X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

The Luzhin Defence

Set in the late 1920s, "The Luzhin Defence" tells the story of a shambling, unworldly chess Grand Master who arrives in the Italian Lakes to play the match of his life and unexpectedly finds the love of his life. Luzhin's lyrical passion for chess, for which he discovered his prodigious talent during a boyhood shadowed by his parents' failing marriage, has become his refuge and rendered the real world a phantom. Already matched up by her family to the very suitable Comte de Stassard, when Natalia meets Luzhin, she is drawn to the erratic genius and offers him a glimpse of life outside of his chess obsession. But it is a world he is not equipped to deal with and his two worlds tragically collide.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

John Turturro
Luzhin
Emily Watson
Natalia
Géraldine James
Vera

Featured Video

The Luzhin Defence
The Luzhin Defence
2:12

2:12 The Luzhin Defence

Awards

  • 2001 - ALFS Award - British Actress of the Year - nominated
  • 2001 - Golden Aphrodite - - winner
  • 2000 - Audience Award - - winner
  • 2001 - Grand Prize Cinema - - winner

You May Also Like See All

Tokyo Story
Journey to Italy
Vertigo
Sweet Smell of Success

Popular Movies See all movies

Crucify

1 hr 19 mins
A neon noir thriller that descends into a maze of nightmares as two teens trapped in a haunted crime scene are forced to confront their demons.
2020 Fantasy, Horror, Suspense, Drama

Made in Korea

1 hr 53 mins
After her boyfriend's betrayal leaves her alone in Seoul, Shenba faces isolation and cultural differences. Through personal growth and new friendships, she finds strength and lasting connections.
2026 Action & Adventure, Drama

Song Sung Blue

2 hr 12 mins
The inspiring true story of two down-on-their-luck performers who form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it's never too late to find love and follow your dreams.
61   Metascore
2025 Documentary, Drama, Music

Final Recipe

1 hr 37 mins
Hao's only hope is that his grandson Mark enters a prestigious university, but Mark's dream is to follow his grandfather's footsteps and become a chef and take over the family restaurant. Due to Hao's difficult personality, the restaurant is on the verge of bankruptcy and he finally collapses. In order to save the restaurant, Mark enters a cooking contest without his grandfather's knowledge and consent in Shanghai. He competes against talented chefs from Japan, Korea and Australia, and freely shows off ravishing cooking skills that he has accumulated from his grandfather over the years. As Mark wins round after round and gains attention, Julia, the contest producer notices something peculiar about him, then slowly realizes that Mark and her husband David resemble each other.
2013 Drama

Reminders of Him

1 hr 54 mins
After prison, a woman attempts to reconnect with her young daughter but faces resistance from everyone except a bar owner with ties to her child. As they grow closer, she must confront her past mistakes to build a hopeful future.

The Quiet Man

2 hr 9 mins
Sean Thornton has returned from America to reclaim his homestead and escape his past. Sean's eye is caught by Mary Kate Danaher, a beautiful but poor maiden, and younger sister of ill-tempered "Red" Will Danaher. The riotous relationship that forms between Sean and Mary Kate, punctuated by Will's pugnacious attempts to keep them apart, form the main plot, with Sean's past as the dark undercurrent.
85   Metascore
1952 Comedy, Drama