Open ClassicCINEMA
Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 795

Chess Fever

192528 minSoviet Union
Comedy

Synopsis

During a major chess tournament in Moscow, a young man becomes so absorbed in the game that he neglects his fiancée. Every attempt at reconciliation runs into another board, piece or chess-playing distraction. As the couple's quarrel spreads through a city seemingly infected by the same obsession, a meeting with a famous champion offers an unexpected intervention.

Watch the film ↓
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: Russian.
This copy runs
20:00
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: Russian. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Vsevolod Pudovkin (1893–1953), Nikolai Shpikovsky (1897–1977) · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

Cast

DirectorsVsevolod Pudovkin

Behind the scenes

Pudovkin and Shpikovsky combine their fictional romance with footage from the 1925 Moscow chess tournament. World champion José Raúl Capablanca appears in the story, connecting the comedy with the event happening around its production.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Audience rating

Loading ratings…

Keep exploring

Collection