2/4/2021 – Chess has always been a popular theme in films. French director Luc Besson uses it in his latest film "Anna", an action movie released in 2019. Anna Poliatova, the main character of the film, is an excellent chess player, but unlike Beth Harmon in "The Queen's Gambit", she fails to have a successful tournament career but instead works as an assassin. | Photos: Studiocanal
new: Fritz 20
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
The Modern Steinitz (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 d6!?) is an uncompromising weapon that lets Black put White under pressure from the very start.
€49.90
Anna: Assassin and chess player
Luc Besson is arguably the most successful French director of recent times. He scored his first big hit with the cool "Subway" (1985). Many other blockbusters followed, including action films such as "Nikita" (1990), "Léon: the Professional" (1994), "The Fifth Element" (1997) or "Lucy" (2014), but also family films such as "Arthur and the Minimoys" (three films, 2006-2010).
His most recent film is "Anna", released in 2019. Besson borrows here from his own great success "Nikita". Anna, a young woman (played by Sasha Luss), who has gone off the rails through no fault of her own is hired by an organisation to work as an assassin.
"Anna" is set at the end of the Cold War, in the mid-late 1980s, when the KGB and the CIA were still engaged in a war for information. After drug-addict Anna Poliatova (Sasha Luss) becomes involved in a robbery committed by her boyfriend, she receives a proposal from KGB officer Alex Tchenkov to work for the KGB as an agent and assassin. Originally, Anna had started training at a military academy to follow in the footsteps of her father. But the death of her parents threw her off track.
Alex Tschenkov has Anna trained as an agent and recommends her to his superior Olga (Helen Mirren) for higher tasks:
"She has top marks everywhere. She also beats everyone in chess."
Olga is not convinced: "I don't give a shit if she plays chess. If she fixes my heater, then I care about her."
Helen Mirren
But Olga mellows when Anna can recite from Chekhov's "The Seagull", Olga's favourite play, and later even develops motherly feelings for her agent.
Anna proves herself in a difficult test assignment and is sent to Paris where she pretends to be a model to carry out a deadly mission. But gradually, CIA agent Leonard Miller (Cillian Murphy) gets on her trail.
Deadly assassin
Anna is exposed by the CIA and has to work as a double agent to survive, though her greatest wish is to leave her dirty trade behind. The CIA orders Anna to kill KGB chief Vasiliev, who has been responsible for the persecution and death of many US agents. A seemingly impossible task for Anna, but she receives support from an unexpected source and is also able to use her chess skills.
Instead of forcing you to memorise endless lines, Raja focuses on clear plans, typical ideas, and attacking motifs that you can apply in your own games without delay. A short, focused, and practical repertoire.
FIDE World Cup 2025 with analyses by Adams, Bluebaum, Donchenko, Shankland, Wei Yi and many more. Opening videos by Blohberger, King and Marin. 11 exciting opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
GM Blohberger presents a complete two-part repertoire for Black: practical, clear, and flexible – instead of endless theory, you’ll get straightforward concepts and strategies that are easy to learn and apply.
Opening videos: Sipke Ernst brings the Ulvestad Variation up to date + Part II of ‘Mikhalchishin's Miniatures’. Special: Jan Werle shows highlights from the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in the video. ‘Lucky bag’ with 40 analyses by Ganguly, Illingworth et al.
€14.90
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