MEDIATHEK

Opera lecture about an outstanding chess game

This is a lecture about a world championship chess game that took place in 1960 in Moscow between chess superstars Michael Tal and Michael Botvirnnik. This particular game changed the game of chess forever. It introduced a concept of "creativity" into the game. This opera-lecture tells the story of the hype behind the soviet chess movement in 50's and 60's, about Tal and Botvirnnik, and why this particular game that was played between Tal and Botvirnnik in early spring of 1960 is so important in history of chess.

There are two teams that are participating in the opera. The black and white time. Two conductors - leaders of their teams are conducting simultaneously their figures/artists. Altogether there are 32 artists on the stage, as many as chess figures on the board. There are soloists, musicians, dancers and conductors. When a figured is changed (killed) the artist leaves stage. At the end of the show only 9 figures/artists are left on the stage/board. During 1 hour 25 minutes of the opera, the whole chess game is being played on the board.