Le joueur d’échecs

Aboard a steamship bound for Argentina, the narrator, in this case Stefan Zweig, encounters several remarkable characters. The world champion Cvetkovic, a peasant from the depths of Hungary, is exceptionally gifted at chess but an utter fool. His sole concern in life is chess and, above all, the money it brings him.

The second character is more mysterious: Doctor B. A cultured, intelligent man who recounts his terrifying story to the narrator. After fleshing out each of the two characters, Zweig brings them together for an ultimate confrontation: a game of chess.