The French Defense, clip. 5

A play by Dimitri Raitzin

Directed by Aleksey Burago

Starring Robert J. D'Amato
& Dan Simon

Television Directors
Raj Sirohi
Roger Hendricks Simon

Produced for Simon Studio Presents by
Dan Simon
Roger Hendricks Simon

It's Moscow, 1960. For a whole year the world has been waiting to see what happens when Tal and Botvinnik meet for the World Chess Crown. And now, the wait is over. The time is now.

The French Defense by Dimitri Raitzin is an award-winning play about this struggle of generations. The protagonists are the new and the old, pure talent and a lifetime of experience, two different styles and two different outlooks on life.

It is a play about a collision between the two best chess players in the world: the Champion - a survivor of the Stalin era who has held the World Title for 12 years, and the Challenger - a bright new phenom who has only one thing on his mind: victory.


Dimitri Raitzin was born in Moscow and emigrated to Israel and then to the United States in 1975. He is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia Business School. Prior to embarking on a career as a playwright he has had a 15 year career on Wall Street.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Dan
• Simon
• Actor
• Chess
• Drama
• Theater
• Acting
• Television
• 1960's
• Russia
• Politics
• Cold
• War
• Jews
• Moscow
• Competitive
• Intellectual
• Conflict

[dreamcastII]

good drama. good posting here.

[ubernerd35]

Great series! Although, you'd think that with all their yapping, one of them would've lost on time. :)

[Sorcerer88]

great play, you see a lot of the philosophy of these very different contenders. The young, ambitious, attacking Tal that claims to have outstudied his opponent, perhaps with a lack of respect for a world champion and past masters, and the old experienced Botwinnik as a true chess player, haunted by Stalin, with just as much faim to lose. The proper chess game being played, Botwinnik's convincing appearance and accent, Tal's energy, it has great detail. Maybe Tal is portrayed a little too vulgar.

[poolplayer999]

I wonder if the actors had to memorize the opening as they did their lines.  It would be cool to see a play reenacting their rematch.

[toopowerful]

Outstanding work, I hope you guys continue in the same vein. Fischer, Spassky?

[gorryman]

whatever haters im a chess nut and loved this

[zada4a]

Botvinnik!!

[TexasRobert]

Well, I watched all the way through, so its not too bad. The older man is a good actor; the younger acted like a typical chess nerd.

[TheNorem]

I loved it, thanks!

[whateverum]

How come they are not keeping score?

[nikiss8]

great stuff, you see a lot of chess games but rarely do you hear anything from the actual events or people themselves.

[yugiohslave411]

the time is going up actually so none would have "lost time" its classical chess with time only for future chess player to know how long they played