[THE ARBITER]
Isn't it strange the complications people attach to situations
Almost as if they want to miss the wood for the trees?
Nothing will change my basic feeling
When they have done all their wheeler-dealing--
Those in the strongest situations do as they please

(spoken)
You might see all kinds of human emotion here-- passion and pain, love and hate

(sung)
I see nothing other than a simple board game!

(spoken)
At the Dusit Thani hotel, Bangkok, Alexander Molokov makes his move

[MOLOKOV, spoken]
We did not bring you to Bangkok for a holiday, my dear. You must tell your husband he has to lose the match and come home. Talk to Anatoly!

(sung)
You can have the life you want
And anywhere you want it

(spoken)
But if Anatoly wins, life is going to be very tough for you and your children. Tell Anatoly that!
(sung)
Make him think of you, not narcissistic dreams of glory
How many times does he want to be champion, anyway?

[THE ARBITER, spoken]
Two days later, the wife, Svetlana Sergievsky, makes her move

[SVETLANA, spoken]
How many times do you want to be champion, anyway? Come home, Anatoly!

(sung)
Who needs a dream? Who needs ambition?
Who'd be the fool in my position?
Once I had dreams...

[ANATOLY]
Now they’re obsessions
Hopes became needs, lovers possessions

[SVETLANA]
Now you're where you want to be and who you want to be
And doing what you always said you would
And yet you know you haven't won at all
Running for your life and never looking back
In case there is someone right behind to shoot you down
And say he always knew you'd fall
When that crazy wheel slows down
Where will you be? Back where you started!

[THE ARBITER, spoken]
And at the Oriental Hotel, Walter de Courcy from Global Television plays his opening gambit

[WALTER, spoken]
You father is alive

[FLORENCE, spoken]
My father? Alive?

[WALTER, spoken]
Alive in Russia--30 years in prison

[FLORENCE, spoken]
And you think I would believe you?

[WALTER, spoken]
Well, the evidence is conclusive, and if you don't believe me, Anatoly will. Now, you get him to lose against Viigand, and Molokov assures me he can get your father out. And not only him

(sung)
We have some people to recover
I know that you would simply love a
Chance to make sure your father's name was high on our list
We want him back, which is to say a
Gesture is needed from your player
We wouldn't mind if he got beaten, in fact we insist
[FLORENCE]
There must be a lie you wouldn't tell me
A limit to your devious ambition
But what it could be, I can't imagine
Is there no one here who's not a politician?

(spoken)
There's no deal!

(sung)
When I was young
I learned that memories shouldn't be built to last
Luxuries, such as father, mother, jettisoned in the past
How can a half-remembered figure
From a past so remote that it's hardly real
Alter the way I feel?
Pity the child, who 25 years on
Finds her confidence gone!

[THE ARBITER, spoken]
While in subterranean marble surroundings, two of the world's most powerful players make a mid-game assessment

[WALTER]
You should have seen how she reacted
I couldn't leave till she'd extracted
Promises she would see her father, simple I said
Told her the way she could achieve this
Even though you might not believe this
She said that I was not to worry, go right ahead!

[MOLOKOV]
You don't know her well
She could have fooled you
She could despite herself try to resist us

[WALTER]
Yes, I may be wrong, but to be certain
There are others we can call in to assist us

[THE ARBITER, spoken]
And who better than a dethroned king?

[WALTER, spoken]
Now remember who's been paying for you to be here, Freddie, in Bangkok. We have a deal with the Soviets to get some people out, including Florence's father, provided Anatoly loses and gets on back to Moscow. You'd like that, wouldn't you, huh?

[FREDDIE]
Communist, democrat
An intriguing collusion!
Fair exchange, tit for tat
Comradeship in profusion

[with echos from MOLOKOV and WALTER]
And the appeal, partner
Of this deal, partner
Is we both stand to win
You and me, the lady also
Don't break her heart, partner;
Just be smart, partner
Throw the match, show your love
Is as pure as snow in Moscow

Thank God we are so civilized
And our word can be our bond
We can turn this into friendship for life
And beyond

[ANATOLY]
Refugee, total shit
That's how I've always seen us
Not a help, you'll admit
To agreement between us!

[with echos from MOLOKOV and WALTER]
There's no deal, partner
Who's your real partner?
Could there be just a chance
That you have got some heavy clients?

[FREDDIE, with echos from MOLOKOV and WALTER]
That's not true, partner
How could you, partner
Think I'd want to pursue any deal but our alliance?

How can you only think of your selfish ambition
And not of her position?
Or you'd rather perhaps see her world collapse

(spoken)
For a tinpot competition!

[ANATOLY, spoken]
Who put you up to this? There's no deal!

[THE ARBITER, spoken]
So Frederick makes a desperate final play for the woman he hasn't seen in a year

[FREDDIE]
Silly boy, woman who
I should not have let walk out
There's no hitch that we two
Can't untangle or talk out

[with echos from MOLOKOV and WALTER]
And the appeal, partner
Of this deal, partner
Is we both stand to win
We will bring back the golden era
Stick with me, honey;
Leave him be, honey
You don't know what they have planned for you
Long ago in Moscow

[FLORENCE]
Can't you see we've moved on?

(spoken)
Chess has nothing to do with this. Chess isn't life

[FREDDIE, spoken]
But I have changed. He won't help you with your father. Anatoly would never throw any match. I'm telling you the truth, Florence. Come back to me

[ANATOLY & FLORENCE]
Who'd ever think it? Such a squalid little ending
Watching him descending just as low as he can go
I'm learning things I didn't want to know

[ANATOLY, FLORENCE & FREDDIE]
Who'd ever guess it? This would be the situation
One more complication should be neither here nor there!
I wish I had it in me not to care!

[ANATOLY]
Let him spill out his hate till he knows he's deserted
There's no point wasting time preaching to the perverted

[ALL]
Who'd ever think it?
No one makes the moves intended
Till the game has ended
Then they say I told you so
I'm learning things I didn't want to know

[FREDDIE, spoken]
It can all be different now, Florence. I love you. Come back to me!

[THE ARBITER]
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same

[ALL except FREDDIE]
Nobody's on nobody's side...

[FLORENCE]
Never be the first![ALL except FREDDIE]
Everybody's playing the game
But nobody's rules are the same
Nobody's on nobody's side! 

[FLORENCE]
Never be the last to deceive!