Chess fever
Just a quick game
Comforting his arresting officer
A distracted chemist
Chess Fever (Шахматная горячка) was a silent comedy short film directed by Nikolai Shpikovsky and Vsevolod Pudovkin, released in the Soviet Union in 1925.
It's a fun little romp about the chess craze sweeping the nation. Impressively, it also has a cameo by none other than World Chess Champion José Capablanca.
The paper-thin but far too relatable plot depicts the protagonist's chess obsession making him neglect his fiancé. This is used as a rough framework on which to hang a lot of visual comedy, from the lure of the shop catering to his obsession, to everyone being too distracted by chess to perform their jobs.
I recommend it to chess fans and silent comedy fans alike.
Chess: Chess fever | Chess set | Elo rating system | Lichess | Tactic
Films: Blade Runner | Chess fever
