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The Chess Story, written at the end of 1941, is considered internationally to be Stefan Zweig‘s greatest success. At the center of the novella is undoubtedly Dr. B. He comes from a distinguished Austrian family, was the head of a law firm in Vienna, which advised monasteries and part of the imperial family in property matters. When the Nazi occupation of Austria was imminent, the activity became dangerous. A day before Hitler invaded Austria, he was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in the Hotel Metropole. The isolation and monotony wore him down. Shortly before a new interrogation is scheduled, Dr. B. discovers a book with a collection of one hundred and fifty chess games. To escape the threat of nothingness, he plays chess games blind. Playing chess is not understood by Dr. B. as a mere pastime, but as meaning; it has an existential significance.
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