Knight Moves

Check!

Check!

The pressures and demands players of your son's ability...

place on themselves to win are incredible.

I can't afford to keep him in here forever.

I just want to keep him overnight and then start with a child psychologist.

I knew this would happen. His mother's not strict enough with him.

She lies in bed drunk all clay and the boy does whatever he wants.

After he's released, it's crucial that he's supervised.

The most important thing is that during his treatment...

he's not allowed anywhere near a chessboard.

I've got a drunk for a wife and a lunatic for a son!

I don't need this shit anymore!

You're crazy! Both of you!

Help me...

Today concludes the second week of competition in this tournament.

Each of the players will play the other a minimum of three times...

and the winner will earn the right to play for the world title next year.

But the big story is the amazing comeback of Peter Sanderson...

who is currently leading the tournament.

The European Grandmaster now residing in Westport, Connecticut...

stunned the chess world three years ago...

when he walked out in the middle of the last candidates tournament...

while leading by three games...

and he forfeited the match to Viktor Yurilivich...

who is only two games behind Sanderson in this match.

- Congratulations, Mr. Sanderson. - Thank you, Miss Rutledge.

- Your schedule for tomorrow. - Daddy!

- Congratulations, clad. - Thank you, darling.

My cheering section.

You're playing the English. Lutz won't do that.

- He opened his first game with it. - He knows that you're aware of it.

I'll transpose.

On a variation, yes. But it must be a variation that is unique.

- I'm sure you have something in mind. - Of course.

Get rid of knight. Bishop takes bishop.

Pawn takes pawn. Rook takes Queen.

That's to your advantage.

With the excellent range of your bishops, he's finished.

- It's a good play, but risky. - You don't win by playing it safe.

- What are you doing up? - I can't sleep. My bed's lumpy.

Forgot to bring your night-light, didn't you?

That has nothing to do with that.

You want to sleep in my bed tonight?

I'll tuck you in.

Jeremy, have someone pick up a night-light tomorrow.

- Hello. - Debi?

Yes.

It's me. I forgot something.

Sorry to ruin your trip, Frank, but we got a real nut on our hands.

- Run it. - Debi Rutledge. Caucasian. 24.

Worked over at the Four Oaks Hotel. A neighbor found her.

- Local? - No. She moved here...

four months ago from Portland.

What the hell's going on here?

Gentlemen, this is not a party.

Anybody who doesn't have to be in here, get the hell out.

NOW!

I came out here from the city to get away from this.

What to you got, Nolan?

There's no sign of a break in. I think she let him in.

- How long has she been dead? - Six, eight hours tops.

What's the cause of death?

You think whoever did this wanted it to look like suicide?

He would have taken more care not to leave the rope burns on her wrists.

The way I got it figured is he tied her up, slit her wrists...

and sat back and watched her bleed to death.

But that's not the main thing. What's wrong with this picture?

There's no blood. Where the hell's the blood?

Bingo!

- Did Ms. Rutledge have a boyfriend? - I guess so.

What do you mean?

I know she had company last night. A man.

How do you know that?

Her bedroom is on the other side of mine.

The walls are very thin. I could hear them.

What are you trying to tell us? They were... humping?

They were having sex, yes.

I wasn't intentionally listening, but with the walls so thin...

Thank you very much.

First thing I'd like to say...

is that some of us have not had the opportunity...

to get to know each other since I took over last month.

And a lot of you feel that I'm an outsider...

who took over a job that should have gone to a local...

but that's the way it worked out.

You can bitch and complain all you want.

But you will tow the line in my department which means...

that the next time an officer responds to a homicide call...

he seals off the crime scene and nobody gets in...

but Detective Wagner and myself. Is that clear?

Also...

I don't wanna hear anybody talking about this message on the wall or the blood.

Nothing.

- Anything? - I don't think she was raped.

There's no bruising or any signs of trauma to the pelvic region.

- What about sperms? - No trace.

- Prints? - No prints.

- No prints but hers? - No, Frank.

No prints.

- Yes? - Mr. Sanderson?

Frank Sedman, Roxbridge P.D., Detective Wagner.

- I don't know whether you've heard... - Miss Rutledge. Yes, I did.

May we come in?

- Sure. - Thank you very much.

- I hope we're not interfering. - No.

- Morning! - Good morning.

- Can we talk in private? - I'll get out of your way, gentlemen.

- Nice to have met you. - Nice to meet you too, sir.

I'll get right to it. How well did you know Debi Rutledge?

Only in passing. To say hello to.

What does that mean? I don't understand that.

I've talked to a few people who say you and her were friendly?

Well, chess tournaments can be boring.

People have a lot of free time. They like to gossip.

What did you do last night?

- I played Gregory Lutz. - Yes. You won two games.

You left the auditorium at 8:45. What did you do after that?

I came back to my room and... went for a walk.

- By yourself? - Of course.

I have here a printout with all the calls to your room...

and I noticed one here at 9:04 from Debi, "please call me at home".

She was calling to give me my schedule for tomorrow.

I see. The funny thing here is that...

you say you only know her in passing...

but this message says "call me at home" and there's no number...

which would indicate that you already know her number.

I got it from the tournament directory.

There's no Debi Rutledge in the directory.

That's because you're looking in the general directory.

In the players' one everyone connected to the tournament is listed.

We seem to be having a little problem here.

Really? What kind of problem?

I think you're lying. That's what kind of problem.

- What are you saying? - We're not saying anything.

We're just trying to put a few pieces together. That's all.

- Thank you. - Pleasure.

What do you think?

He's got an answer for everything, but no alibi.

You think he's dirty?

I don't know, but you're right about one thing...

he's lying.

I'd like a different chair. This one killed me yesterday.

The pieces on the board move too slowly. It's distracting.

Will be sped up.

Grandmaster Sanderson, there are five other players.

If we were to accede to every special request...

I'm not asking anything special.

I just wanna be able to concentrate.

- David? - No problem.

Just a matter of adjusting the response time.

Can you make it so they don't slide across the board?

The audience is gonna have a difficult time following the move.

- Can you speed them up then? - Okay.

That looks pretty good.

You're acting like a superstitious schoolboy, Peter.

What's next? Incense and rosary beads?

Grandmaster Lutz, you'll be sitting here for your next match.

I can't sit there.

I must be facing north.

My power come from the north.

Please.

- Hello, Peter. - Hi, Viktor.

You played an interesting game last night.

Even though sacrificing your rook at E4...

was the game I played against Valsney in '82.

- I'm glad it helped you. - You're two points behind.

- Doesn't that make you nervous? - I never get nervous.

Besides... you will falter.

- Not this time. - Well, then, this time...

you will have to stay until the end of the match, won't you?

I'll be here.

Ready?

Are you sure?

What do you do?

- Who told you this? - Mrs. Lutz.

She said only that Mr. Lutz goes to a medium...

to try and contact great grandmasters in the spirit world.

- Has he reached any? - No.

But he did contact a dead Parcheesi champion.

Mr. Sanderson? The phone's for you.

Hello. Hello.

Hello, Peter. Who's this?

Someone who's gonna become an important part of your life.

I wanna play a game with you.

Listen. I don't have time for this.

You had time for Debi.

What? I wiped off all your prints.

What is it, daddy?

Nothing. Let's go.

Mr. Sanderson? There's a message for you.

- See you later, dad. - Bye.

Get me the police.

Why didn't you tell us you were there earlier?

I don't know. I was afraid of hours of questions.

I can't afford to miss a game.

We wouldn't want someone's death to interfere with your games.

What was your relationship with her?

- Casual. - You were boning her, weren't you?

It wasn't serious. What's your problem?