We are all doing time... and time is ticking away.

A truly unforgettable scene..... Eric with a vicious knight fork collected poor Louie's queen early in the match. Having witnessed the gruesome torture that befelled an earlier patzer, and knowing his fate was sealed, Louie calmly smashed his face violently onto the board aiming for the bishops. Said bishop entered eyeball then continued into brain. Instant death. "Lucky for him" Eric thought.

I wonder if De Niro would relish playing the part of poor Louie.

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Well you do have to think about a musical score- should be mostly dark pieces

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Actually showtunes and/or Sinatra-ish music would be even more apt.

If I played, and thought I was losing, I would suddenly cram a bishop up his nose.

Sorry Woodshover, the arms and legs are obviously shackled with just enough slack to cover the board. Eric not dumb.

Your only hope in surviving is to win! And winning only earns u a 2 week reprieve till u play again. Better bring ur A game.

Does anyone think this story has legs .... or arms... or vital organs?

Just sounds like Saw to me:

Eric = Jigsaw

Chess = the deadly puzzle

Maybe some unintended plagiarism?

No no no no no this has been a fantasy er.....I mean a book idea of mine long before that stupid clown.

Well Jigsaw (Saw) as I remember him  had some dogma of getting damaged people to appreciate all the things they have and potentially turn over a new leaf, assuming they survived.

How and why does Eric pick his victims? Gambit players who refuse to book up sound openings because they trust their tactics so much?  

Good idea Shiv... But post 1 gives the reason. He sucks at chess. He picks random opponents because most random people are not hip to the game. Therefore his chances to win are infinitely higher. This makes him happy cause when he wins he can satisfy his other passion of dismemberment. However Sammie was more than he bargained for.

"How and why does Eric pick his victims? Gambit players who refuse to book up sound openings because they trust their tactics so much?"

 

For goodness sake! Shhhh! you'll get us all nicked!

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Application?  Underground chess club?  Do you have me confused with someone else?

How about instead of writing a book containing senseless horror, you try and write something beautiful or meaningful and actually elevate culture, rather than sending it into the sewer.

I write for the people, Pad.

Forget padman's awful suggestion...tell us more about Sammie. 

U like Sammie huh? Strong, intelligent woman but psychologically wounded early in life. Was high school chess champion and primed for an Ivy education till the breakdown. Led to the smack and the sinful streets. Kept her looks though. Because of her obvious mental issues she has developed the ole Stockholm syndrome with Eric.

Sammie is a woman?!  lol.  Please don't tell me this thriller is going to turn into a romance.  "the smack and the sinful streets"  haha.