie Trumper – Wild ex-champion. You miss having this guy on the news; he really made things exciting.
SCOOP: Trumper's here to take back the championship title...by force if necessary.

George/Jerri Hutch – A wealthy-looking Englishman.

Ivan/Ivanna Demichev - Vigand's chess second.
SCOOP: Demichev has never played a game of chess in their life.

Jean Jacques van Boren "The Arbiter" – The President of the World Chess Federation.
SCOOP: The Arbiter isn't really neutral. He just hands out victories on a whim. This 5-5 tie is one big joke.

Kurt/Kathrine Sanders – A writer, they're going about with a lot of questions. Your partner, Cook, doesn't seem to like them very much. You haven't heard any gossip about them, but you're more than willing to make it up!

Leonid Vigand – The challenger for the championship.
SCOOP: Vigand isn't just called the "Chess playing Machine," he is one! Developed by the Soviets, he's the latest in cutting-edge technology. His quiet demeanor is due to the fact that the hardware doesn't permit expressions.

Regina Wender – An American spectator.
SCOOP: Okay, this one you got from a semi-legit source. Probably. She's Trumper's mother, come to try to con him out of his money.

Sajja/Mali Jainukul – The Thailand cultural attache.

Svetlana Sergievsky – The champion's estranged wife. There's drama RIFE in this situation. You can't even write stories this great.

Walter de Courcy – Your boss, you want to make sure you do a good job here to prove you're worthy of getting to be assigned to big stories like this.