Language: German. English translation here. Dutch here.

Check! This is the first part of a chess-doubleheader on Read52. Or is it? Zweig himself was a bad chess player and the game is not deeply analyzed or explained. This (posthumously published) novella is more about interpersonal relationships, people in unfamiliar environments and the roamings of the mind.

On a passenger ship, travelling from New York to Buenos Aires, an Austrian immigrant gets to know that Mirko Czentovic, the reigning world champion, is aboard. Czentovic is an orphan, raised by a priest, and therefore a low profile man ruling an intellectual world. He sells his services to amateur players, which is not done in chess etiquette.

When a rich oilinvestor named McConnor finds out that Czentovic is aboard, he puts the needed money on the table. Czentovic takes on the challenge to play, not only against McConnor, but against all spectators at the same time. Czentovic wins. During the revenge match, an unknown stranger prevents the group from losing again. Dr. B, as he is introduced, turns out to have an unusual relation to chess: in captivity during the war, he stole a book with famous matches. In his fight against boredom in prison Dr. B. started studying every match from beginning to end. During this process, Dr. B. was able to split his mind into a white-I and a black-I.

Dr. B.'s knowledge comes to use against Czentovic, but only to a certain level.