Wednesday, 6 June 2018

We’re All Pawns Me’ Dear!

    At the commencement of ‘Checkmate’ it appears that there is no sign of a chessboard set out on the lawn, no sign of anyone preparing for the game of chess. But that is only because film footage from ‘Arrival’ has been inserted into the first three minutes and 24 seconds of this episode. This gives a false impression, of the chessboard having been laid out on the lawn in only a few seconds which is ridiculous.
    So do you play chess? The open gambit is played and the game progresses well enough, Number 6 is asking the white Queen, who tells Number 6 about the rumours concerning Number 14 being an ex-Count, and how his ancestors played chess with real people, but had them beheaded as they were wiped off the board. The game progresses as Number 6 asks the White Queen who is Number 1? But it doesn’t do to ask questions, and yet he persists, why she was brought to The Village, she ignores the question, by suggesting “That was a good move.” But Number 6 knows a better one, away from The Village. But that’s impossible, well for chessmen perhaps, not for Number 6. Number 8 was told there wasn’t a hope of escape, but perhaps she could help Number 6, but how? How? How? So enwrapped in their conversation Number 6 hasn’t heard the move pawn to Queen four called out! The trouble is, one moment there’s a full board of chess pieces, the next several of them have been removed from the board, but moments later all the chess pieces are back on the board as the White Queen’s Rook makes an illegal move! And then suddenly the board is almost void of any chess pieces again, which is only natural in the end game.
   Later in the episode Number 6 and the Rook sit talking together. In order to fool the cameras, and those who are listening, they discuss the chess match which is being played out.
   “If he’d moved King’s knight instead of the Queen’s knight he’d have been covered.”
   “Yes, but the Bishop would have taken Knight.”
    “Yes then the Queen would have taken the Bishop checkmate.”
    There’s just one problem, Number 6 can be seen standing on the chessboard, and there’s no sign of the Rook and Number 6 sat watching the game! And at the end of the day it all came down to how the episode is treated in the editing suite!


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