Thought For The Day

    Chess appears to feature large in ‘the Prisoner.’ In Arrival there sits the ex-Admiral his chess set at the ready waiting an opponent to play. Later of course Number 6 gives the Ex-Admiral a game, but 6 isn’t on form, he lost one game and hasn’t another game in him. The ex-Admiral was right, 6’s mind wasn’t on chess, but on a different game altogether. It’s as the x-Admiral says, we’re all pawns.............. in someone’s game.
    During ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ Number 6 enjoys a 7 move checkmate win against the General, but in a later episode it’s an 11move checkmate win for Number 6, he must be slipping! The episode of ‘Checkmate’ is where the most chess is seen in the series, but my word they set that chessboard out on the lawn quick enough! One minute there’s a plain lawn, the next it’s broken up with the addition of white squares. Two chess matches using human chess pieces are played, after this episode the chessboard is taken up and never seen again. And just for once The Tally Ho broadsheet newspaper has a chess problem, which Number 6 appears to be solving, yet he’s playing a very different game. He has eyes on the Rook-Number 53 who with a number of other citizens will become as pawns in his game against Number 2. But it’s a game Number 6 cannot win, because just like on the chessboard the Rook makes another wrong move of his own, resulting in a fools mate win for Number 2!

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