The time: March 24, 1946. The place: Paris. The world chess champion, Dr. Alexander Alekhine, is found dead in his hotel rooms. Was it accident? Or suicide? Or murder? Detective Inspector Jacques Colbert, a brilliant and highly unusual man, receives the case. With the help of his assistant, Sergeant Guimard, he unravels a tangle of lies, half-truths, false leads, and ambiguous clues. His path leads through Dr. Alekhine's character, his murky past and through pre-war and current politics and espionage. In the classic tradition, Inspector Colbert's iron logic solves the puzzle. Along the way meet a kaleidoscope of vivid characters, Russian proverbs, Greek mythology, philosophical references, WWII history, chess lore, wry wit and deep sadness. The twin aftershocks in the closing pages should satisfy even the most discerning reader.