8/24/2018 – One of the most famous chess scenes in a film is the game between the knight Antonius Block and Death from Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" (1957). Bergman's film inspired the German director Margarethe von Trotta to become a director herself, and as a homage to Bergman she now made a documentary about her idol: "Searching for Ingmar Bergman", a film in which the chess scene from "The Seventh Seal" also plays a role.
new: ChessBase 16 - Mega package Edition 2022
Your key to fresh ideas, precise analyses and targeted training!
Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. It is the program of choice for anyone who loves the game and wants to know more about it. Start your personal success story with ChessBase and enjoy the game even more.
Everyone uses ChessBase, from the World Champion to the amateur next door. Start your personal success story with ChessBase 14 and enjoy your chess even more!
Along with the ChessBase 14 program you can access the Live Database of 8 million games, and receive three months of free ChesssBase Account Premium membership and all of our online apps! Have a look today!
Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.
€29.90
Searching for Ingmar Bergman
"And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them." (Revelation)
One of the most famous chess images is not from a tournament but from a film: Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal". The game in the film takes place at a rocky shore and is about more than winning in chess. Life itself is at stake.
Bergman's black-and-white movie plays in the late Middle Ages. After a crusade the knight Antonius Block, played by Max von Sydow, returns to his home country Sweden which is ravaged by the plague. At the sea the knight encounters the personification of death (played by Bengt Ekerot), who came to take Antonius away. But the knight declares that he is not yet ready to die and negotiates to play a game of chess for his life against death. The knight proceeds with the drawing of colours and is to play with White. "That is good," death comments. "I love Black."
In the form of a mystery play "The Seventh Seal" thematises the search of man for God, with death as the only certain thing in life. The film was released in 1957 and its depth and its powerful images made it an international success. For its Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman, it was a breakthrough.
Bergman was born July 14th, 1918 in Uppsala and died July 30th, 2007 on Fårö, where he is buried together with his wife Ingrid Bergman, née von Rosen (not to be confused with the actress Ingrid Bergman who has the same name).
The Seventh Seal: The Chess Scene
The title of the movie refers to the Book of Revelation, the last chapter of the New Testament, in which the apocalypse is announced. The apocalypse takes place in seven steps. The "Book with the Seven Seals" is described in the second part of the prophetic visions:
1. The first four seals (the four horsemen of the apocalypse) 6.1–8.1.
1. The first seal 6.1–2 A white horse appears, the rider (the winner) has a bow.
2. The second seal 6.3–4 A fiery-red horse appears, the rider has a sword.
3. The third seal 6.5–6 A black horse appears, the rider has a balance.
4. The fourth seal 6.7–8 A pale horse appears, the rider is called "death" and comes to have power about one quarter of the earth.
2.The last three seals 6.9–8.5
1. The fifth seal 6.9–11 The souls of the martyrs appear and ask for judgment.
2. The sixth seal 6.12–17 After an earthquake and cosmic appearances "mankind hides themselves in the caves and mountains.
3. The saving of the parish 7.1–17 One hundred and forty-four thousand servants from the twelve tribes of Israel are sealed. A great multitude present themselves with palm branches in their hands.
4.The seventh seal 8.1–5 There is half an hour of silence in heaven. After that the seven angels get seven trumpets.
You meet interesting people at the chess board
The German director Margaretha von Trotta ("Two German Sisters", 1981) saw "The Seventh Seal" in the early 1960s in Paris and later said that Bergman's movie was the initial spark for her own artistic career. Now she finished a documentary about her idol: "Searching for Ingmar Bergman" which she presented at the Film Festival in Cannes.
The chess scene in "The Seventh Seal" is crucial in the documentary which reveals that Bergman himself had ordered his own coffin a long time before his death and that he also drew up the guest list for his funeral.
Ater the death of the director the chess set used in the film was sold in 2009 for 1 million Swedish crowns (about 100,000 Euros) at an auction at Bukowski's, a Swedish auction house. The auction attracted 8,000 visitors.
Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.
Videos: Caro-Kann with 2.Nf3 d5 3,d3 by Christian Bauer and Saemisch Benoni by David Navara. "Lucky bag" with 45 annotated games - analyses by Anish Giri, Alexander Motylev, Romain Edouard et al. Update service with 43,000 new games.
Looking for some action against the Ruy Lopez? The Delayed Jaenisch, arising from the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 f5, will be your choice from now on!
2nd Move Anti-Sicilian Powerbase 2023 is a database and contains a total of 10131 games from Mega 2023 or the Correspondence Database 2022, of which 847 are annotated.
In a total of 6 chapters, we look at the following aspects: the right decision based on tactical factors, decisions in exchanges and moves, complex and psychological decisions in longer games and in defence.
Start of the Bundesliga season 22/23 with analyses by Eljanov, Van Wely, McShane, l'Ami and many others. "Special" on Mikhail Tal, opening videos by Ponomariov, King and Marin. 10 opening articles with new repertoire ideas and much more.
€19.95
Fritztrainer in App Store
for iPads and iPhones
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.
Pop-up for detailed settings
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies, analysis cookies and marketing cookies. You can decide which cookies to use by selecting the appropriate options below. Please note that your selection may affect the functionality of the service. Further information can be found in our privacy policy.
Technically required cookies
Technically required cookies: so that you can navigate and use the basic functions and store preferences.
Analysis Cookies
To help us determine how visitors interact with our website to improve the user experience.
Marketing-Cookies
To help us offer and evaluate relevant content and interesting and appropriate advertisement.