Chess player Sergei Khlobnikov never set winning as his goal in the game. Emotional and averse to pragmatism, he rarely won tournaments. But eventually, his time came.

At the age of 22, he became world champion and demonstrated a new type of play, a new perception of chess art. With his unwavering sense of humor, Tal answers questions about his participation in international tournaments and the reasons for his defeat in the rematch with Mikhail Botvinnik in 1961, as well as his relationships with his colleagues and the USSR Sports Committee, the restructuring of chess, and the future world champion. He also recalls his acquaintance with actor Vladimir Vysotsky and the concert by Muslum Magomayev, a student at the Baku Conservatory, at the closing ceremony of the USSR Championship in Baku.

The film tells about the social activities of the world chess champion Anatoliy Karpov, his scientific work and hobbies, about the preparation for the 1981 World Cup. A dream of any chess spectator and greetings from 1980 to modern attempts to introduce elements of the show into the organization of super tournaments.