The Coldest Game

What came first? The chicken or the egg?

It’s important to see things as they are.

On one hand you have an awkward feathered thing

and on the other you have the most perfect aerodynamic shape that's ever evolved.

The answer is...

answer is obvious, right?

Everything’s simple with you, professor. Maybe you can explain my wife to me.

- It was the egg, not the chicken, right? - That depends.

On what?

On whether I'm having breakfast or dinner.

Get out of here, professor.

We now know that the Soviet Union

has decided for putting all of the Americans

under the nuclear gun.

Their major weapon systems, which would affect this capability,

appear to be nuclear propelled and supersonic bombers.

The aggressor would go as far as he could,

to the very brink of war.

Kennedy said that their administration must take responsibility

for the loss of Cuba.

The free people of Cuba,

people who want to be free are going to be supported

and that they will attain their freedom.

In international news the chess match of the century

between grand master John Konigsberg

and the Soviet challenger grand master Gavrylov

has finally been scheduled. The Chairman of the American Chess Association,

Mr. Griswald Moran, made this announcement.

I would like to personally thank President Kennedy,

who spoke to First Secretary Khrushchev on our behalf

and helped us come to an agreement with the Soviets.

The date of the tournament remains unchanged.

Both sides have agreed to hold the games in Warsaw, Poland.

Yeah, well. I can't play with all that crap in my ears.

All they've been talking about for the past two days

is Konigsberg and that Russian,

as though that’s going to bring the Commies to their knees.

Dealer takes one.

Did you guys hear about that Russian bomb called Tsar?

- All in. - They exploded one

and the mushroom cloud was 40 miles high.

- All in. - Manhattan would be destroyed in...

two seconds.

And I call.

Gentlemen.

That's always a pleasure.

Three hundred and 32 dollars.

So my 15 percent would be 49 dollars and 80 cents.

Here's 50 bucks.

This Saturday we're going to play blackjack.

You are going to lose the first two rounds

and then make a miraculous recovery.

You got it.

Evening, miss. What'll it be?

Double bourbon. Neat.

Professor Mansky?

You crossed my mind today when I heard about that chess match

between that Russian and Konigsberg.

I remember when you were playing him.

Everybody admired you.

I was your student.

That was a long time ago.

Professor, I have a proposition for you.

Pardon me.

Excuse me? I think you forgot your...

He’s waking up.

He needs another shot.

He’s not due for another 45.

He’s got a strong liver.

He woke up half an hour ago in the safe room.

He doesn't know where he is. We waited for you before talking to him.

Taught math at Princeton. During Einstein’s tenure, no less.

Dismissed for punching a Nobel laureate. You brought a winner.

He’s a genius at chess, sir. He defeated Konigsberg twice.

Yeah, 20 years ago.

And this is the guy you want to win the Cold War for us?

Go ahead.

Professor Mansky, can you hear me?

I taught for nine years. I never had a female student.

What I'm about to tell you, sir, is highly confidential.

The President and the State Department...

You'd come up with the genius plan.

- We have a lot to tell you... - You gonna tell me

that I should pretend to be Konigsberg or maybe ask me

to send messages about different moves he can make

by tapping Morse code by the teaspoon or something.

And this all in the name of the State Department

and the President of the United States, and it happens in a sound-proofed box.

- Guess what? I'm not interested. - Impressive. Everything you said is true.

But there’s more. Konigsberg suffered a stroke a few days ago.

He’s dead and nobody knows about it.

A loophole in the regulations allows us to replace him with another player.

The Russians have to accept or they face a forfeit.

There is no plan B. We need you to be a patriot.

Oh God. That word.

Hey.

Why isn't my cell touching the ground?

You're worried about what’s underneath us.

We're not on home territory, are we?

No, professor.

That’s the other thing.

We're in a safe room, U.S. Embassy, Warsaw.

This just came in. Encrypted, code orange.

We're not thirsty.

The Soviet's ship will dock earlier in Cuba. We have only four days

and Konigsberg’s autopsy shows traces of ricin in his system.

The same kind the Soviets use.

If he was poisoned, that means the Soviets know about our mission,

- so we have a mole in Washington. - I need to know every detail

- of this operation. - You know the protocol, agent Novak.

I don't even have all the details.

Agent White is gonna contact our source,

- I will support him, you will protect us. - We're buying time.

Even if Mansky loses the first three games,

that gives us five days to contact John Gift.

You understand you're risking more than my men or this station.

They hang people here for this kind of business.

The convoy approaching Cuba may indicate change

in the Soviet strategy and an unannounced, rapid attack

using medium-range missiles deployed on the island,

which would break U.S. hegemony in the Western Hemisphere

and shorten retaliation time to four minutes.

Mr. Mansky?

Professor? May we come in?

You know I will agree to play.

Who told you what happened in 1945?

What do you mean?

You don’t know.

Can we brief you about today?

You want me to win, I gotta get some rest.

- We leave at 3:00. - Go away.

Mr. Novak, sir...

Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen.

Please, I recognize you all from your passport photos.

My name's Donald Novak. I am the embassy attaché

in charge of your stay in Warsaw.

You've been briefed on the plane about our difficult situation.

We've decided to keep the Soviets in the dark to the last minute.

We will arrive just before the opening ceremony begins.

And then, Mr. Moran will present them with the announcement.

- We'll see what they decide. - Thank you.

As chairman of the American Chess association...

Excuse me.

Sir, we have a problem. You need to be in a guest room.

Dr. Stone and Mr. White from Life Magazine.

Could you come with me, please?

We've had an issue with their visas. We’ll be just a minute.

Professor?

Christ, not another one.

He’s alive.

He’s alive, alright and three sheets to the goddamn wind.

Phenobarbital.

We are lucky his heart is still beating.

An amphetamine derivative. We won World War II thanks to this.

It’ll put a spring in your step.

It’ll take effect faster if you gum it.

- I don't get anything... - Ok. Just give it a moment.

Bravo!

The Mazowsze folk band!

How long does it last, this stuff?

Everything looks strange.

What’s that?

This will be our home for the next few days.

It's The Palace of Culture and Science.

Stalin’s gift to the people of Poland.

Ladies and gentlemen!

I would like to welcome

Yuri Siergeyevich Gavrylov,

representing the U.S.S.R., to the stage!

Thank you!

May this chess match, played in the heroic city of Warsaw,

aide in the perseverance of peace

and friendship among nations.

- Thank you! - Bravo!

Thank you for those wonderful words.

Your statement.

The Soviet Chess Committee agrees to your substitute player.

What about Grandmaster Gavrylov?

He'll agree as well.

I will now read a statement

I just received from the American delegation.

Here we go.

Here we go.

We regret to announce

that the US representative, grand master Konigsberg,

has passed away.

As stated in the ordinance of the International Chess Federation,

either side has the right to appoint a replacement

if the replacement was the last one to defeat the original contender

in a sanctioned match.

Grandmaster Konigsberg was defeated 17 years ago

by professor...

Joshua Mansky.

Before I invite professor Mansky to the stage,

I would like to propose a moment of silence

to honor the late grand master Konigsberg.

Since the Soviet delegation is not protesting,

we can move on to the symbolic first move of the tournament,

which will begin tomorrow!

There will be five games.