Debuting in 1988 with a book by Richard Nelson, the show features music from Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and lyrics by Tim Rice. The story centers around a love triangle between an American chess champion, Freddie Trumper, his Russian rival, Anatoly Sergievsky, and Florence, a Hungarian-born refugee who manages Freddie. Their personal lives become entangled with the political tensions of the Cold War as they compete in a high-stakes chess tournament.
This version of Chess differed from the original London production with a more streamlined plot and a rock-heavy score that emphasized the show's confrontational elements. The production is filled with iconic songs including "One Night in Bangkok", "I Know Him So Well", "Nobody's Side" and "Anthem".
| 1984 | London Fringe |
London Concert London Fringe |
| 1986 | West End |
Original London Production West End |
| 1988 | Broadway |
Broadway Production Broadway |
| 1992 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 1992 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
| 1997 | Australia |
Australian Revival Australia |
| 1998 | New York |
New York Concert New York |
| 2001 |
Nyack Concert |
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| 2003 | Broadway |
Actors' Fund Concert Broadway |
| 2018 | Washington, DC (Regional) |
Kennedy Center Broadway Center Stage Revival Washington, DC (Regional) |
| 2018 | West End |
London Coliseum Revival Production West End |
Videos
