Luzhin (John Turturro), a Russian master visiting Italy for the World Chess Final, finds his world turned upside down when he unexpectantly falls in love. Despite his genius Luzhin is extremely introverted and finds it difficult to function in the everyday world, but when he meets Natalia (Emily Watson) she offers him a glimpse of a life outside the chess world and opens up the possibility of a whole new way of living. However, she is also about to get married. From the Back Cover The Luzhin Defence tells the story of a chess grand master who arrives in the Italian lakes to play the match of his life and unexpectedly finds teh love of his life, Luzhin, a tortured genuis exploited by his teacher, has become an introverted weirdo, prone to outbursts of indecipherable nonsense in between furious strategising. Luzhins passion for chess has become his refuge from the real world. Natalia is matched up by her family to the very suitable Comte de Stassard. When she meets Luzhin she is drawn to the erractic genius and offers him a glimpse outside of his chess obsession. But it is a world he is not equipped to deal with, and his two worlds collide to tragic effect...