Michel Piccoli plays a Russian chess genius in the Swiss-filmed Dangerous Moves. He is pitted against Soviet exile Alexandre Arbatt, who since childhood has dreamed of nothing but defeating Piccoli. Both men soon become obsessed with winning: already suffering from a weak heart, Piccoli courts a coronary, while the increasingly paranoid Arbatt is convinced that his opponent is spying on him from every corner. The KGB enters into the game by attempting to sabotage Arbatt, hoping that by doing so they will discredit everyone who's ever publicly opposed the Soviet government. Arbatt's wife Liv Ullmann, long detained in Russia, is released for the purpose of ruining Arbatt's concentration. The matter is "solved" by Piccoli, who pulls out of the game for health reasons. Arbatt is not disgraced, but he will never have the personal satisfaction of knowing that he could have beaten Piccoli. Dangerous Moves was written and directed by Richard Dembo. (Cohn, Cécilia/International Spectrafilm, 1985) (Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide)

· Best Foreign Language Film 1984: (Switzerland) (Arthur Cohn & Martine Marignac, producers)