One man's game plan to win over theater audiences

In the story, the reigning world chess champion Mirko Czentovic is traveling to Buenos Aires on an ocean liner. He amuses himself by allowing amateurs on board to challenge him in the game, before beating each of them and taking their money. There is only one passenger, Dr B, with an equal passion for chess. What price will he pay?

A moving portrait of one man's madness, Chess Story is the final work of Austrian novelist and playwright Stefan Zweig. It was sent to his US publisher only days before his suicide in 1942.

When Chinese actor, director and scriptwriter Guo Xiao read the novella for the first time over a decade ago, he was captivated. He dreamed of turning it into a Chinese play one day. On the 80th anniversary of Zweig's death this year, Guo realized that dream.