The Chessplayers as a piece of historical fiction is a class by itself. At the surface level, it is the story of two petty Nawabs who were obsessed with the game of chess, but at the deeper level, it is the story of the fall of Oudh, and even the fall of independent India. Once the British took hold of Oudh, very little could come in their way to grasp the remnants of the Mughal Empire in Delhi and the rest of India. For the city of Lucknow itself, it was the best of times and the worst of times. People were engaged in all kinds of artistic pursuits and in all kinds of pleasure-inducing activities while the foundation of the state was shaking and the British were eagerly waiting for an opportunity to steal the kingdom. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah had his faults, but he was a legendary ruler in many ways. A patron of arts, a poet and musician, a playwright, and an actor, but unfortunately, he had lost touch with the intricacies of statecraft. The game of chess became deadly that not only brought the friendship between the two players to an end, but at a higher level, it was the failure of a dream, a world, despite its shortcomings that had several positive aspects which survived the colonial takeover and are considered great gifts to the tradition of the Indian dance and music.  Your feedback is most welcome. [email protected]