Chess Story Movie Cast, Plot and Everything to Know

Plot

Vienna, 1938: Austria is occupied by the Nazis. Dr. Josef Bartok (Oliver Masucci) is preparing to flee to America with his wife Anna when he is arrested by the Gestapo. As a former notary to the deposed Austrian aristocracy, he is told to help the local Gestapo leader gain access to their private bank accounts in order to fund the Nazi regime. Refusing to cooperate, Bartok is locked in solitary confinement. Just as his mind is beginning to crack, Bartok happens upon a book of famous chess games. To withstand the torture of isolation, Bartok disappears into the world of chess, maintaining his sanity only by memorizing every move. As the action flashes forward to a transatlantic crossing on which he is a passenger, it seems as though Bartok has finally found freedom. But recounting his story to his fellow travelers, it's clear that his encounters with both the Gestapo and with the royal game itself have not stopped haunting him.

Cited as official plot version

Drama

• O
  Oliver Masucci

  Woodwalkers, Day Shift

• R
  Rolf Lassgård

• A
  Albrecht Schuch

  Peacock, All Quiet on the Western Front

• B
  Birgit Minichmayr

  Downfall, Taking Sides

Who is making Chess Story – Crew List

A look at Chess Story behind-the-scenes crew and production team. The film's director Philipp Stölzl last helmed Erased and Young Goethe in Love.

Director

Philipp Stölzl

Screenwriters

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Production – What we know about the Chess Story

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Movie Filming Timeline: Production Status Updates

Nov 2022

Completed

Changed Chess Story movie production status. The movie is ready for release.

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