Chess Fever is a 1925 Soviet

Cinema of the Soviet Union

The cinema of the Soviet Union, not to be confused with "Cinema of Russia" despite Russian language films being predominant in both genres, includes several film contributions of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union reflecting elements of their pre-Soviet culture, language and history,...

 silent comedy

Silent comedy

Silent comedy refers to a style of acting, related to but distinct from mime, invented to bring comedy into the medium of film in the silent film era before a sound track on film was technologically practicable...

 film directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin

Vsevolod Pudovkin

Vsevolod Illarionovich Pudovkin was a Russian and Soviet film director, screenwriter and actor who developed influential theories of montage...

 and Nikolai Shpikovsky. Chess Fever is a comedy about Moscow 1925 chess tournament

Moscow 1925 chess tournament

This international super-tournament, organised by Nikolai Krylenko, was held in Moscow, the Soviet Union, from 10 November to 8 December 1925. It was the world's first state-sponsored chess tournament. There were eleven foreign stars and ten Soviet masters. World champion José Raúl Capablanca and...

, made by Pudovkin during the pause in the filming of Mechanics of the Brain

Mechanics of the Brain

Mechanics of the Brain is a 1926 Soviet documentary film directed by Vsevolod Pudovkin, a popularization of Ivan Pavlov's studies in classical conditioning...

. The film combines acted parts with the actual footage from the tournament.

Plot

The hero's (Vladimir Fogel

Vladimir Fogel

Vladimir Pavlovich Fogel was a Russian silent film actor.-Filmography:*Salamandra as Bankier*Zemlya v plenu as Baron's son-in-law *Dom na Trubnoy as Mr...

) preoccupation with chess leads to him missing his own wedding ceremony. But the marital peace is restored with the help of the World Chess Champion, José Raúl Capablanca

José Raúl Capablanca

José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...

.

Cast

• José Raúl Capablanca
  José Raúl Capablanca
  José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...
  
   - The World Champion
• Vladimir Fogel
  Vladimir Fogel
  Vladimir Pavlovich Fogel was a Russian silent film actor.-Filmography:*Salamandra as Bankier*Zemlya v plenu as Baron's son-in-law *Dom na Trubnoy as Mr...
  
   - The Boy
• Anna Zemtsova - The Girl
• Natalya Glan
• Zakhar Darevsky
• Frank Marshall - Himself (cameo)
• Mikhail Zharov
  Mikhail Zharov
  Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov was a Russian actor.He studied under the prominent director Theodore Komisarjevsky and debuted in Yakov Protazanov's Aelita...
  
   - House Painter
• Anatoli Ktorov
  Anatoli Ktorov
  Anatoli Petrovich Ktorov was a famous Russian film and stage actor.-Early years:...
  
   - Tram Passenger
• Yakov Protazanov
  Yakov Protazanov
  Yakov Alexandrovich Protazanov was Russian and Soviet film director and screenwriter, and one of the founding fathers of cinema of Russia....
  
   - Chemist
• Yuli Raizman
  Yuli Raizman
  Yuli Yakovlevich Raizman was a Soviet Russian film director and screenwriter. His film Private Life was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.-Selected filmography:* The Earth Thirsts...
  
   - Chemist's Assistant
• Ivan Koval-Samborsky - Policeman
• Konstantin Eggert
• Fyodor Otsep - Game spectator (uncredited)
• Sergei Komarov - Grandfather (uncredited)