The Chessmaster: Difference between revisions

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Chessmasters tug at their strings of influence, patiently move their pieces into places that often seem harmless or pointless until the trap is closed, and get [[Horrible Judge of Character|innocent]] [[Unwitting Pawn|Unwitting Pawns]] ([[Chess Motifs|Who else?]]) to do all the heavy lifting. The best will also have [[Kansas City Shuffle|layers upon layers of misdirection]] [[Xanatos Gambit|and backup plans]] in case some unexpected hero appears to [[Spanner in The Works|gum up the works]].

Chessmasters can [[Guile Hero|sometimes be on the side of good]], but if so they'll almost certainly be the [[Anti Hero]] or the [[Well Intentioned Extremist]], as it's very hard to plan a Chessmaster scheme that doesn't [[We Have Reserves|sacrifice a few pawns along the way]]. Heroic Chessmasters are very often introduced as a [[Mysterious Employer]]. [[The Svengali]], in acting for the (supposed) good of his protégés, will often be this (and if he isn't, he'll pretend).

Chessmasters can [[Guile Hero|sometimes be on the side of good]], but if so they'll almost certainly be the [[Anti-Hero]] or the [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]], as it's very hard to plan a Chessmaster scheme that doesn't [[We Have Reserves|sacrifice a few pawns along the way]]. Heroic Chessmasters are very often introduced as a [[Mysterious Employer]]. [[The Svengali]], in acting for the (supposed) good of his protégés, will often be this (and if he isn't, he'll pretend).

Chessmasters can occasionally be [[The Strategist]], although given the volatility of war, most Strategists will only ply their schemes one campaign at a time, with an emphasis on short-term goals (and an eye towards all possible future contingencies). The [[Dungeon Master]] may be a Chessmaster also, but many of them prefer to give their orders more directly. Many chessmasters are [[Villain With Good Publicity|Villains With Good Publicity]], but they can also be [[Milkman Conspiracy|someone no one has ever heard of]]. Almost all [[Ancient Conspiracy|Ancient Conspiracies]] are led by a [[The Omniscient Council of Vagueness|collective of chessmasters]], silently working toward their goals over generations. Chessmasters also tend to be [[Smug Snake|overconfident]] and usually [[Villainous Breakdown|panic]] when their [[Didn't See That Coming|"perfect" plans fail]]. The exception to this is when [[Magnificent Bastard]] and Chessmaster overlap, since a [[Magnificent Bastard]] is quite good at [[Xanatos Speed Chess|rebounding]] [[Let No Crisis Go to Waste|from defeat]]. Fond of a [[Battle of Wits]].

Of course, actual [[Chess (Tabletop Game)|Chess]] ability is implied, and some Chessmasters [[Chess Motifs|take it literally]], mapping their plans out with an actual chessboard, occasionally with pieces shaped like the main characters. [[~~Bellisarios~~ Maxim|Don't ask how this works, or where they get pieces]]. This is most likely a result of [[Smart People Play Chess]]. Compare the [[Manipulative Bastard]] who tends to be more personal and controlling in her/his manipulations.

Of course, actual [[Chess (Tabletop Game)|Chess]] ability is implied, and some Chessmasters [[Chess Motifs|take it literally]], mapping their plans out with an actual chessboard, occasionally with pieces shaped like the main characters. [[Bellisario's Maxim|Don't ask how this works, or where they get pieces]]. This is most likely a result of [[Smart People Play Chess]]. Compare the [[Manipulative Bastard]] who tends to be more personal and controlling in her/his manipulations.

If the chessmaster is the villain, when the hero defeats them it's usually via the one move they didn't plan for.

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** Similarly, in one of the Film adaptations, L and Light actually play a game of chess with each other while having a discussion, with Light winning.

* Kaname Kuran of ''Vampire Knight''. In the opening credits for the first series, there's even a massive chessboard, and Kaname is often described as "moving all the pieces into place", that Zero is a pawn, and he says "checkmate" at least once in that series... He's also been seen playing actual chess.

* Lelouch, the Hero of ''[[Code Geass]]'', is almost a textbook example of the good-guy Chessmaster: highly intelligent [[Well Intentioned Extremist]] who excels at chess. When Mao gets the advantage on him, the point is emphasized by his clobbering of Lelouch at chess (by reading Lelouch's mind and revealing every single strategy Lelouch was thinking of at a single moment...including ones to misdirect Mao's telepathy).

* Lelouch, the Hero of ''[[Code Geass]]'', is almost a textbook example of the good-guy Chessmaster: highly intelligent [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] who excels at chess. When Mao gets the advantage on him, the point is emphasized by his clobbering of Lelouch at chess (by reading Lelouch's mind and revealing every single strategy Lelouch was thinking of at a single moment...including ones to misdirect Mao's telepathy).

** The "almost" comes from the fact that, rather than sitting on the sidelines, he fights in the field with his men, and that [[Word of God]], [[Lampshade Hanging]], and even direct statements from Lelouch himself ("I can't win if I abandon my people",) demonstrate that he actually cares about the well-being of those he commands.

** Though just to add to the "chess" metaphor, Lelouch is compared to a king more than once. Like the king piece, he's the most valuable piece on the board but extremely poor at combat, being one of the most physically weak characters in the show. This is even partly why he's on the field, actually: his own personal chess strategy seems to have the king move around a lot more than his opponents consider 'normal'. "If the King doesn't lead, his men won't follow." His [[Mind Control]] power is even referred to as, "The Power of the King"

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* ''[[Fairy Tail (Manga)|Fairy Tail]]'' villain Jellal uses a circular chessboard with custom-shaped pieces to note when certain players are taken out of the game and new ones put in.

* ''[[SD Gundam Force]]'' has Kibaomaru, who has a ''shogi'' theme. At one point in the Ark arc he plays several games against Shute, effortlessly winning each one. He translates his strategic ability into real life by easily figuring out the Gundam Force's strategy and come up with a counter-plan instantly.

* ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny]]'' has [[Dark Messiah|Chairman Gilbert Durandal]], who manipulates both events and [[Manipulative Bastard|people]] with incredible ease; unlike many on this list, he's also a [[Graceful Loser]]. His predecessor as [[Big Bad]], [[Gundam Seed|Rau Le Creuset]] was also one of these, successfully getting the entire world caught up in a war of [[Omnicidal Maniac|mutual extinction]]. Durandal regularly messes around with a chessboard, and at one point they're seen playing against one another. {{spoiler|[[Woobie Destroyer of Worlds|Le Creuset]] wins}}.

* ''[[Gundam Seed Destiny]]'' has [[Dark Messiah|Chairman Gilbert Durandal]], who manipulates both events and [[Manipulative Bastard|people]] with incredible ease; unlike many on this list, he's also a [[Graceful Loser]]. His predecessor as [[Big Bad]], [[Gundam Seed|Rau Le Creuset]] was also one of these, successfully getting the entire world caught up in a war of [[Omnicidal Maniac|mutual extinction]]. Durandal regularly messes around with a chessboard, and at one point they're seen playing against one another. {{spoiler|[[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|Le Creuset]] wins}}.

* Seto Kaiba during the Death-T arc in the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' manga. He gets extra points for having an ''actual chess board'' right in front of him during most of the arc.

* Izaya Orihara from ''[[Durarara]]'', although ordinary chess bores him. He instead uses a bizarre board game, [[Calvin Ball|the rules of which only he knows and which incorporates pieces from at least three different board games]], to illustrate his manipulation of Ikebukoro and its residents.

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* ''[[Y the Last Man]]'' has the Daughters of Amazon led by Victoria, a master of chess; they argue, among other things, that the queen is the most powerful chess piece, like women are the superior sex.

* The very first time we see [[Doctor Doom]], he's toying with chess-piece replicas of the [[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]], so that tells you all you need to know. He's usually ranked as Reed Richards' evil ''doppelganger'' regarding intellect, and his plans range from the complicated to the ''really'' complicated to the one that played both [[Satan|Mephisto]] and [[Doctor Strange]] like Stradivarius violins. Simultaneously. With one move.

** ...which is parodied in [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2003/10/16/episode-342-hypothetically-speaking/ these] [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2003/10/18/episode-343-check-mate/ two] ''[[~~Eight~~ Bit Theater (Webcomic)|Eight Bit Theater]]'' strips.

** ...which is parodied in [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2003/10/16/episode-342-hypothetically-speaking/ these] [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2003/10/18/episode-343-check-mate/ two] ''[[8-Bit Theater (Webcomic)|Eight Bit Theater]]'' strips.

** An issue of ''[[Excalibur (Comic Book)|Excalibur]]'' parodied the characters-as-chess-pieces visual metaphor, with the characters standing on a chessboard, and Captain Britain saying "Call me paranoid, but I think we're being manipulated."

*** Probably also a reference to a classic earlier ''Captain Britain'' storyline, where the same manipulator, Merlin, played a quite literal game of chess with the characters' fates. He continues to do so during a pivotal story arc of ''Excalibur'', including a time in which he fakes his own death and has his daughter Roma (who's not in on the deception) play the game in his place for a while. When he returns (in the very issue with the above-mentioned cover), he's carrying a chess piece representing Roma, and places it on the board.

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*** And Lando, who infiltrated Jabba's palace before anyone, helped clear the prisoner skiff for their escape by sneak attacking the guards while they distracted by Luke's Force-powered acrobatics.

** That's quite a few pieces that needed to be in JUST the right places to make the whole thing work.

* [[Anti Hero|Andy]] from ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'', is an example of a [[Chessmaster]] who is the "good" guy. ([[Black and Grey Morality|Well, relatively speaking.]]) It's clear from his conversation about halfway through the movie that he's very clever, talking about {{spoiler|using invented fake names to help his boss launder money}} and all, but it later turns out that even that isn't the start of it. The further aspects of it shouldn't even be spoiled even from behind spoiler tags, but let's just say he figures out a way to kill ever so many birds with one stone. Well, figuratively speaking. As for the [[Chess Motifs]], it's repeatedly mentioned in the movie that Andy likes chess, and he remarks that he finds it to be a "civilized" game.

* [[Anti-Hero|Andy]] from ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'', is an example of a [[Chessmaster]] who is the "good" guy. ([[Black and Grey Morality|Well, relatively speaking.]]) It's clear from his conversation about halfway through the movie that he's very clever, talking about {{spoiler|using invented fake names to help his boss launder money}} and all, but it later turns out that even that isn't the start of it. The further aspects of it shouldn't even be spoiled even from behind spoiler tags, but let's just say he figures out a way to kill ever so many birds with one stone. Well, figuratively speaking. As for the [[Chess Motifs]], it's repeatedly mentioned in the movie that Andy likes chess, and he remarks that he finds it to be a "civilized" game.

{{quote| '''Red:''' I like to think the last thing going through {{spoiler|[Norton's] }} head, {{spoiler|other than that bullet}}, was to wonder how the hell Andy Dufresne ever got the best of him.}}

* Chili Palmer in ''[[Get Shorty]]'' moreso than in the novel (as mentioned in Literature below); in the movie he seems accustomed to running games on anyone he perceives as a threat.

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* Another Sidney Sheldon novel, aptly titled ''Master of the Game'', is a [[Generational Saga]] bringing us three generations' worth of Chessmasters who create/belong to the internationally famous and powerful Kruger-Brent, Ltd.: Jamie MacGregor, his daughter Kate, and her granddaughter Eve. The first founds the company, the second inherits it and makes it even more powerful, and the third (who has an innocent twin) plots to become Kate's successor.

* The [[Evil Sorceror|Demon Queen]] from ''[[David Drake]]'s'' series ''Lord of the Isles'' had a magical chessboard that represented her actual opponents. After her defeat one of the pieces melted, and they mentioned after examining it that she'd never realized she was herself was on the board.

* Though the ''[[Codex Alera]]'' has these in spades, the ones who actually use <s>chess</s> ''ludus'' metaphors are mostly the Canim. Tavi considers beating enemy commander and [[Worthy Opponent]] Nasaug at a game to be [[Arson Murder and Jaywalking|worthy of inclusion]] in a list of [[Badass]] feats he accomplished as Captain of the [[Badass Army|First Aleran Legion]]. At another point, professional [[Chessmaster]] Gaius Sextus makes a [[Black Comedy|joke]] about how the situation ''doesn't'' resemble the game, since at that moment, the [[Person of Mass Destruction|First Lord]] and a Knight are at the mercy of a lowly steadholder.

* Though the ''[[Codex Alera]]'' has these in spades, the ones who actually use <s>chess</s> ''ludus'' metaphors are mostly the Canim. Tavi considers beating enemy commander and [[Worthy Opponent]] Nasaug at a game to be [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|worthy of inclusion]] in a list of [[Badass]] feats he accomplished as Captain of the [[Badass Army|First Aleran Legion]]. At another point, professional [[Chessmaster]] Gaius Sextus makes a [[Black Comedy|joke]] about how the situation ''doesn't'' resemble the game, since at that moment, the [[Person of Mass Destruction|First Lord]] and a Knight are at the mercy of a lowly steadholder.

* In ''[[Daemon]]'' by Daniel Suarez, Matthew Sobol certainly qualifies. What makes this case particularly special is that Sobol is ''dead'' for the entirety of the novel. He left behind an AI entity with detailed and brilliant plans for world domination, playing the protagonists against each other expertly.

* George R.R. Martin's ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' is loaded with [[Chessmaster|Chessmasters]] and those aspiring to or dreaming they are one. Off the top of my head:

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* Gandalf's ulterior motive for organizing the Thirteen Dwarves and Bilbo's expedition in ''[[The Hobbit (Literature)|The Hobbit]]''. He needed to do several things: investigate reports of Sauron's rise to power over Mirkwood, defeat a dragon that Sauron could bend to his will and use in the war, re-establish the strong Human and Dwarfish kingdoms of the area, and get everybody allied with each other, so that they could repel an invasion from the east that would allow Sauron to flank and crush Gondor. In the end, {{spoiler|Smaug was killed, Sauron was driven to Mordor, and gave the world warning of his impending arrival, The Battle of Five Armies greatly weakened the Orc's presence in the north, and the Kingdoms of Dale and Erebor were re-established}}. This gambit would work beautifully during the War of the Ring, as the force of Easterlings and Orcs that actually made it through the north alive was ''much'' reduced.

* In [[Len Deighton]]'s "SS-GB", an [[Alternate History]] novel set in a Nazi-occupied Britian, the character Mayhew is a formidable Chessmaster who uses the German Nazi occupiers and the British anti-Nazi underground for his pawns, and is described as fond of "playing God and writing the future history books". In his master stroke, unfolding in the later part of the book, Mayhew gets the underground to {{spoiler|smuggle King George VI out of the Tower of London where the Germans kept him imprisoned}}; then Mayhew betrays the underground and gets the Germans to {{spoiler|set an ambush, shoot and kill the escaping King}}; then he gets the underground to {{spoiler|rouse the British people against the "Nazi Regicides"}} and create the myth of {{spoiler|a matryred, heroic King}} (when in fact {{spoiler|the poor George VI had been a totally broken man)}}; then he gets the{{spoiler|the young Princess Elizabeth crowned Queen-in-Exile at Australia}}; then he gets the various rivaling Nazi factions in charge of occupied Britian {{spoiler|to engage in bitter infighting, blaming each other for the fiasco, and ending with one group of Nazis summarily executing}} the leader of the other group; and meanwhile, Mayhew's part in all this remains unknown, and he remains on excellent terms with both the Nazis and the underground and free to start working on his next gambit.

* The [[~~Sixteen Thirty Two~~]] series is bursting at the seams with these. Mention must be made of Cardinal Richelieu, who is just as good in the new history as he was in the old, and Mike Stearns, who is on the record as trying to set up a more long-term-successful series of gambits than ''[[Otto Von Bismarck]]''<ref>aka, the guy who created the modern state of Germany almost entirely with use of gambits and chessmastery, but may have set up [[World War One]] in the process</ref>.

* The [[1632]] series is bursting at the seams with these. Mention must be made of Cardinal Richelieu, who is just as good in the new history as he was in the old, and Mike Stearns, who is on the record as trying to set up a more long-term-successful series of gambits than ''[[Otto Von Bismarck]]''<ref>aka, the guy who created the modern state of Germany almost entirely with use of gambits and chessmastery, but may have set up [[World War One]] in the process</ref>.

* Dorothy Dunnett's "Lymond" novels derive their titles from chess and feature two very chessmasterly characters whose opposition culminates in a terrible game of chess.

* Mr. Guppy of ''[[Bleak House]]'' WANTS to be a chessmaster, but his plains fail due to lack of opposition.

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* ''[[Sluggy Freelance (Webcomic)|Sluggy Freelance]]'' toys with this trope [http://www.sluggy.com/daily.php?date=990213 here].

** {{spoiler|Although ''Torg'', of all people, seems to be developing some of these tendencies, [[Out Gambit|Out Gambitting]] one villain after another ever since he joined up with the Minion Master. Perhaps this comes from being [[Genre Savvy]] enough to know that [[Enemy Mine|teaming up with villains]] [[Reliable Traitor|will inevitably lead to being double-crossed]].}}

* ''[[~~Eight~~ Bit Theater (Webcomic)|Eight Bit Theater]]'' parodies the trope [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/11/20/episode-484-midfighter-vs-thiefollo/ here].

* ''[[8-Bit Theater (Webcomic)|Eight Bit Theater]]'' parodies the trope [http://www.nuklearpower.com/2004/11/20/episode-484-midfighter-vs-thiefollo/ here].

* In ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|The Order of the Stick]]'', the three leaders of the [[Celestial Bureaucracy|Inter-Fiend Cooperation Committee]] in [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0668.html this strip], which is titled, "Moving the Pieces".

* Thaco from ''[[Goblins (Webcomic)|Goblins]]''. [http://www.goblinscomic.com/09032008/ "You keep playing your little game of chess or whatever you think you're doing."]

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* Vlad Masters of ''[[Danny Phantom (Animation)|Danny Phantom]]'' is fond of using chess metaphors to describe his [[Evil Plan]].

* Hades from Disney's ''[[Hercules (Disney)|Hercules]]'' has a large chessboard at his place in the Underworld, with pieces representing the Olympians and his forces. He usually uses this chessboard in order to think out strategy how to kill Hercules or to attack Olympus.

* Hilariously averted in an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' where Mr. Burns hires an assassin to kill Grandpa. After two botched attempts, the assassin suggests a [[Rule of Three|third option]] which he describes "as complex and precise as a well-played game of chess." [[Gilligan Cut|Cut]] to him bursting into the retirement home with a machine gun and [[A Team Firing|firing wildly in all directions.]]

* Hilariously averted in an episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' where Mr. Burns hires an assassin to kill Grandpa. After two botched attempts, the assassin suggests a [[Rule of Three|third option]] which he describes "as complex and precise as a well-played game of chess." [[Gilligan Cut|Cut]] to him bursting into the retirement home with a machine gun and [[A-Team Firing|firing wildly in all directions.]]

* Lawrence Limburger had a couple of episodes playing several factions against each other in ''[[Biker Mice From Mars]]''. This had to involve a chessboard with the people involved and a lot of [[Evil Laugh|Evil Laughter]].

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== Comic Books ==

* Metron of ''[[New Gods]]'', who is an [[Ensemble Darkhorse]] thanks to his unemotional, bipartisan manipulation of events.

* V, [[Anti Hero]] of ''[[V for Vendetta]]''. In the film, Finch actually figures out part of the plan, but can't do much to stop it by that point.

* V, [[Anti-Hero]] of ''[[V for Vendetta]]''. In the film, Finch actually figures out part of the plan, but can't do much to stop it by that point.

** In the graphic novel, Finch {{spoiler|goes as far as to almost stumble upon V's lair, but decides his ordeal is over when he fatally shoots V. Of course, this was all part of V's plan...}}

** V also uses a Domino motif for his plan.

* Norman Osborn of ''[[Spider-Man]]'' is another contender in this category. Brought [[Back From the Dead]] when Marvel needed a "[[~~Authors~~ Saving Throw|Get Out Of Clone Saga Free]]" card, Osborn has more than made up for lost time. For a while, every other [[Spider-Man (Comic Book)|Spider-Man]] story was turning out to be some sub-sub-plan of Osborn's.

* Norman Osborn of ''[[Spider-Man]]'' is another contender in this category. Brought [[Back From the Dead]] when Marvel needed a "[[Author's Saving Throw|Get Out Of Clone Saga Free]]" card, Osborn has more than made up for lost time. For a while, every other [[Spider-Man (Comic Book)|Spider-Man]] story was turning out to be some sub-sub-plan of Osborn's.

* The Kingpin is another Chessmaster, especially where [[Daredevil]] is concerned. (Daredevil seems to attract them -- even the two-bit villain Mysterio became one when he took on DD.)

* [[Thanos]] is a staple Chessmaster in many cosmic [[Crisis Crossover|crossovers]] in the [[Marvel Universe]]. It's frequently [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] how other characters (especially heroes) exist solely to be manipulated by him for whatever agenda he might have at the moment.

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* ''[[The Avengers (Comic Book)|The Avengers]]'' villain Immortus was always a Chessmaster in a big way, but in the ''Avengers Forever'' series it turned out he was a Chessmaster on a far greater scale than anyone had imagined, he {{spoiler|had manipulated virtually every event in the history of the Avengers simply to prevent the human race from becoming dangerous enough that the malevolent Time Keepers would wipe them out to preserve their own existence.}}

* The [[Black Panther]] of the [[Marvel Universe]] is a rare example of this trope who's a traditional superhero, albeit one that is occasionally under fire from his more-idealistic peers, for obvious reasons.

** An example more along the vein of the standard [[Anti Hero]] would be Adam Warlock, who is often the foil to Thanos.

** An example more along the vein of the standard [[Anti-Hero]] would be Adam Warlock, who is often the foil to Thanos.

** [[Batman]] is the [[Alternate Company Equivalent]] for [[The DCU]].

* [[Ultimate Marvel|General Nick Fury]] is a heroic (well, anti-heroic) version of this trope with the full sanction of the United States Government. And also, total [[Badass|badassery]].

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* In the ''[[Mass Effect (Video Game)|Mass Effect]]'' fanfic The Council Era, the advisor to the Krogan Overlord, Halak Marr, definitely qualifies as a Chessmaster. In order to bolster his army in preparation for the war with the Citadel, {{spoiler|Marr preserved specimens of the dezba (who would naturally have retained a major grudge against the Citadel over their people's genocide) and began a project to resurrect a dezban chieftain, a la Project Lazarus in ''[[Mass Effect 2]]''.}} As mentioned on the [[Unwitting Pawn]] page, he usurped his superior in order to enact his dreams of the krogan as a [[Master Race]]. He successfully forced Tyrin Lieph to allow his people to take a majority in the Citadel military and give the krogan a Council seat through an excellently-executed plan. He also antagonized the already fragile relationship between the manaba people and the Citadel by faking an attempt on his life by manaban extremists.

* {{spoiler|Jeft}} in ''[[With Strings Attached (Fanfic)|With Strings Attached]]''. {{spoiler|He maneuvered three of the four into getting their major magic, set up the entire Vasyn quest, fooled the other Fans into thinking it was real by having an AI play the Dalns gods, and moved the Vasyn pieces into “entertaining” places for the four to struggle with. He was so overconfident that during the quest for the third piece, he openly forced the four to travel with his best character, the Hunter, which finally clued Varx and Shag into his duplicity.}}

* ''[[Soul Chess]]'' used to focus on [[Magnificent Bastard|Lelouch]] and [[God Mode Sue|Aizen]] trying to [[Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny|fight for control over the Soul Society]]. {{spoiler|Lelouch wins, but Aizen comes back from Hell for Round 2.}}

* ''[[Soul Chess (Fanfic)]]'' used to focus on [[Magnificent Bastard|Lelouch]] and [[God Mode Sue|Aizen]] trying to [[Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny|fight for control over the Soul Society]]. {{spoiler|Lelouch wins, but Aizen comes back from Hell for Round 2.}}

* Calvin slowly develops into this over the course of ''[[Calvin and Hobbes The Series (Fanfic)|Calvin and Hobbes The Series]]''.

== Film ==

* In ''[[Death Race]]'', the Warden is clearly the Chessmaster, with the way she manipulates the convicts to play in the [[Game Show]] race. In view of the fact that the audience is made not to like her she's also the [[Anti Hero]], and she's a [[Manipulative Bastard]].

* In ''[[Death Race]]'', the Warden is clearly the Chessmaster, with the way she manipulates the convicts to play in the [[Game Show]] race. In view of the fact that the audience is made not to like her she's also the [[Anti-Hero]], and she's a [[Manipulative Bastard]].

* CRS in ''[[The Game (Film)|The Game]]''.

* Vito Corleone in ''[[The Godfather (Film)|The Godfather]]'' would serve well as the very definition of a Chessmaster. In the book and the movie, he planned out every detail of every part of the story {{spoiler|perhaps even his own death}}.

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* Gaius Sextus in the ''[[Codex Alera]]'' is one of these, though the limitations of trying to do this without inexplicable perfect knowledge of all events is clear. A lot of people became extremely angry at these tendencies, and many people considered him less "masterful" than "feeble" and blamed him for the situation of Alera.

** Lord Kalarus tries to be one of these, but while he has a few tricks, he's not nearly in control as he thinks he is. A good example of this is {{spoiler|when he conspires with the [[Wolf Man|Cane]] to raid Alera to distract attention from his rebellion. He expects them to bring a few hundred raiders. They bring ''thousands'' and have no intention of leaving.}}

* Admiral Sun Ji Guoming from the [[Dale Brown]] novel ''Fatal Terrain'' carries out an unconventional warfare plan that succeeds in getting the rest of the world to see China as a [[Villain With Good Publicity]] even as it [[Nuke Em|nukes Taiwan]]. This plan also makes Taiwan and the US look like aggressors, at least twice fooling them into misusing their military might. He comes quite close to his goal of retaking Taiwan.

* Admiral Sun Ji Guoming from the [[Dale Brown]] novel ''Fatal Terrain'' carries out an unconventional warfare plan that succeeds in getting the rest of the world to see China as a [[Villain With Good Publicity]] even as it [[Nuke'Em|nukes Taiwan]]. This plan also makes Taiwan and the US look like aggressors, at least twice fooling them into misusing their military might. He comes quite close to his goal of retaking Taiwan.

** {{spoiler|National Security Adviser Robert Chamberlain}} from ''Act of War'' plays pretty much everyone in his quest to kill [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Harold Kingman]].

* Lisbeth Salander of Stieg Larsson's ''[[Millennium Trilogy]]'', if she doesn't start as a chessmaster, certainly ''becomes'' one by the end of the third book. As an example, {{spoiler|she encounters her half-brother Roland Niedemann, who has repeatedly tried to kill her. Now, she could just kill him, and thereby give the authorities cause to start pursuing her again. So, she doesn't do this. She makes an anonymous tip to the gangster scum who previously employed him, and now want to kill him. Then she makes an anonymous tip to the police that said gangster scum have likely murdered Niedemann. In doing so, she manages to wipe out three of her enemies without any of them knowing she is responsible for doing so}}.

* "Mister X" in the third ''[[Empire From the Ashes]]'' book, whose elaborate plans stretch back ten years or more and involve minions buried ''everywhere'' in the government, military, and largest terrorist organization (until they serve their function, at which point [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness|they inevitably die]]).

* Merlin from ''[[The Warlord Chronicles]]'' makes sure that plenty of powerful people on all sides he has influence on owe him favours, and that everybody fears his [[Maybe Magic Maybe Mundane|questionable magical powers]], simply to ensure that he can always recruit people for his personal quest for the Treasures of Britain. If his goals were less abstract and religious, he could have probably controlled the entire island from behind the various thrones.

* Merlin from ''[[The Warlord Chronicles]]'' makes sure that plenty of powerful people on all sides he has influence on owe him favours, and that everybody fears his [[Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane|questionable magical powers]], simply to ensure that he can always recruit people for his personal quest for the Treasures of Britain. If his goals were less abstract and religious, he could have probably controlled the entire island from behind the various thrones.

* From Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth novels, we have {{spoiler|The Starflyer}}. The action starts with this Chessmaster funding an astronomical observation that indirectly kicks off a genocidal war, has minions working at the highest levels of the military (helping humanity just enough so that the two sides can destroy each other), has another minion hosting one of the highest rated news shows, with more minions just about everywhere you look. {{spoiler|It takes most of two books for all of the good guys to become convinced that the Starflyer even exists. It doesn't appear on stage until near the end of the second book... the only clues to its existence are the behavior of its agents}}.

* Viviane in ''[[The Mists of Avalon]]''. Ultimately to little avail and the general detriment of pretty much everyone involved.

* ''Sisterhood'' series by [[Fern Michaels]]: Charles Martin, former agent of [[MI 6]] and [[James Bond]] [[Expy]] is definitely this. He works for the Vigilantes and it could be argued that he uses this trope for good, but he is basically an [[Anti Hero]]. He tries his hardest to come up with foolproof plans for the Vigilantes to use in order to succeed in their missions. However, there have been times when those plans go awry, and he ''really'' hates it when that happens. ''Under The Radar'' reveals that he has a large network of contacts and agents who are well-funded and good at their job, which helps to explain how his plans are effective. By ''Vanishing Act'', however, the Vigilantes pretty much make it clear to Charles that they call the shots and not him, and that he had best stop lording over them or he will get the boot.

* ''Sisterhood'' series by [[Fern Michaels]]: Charles Martin, former agent of [[MI 6]] and [[James Bond]] [[Expy]] is definitely this. He works for the Vigilantes and it could be argued that he uses this trope for good, but he is basically an [[Anti-Hero]]. He tries his hardest to come up with foolproof plans for the Vigilantes to use in order to succeed in their missions. However, there have been times when those plans go awry, and he ''really'' hates it when that happens. ''Under The Radar'' reveals that he has a large network of contacts and agents who are well-funded and good at their job, which helps to explain how his plans are effective. By ''Vanishing Act'', however, the Vigilantes pretty much make it clear to Charles that they call the shots and not him, and that he had best stop lording over them or he will get the boot.

== Live Action TV ==

* Most ''[[Twenty Four]]'' [[Big Bad|Big Bads]]. Though most of them are even better at [[Xanatos Roulette|roulette]].

* The ''[[Mission Impossible]]'' series is a rare but well-executed example of non-villain, non-[[Anti Hero]] chessmastery.

* The ''[[Mission Impossible]]'' series is a rare but well-executed example of non-villain, non-[[Anti-Hero]] chessmastery.

* Likewise the team of [[Hawaii Five O]].

* Linderman of ''[[Heroes (TV)|Heroes]]'' seems to have his hooks in everything, especially DL and Niki. His apparent omniscience is helped along by being a collector of art... particularly art made by a guy who paints the future.

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* Michael Scofield from ''[[Prison Break]]'' is a chessmaster on par with people like [[Death Note (Manga)|Light Yagami]]. You can be sure that, no matter how short the time is or how hard the creation of a plan is, he ''will'' come up with something. And if his plan fails he ''will'' have a backup-plan ''or'' it was supposed to fail all along. Adding to that, he's sometimes [[Crazy Prepared]].

* Sir Humphrey Appleby in ''[[Yes Minister]]'' and ''Yes, Prime Minister'' pulls off several devious yet intricately devised gambits designed to flummox the far-less intellectually cunning (Prime) Minister Jim Hacker, in order to thwart Hacker's agenda, cement his power and influence over the department and government, and to feather his own nest. However, Hacker - whilst nowhere near Humphrey's level of ability - is not without some low cunning himself, and is occasionally able to pull a fast one on Humphrey, and events occasionally conspire to leave Humphrey spluttering in astonishment as his plan collapses around him.

* ''[[~~Blakes~~ Seven (TV)|Blakes Seven]]''. This is the job of the 'psychostrategist', a Federation officer whose role is to predict and manipulate people. Unfortunately he's informed too late about a random element and, realising his plan will therefore collapse, smartly decides to vanish before Servalan finds out. Servalan, a bit of a [[Manipulative Bastard]] herself, seems amused rather than incensed over his cunning.

* ''[[Blake's Seven (TV)|Blakes Seven]]''. This is the job of the 'psychostrategist', a Federation officer whose role is to predict and manipulate people. Unfortunately he's informed too late about a random element and, realising his plan will therefore collapse, smartly decides to vanish before Servalan finds out. Servalan, a bit of a [[Manipulative Bastard]] herself, seems amused rather than incensed over his cunning.

** And the Puppeteer in question, Carnell, is also [[Smart People Play Chess|very good]] at chess.

{{quote| '''Carnell:''' ''I'm very good, Supreme Commander, believe me. I've taken everyone and everything into consideration. It's all as predictable as... that very expensive chess machine.''}}

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* ''[[Fable]] 2'' has Theresa whose also a [[Manipulative Bastard|Manipulative Bitch]] the DLC reveals {{spoiler|That she was the one who gave the music box to murgo, then convinced Sparrow to buy it while manipulating Lucien to become obsessed with the spire and possibly convincing him to kill Rose and try to kill Sparrow. So she could guide Sparrow to become a hero and gather the heroes of legends to claim the spire for her own. May also constitute as a [[Xanatos Roulette]]}}

* ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'' was completely filled with [[Gambit Pileup|Chessmaster-on-Chessmaster action]]. {{spoiler|The Galbados Church was trying to manipulate commoner legends to set themselves up as faux-saviors in the Lion War. The church's new "Zodiac Braves" were actually the demonic Lucavi, playing the church for fools and using the bloodshed of the Lion War to revive their leader. Both Prince Larg and Goltana were using the recent death of the King to try and place their preferred puppet candidates on the throne, setting themselves up as Regent. Dycedarg was using Larg, hoping to kill him and take his place in the whole plot. And Delita was outmaneuvering them all, using the church and Goltana to set himself as the new king by marrying Ovelia (The fact that he seemed to genuinely like her was almost problematic for him), and using the protagonist to stop the Lucavi, as he couldn't deal with them personally without screwing up the rest of his plans. Delita succeeded, and every other contender was dead when the dust settled.}} About the only people ''not'' trying to screw everyone else like a two-dicked billygoat was the protagonist and his crew, but his actions definitely were manipulated for other peoples' gain.

* Rufus Shinra, of ''[[Final Fantasy VII Advent Children]]'', was a very sneaky, wheelchair-bound chessmaster who, with only four hired goons and his wits about him, manages to fool [[White Haired Pretty Boy]] Kadaj for the entire movie. While suffering from a ''fatal disease'', no less.

* Rufus Shinra, of ''[[Final Fantasy VII Advent Children]]'', was a very sneaky, wheelchair-bound chessmaster who, with only four hired goons and his wits about him, manages to fool [[White-Haired Pretty Boy]] Kadaj for the entire movie. While suffering from a ''fatal disease'', no less.

** Not as though this is his first act of such. He's been doing this for years as revealed in ''[[Before Crisis]]'' wherein {{spoiler|he was shown to be the financial backer and chessmaster behind the second incarnation of the ecoterrorist group AVALANCHE, simply because he wanted his father out of the way. Though, the whole thing does come back to bite him on the ass with the third incarnation of the group in ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' proper.}}

** Though, it should be noted that this trait runs in the family as we see in ''[[Crisis Core]]'' with {{spoiler|Rufus' all-bastard half-brother Lazard is revealed to be effectively using both SOLDIER and the Genesis Army to play chess ''with himself'' in his efforts to topple the company. But again, it all comes back to bite him in the ass when people start investigating him too closely and he ends up a victim of the very same [[Send in The Clones]] style plot he had been orchestrating. It proves though that only by having his ''DNA rewritten'' will he ever stop being a Shinra. Which, of course, he absolutely hates being, but in trying to destroy his family, he proves how much of a Shinra he really is.}}

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* In ''[[Super Robot Wars]]'' (in various timelines), Shu Shirakawa and Ingram Prisken often act as chessmasters, manipulating the protagonists into doing their bidding unwittingly, and with unparalleled amounts of panache (Shu has even garnered an unwanted harem in the past). Interestingly, they take to the field of battle quite often, but this is perhaps solely to show off their (incredibly cool) Humongous Mecha. Due to the crossover nature of the series, Shu and Ingram have butted heads with each other, [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|Gendo Ikari]], [[Zeta Gundam|The Titans]], [[Giant Robo|Big Fire]], and various other factions and have generally come out on top. They could also be considered a subversion of this trope,{{spoiler|because they themselves are being forced to do the bidding of higher powers, and actually fall under direct control of them on several occasions. The protagonists generally end up killing them, or being unable to prevent their deaths. Ironically, after noting just before dying that he was now free of all the chains that bound him, Shu is actually brought back from the dead to resume his previous role. Perhaps proving what a magnificent bastard he is, Shu is actually -released- from his bonds upon his resurrection. Whether or not this was intentional is up in the air, but if it was, it most definitely counts as a [[Xanatos Roulette]].}}

* ''[[Super Paper Mario (Video Game)|Super Paper Mario]]'' has {{spoiler|Dimentio}}. {{spoiler|Not only did he pull all the strings behind the plan to cause [[The End of the World As We Know It|the end of all worlds]] with a damned great [[Evil Plan]] he tried to get Mario and crew to join him by saying that [[Utopia Justifies the Means|he was doing the right thing for a perfect world]].}}

* Grand Master of the Order, Jacques de Aldersberg in ''[[The Witcher]]'' computer game, who {{spoiler|used crime group ''Salamandra'' along with mad wizard under his power, sparked full-scale racial war and manipulated the whole bunch of people to solidify the power of his Order - and all this just to save humanity from his vision of terrible future, which makes him into [[Well Intentioned Extremist]] as well. }}

* Grand Master of the Order, Jacques de Aldersberg in ''[[The Witcher]]'' computer game, who {{spoiler|used crime group ''Salamandra'' along with mad wizard under his power, sparked full-scale racial war and manipulated the whole bunch of people to solidify the power of his Order - and all this just to save humanity from his vision of terrible future, which makes him into [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] as well. }}

* Freed from the constraints of [[Stupidity Is the Only Option]] in ''[[Apollo Justice Ace Attorney]]'', Phoenix Wright becomes one of the most capable Chessmasters not only of that game, but of the entire [[Ace Attorney]] series. He manipulates every important event towards his own ends, and any major errors on his part are made only when {{spoiler|[[Stupidity Is the Only Option|he's being controlled by the player during the fourth case]]}}.

** The prosecutors of the original trilogy, (excluding Winston Payne) also seem to have Chessmaster-ish qualities, Edgeworth even has a chess set in his office with a suspiciously spiky blue pawn.

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** [[Warcraft (Video Game)/WMG|One interpretation]] of the events of ''Warcraft III'' is that Kil'jaeden created the Lich King knowing that it would betray Archimonde (his counterpart and co-leader of the Burning Legion), leading in Archimonde's death and Kil'jaeden becoming the absolute ruler of the demons.

** He also managed to enslave an entire race of demons known for their clever trickery.

** [[Eldritch Abomination|The Old Gods]] take the cake, though. First they infest the Titans' newly-created world with "the curse of flesh", causing their mechanical creations to become organic. Then they rig it so that the Titans can't actually destroy them without destroying the world alongside them, forcing them to just [[Sealed Evil in A Can|seal the Old Gods away]]. Even that doesn't do the job so well for C'thun and Yogg-Saron...[[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu|which is where the players step in]]. In fact, the latter could be counted a Chessmaster among Chessmasters - even after being sealed away he manages to corrupt the wardens of his prison into loyal, if batshit insane, servants. {{spoiler|Not to mention that when you do fight him, he takes you on a brief guided tour of the events throughout Warcraft's history he has been responsible for, including the assassination of a king and the creation of an important [[MacGuffin]]}}.

** [[Eldritch Abomination|The Old Gods]] take the cake, though. First they infest the Titans' newly-created world with "the curse of flesh", causing their mechanical creations to become organic. Then they rig it so that the Titans can't actually destroy them without destroying the world alongside them, forcing them to just [[Sealed Evil in A Can|seal the Old Gods away]]. Even that doesn't do the job so well for C'thun and Yogg-Saron...[[Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?|which is where the players step in]]. In fact, the latter could be counted a Chessmaster among Chessmasters - even after being sealed away he manages to corrupt the wardens of his prison into loyal, if batshit insane, servants. {{spoiler|Not to mention that when you do fight him, he takes you on a brief guided tour of the events throughout Warcraft's history he has been responsible for, including the assassination of a king and the creation of an important [[MacGuffin]]}}.

* The player in this game of ''[http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=195920&site=pcg Galactic Civilizations 2]'', who ended the existence of his galaxy's then greatest military power in a single turn. When his race specialized in cultural influence and entertainment programming, and had ''zero military power whatsoever''. Via a combo of diplomatic, financial, and cultural maneuvering that... seriously, just read it. * g* (The relevant parts are at Day 9 and 10.)

{{quote| '''Player:''' I don't care that my foreign intel reports rate you as the most powerful race in the galaxy. I don't care that I come dead last on that same list. I don't care that I couldn't even fight back if I ''had'' any gunships because of a pledge to spread peace throughout the galaxy. In fact, you know what? That's it. Your race ends this week. When I next click that 'Turn' button, you're out of the game.}}

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* Malefor from [[Spyro the Dragon|The Legend of Spyro]] trilogy is a shining example. He's such a good example, it's hard to tell what WASN'T a part of his plan did he really intend to kill Spyro in the raid or did he want him alive to {{spoiler|set him free?}} Did Spyro really free Cynder or did Malefor let her free so {{spoiler|he could use her to lure Spyro to the Well of Souls to free him?}} And to top it all off, the [[Hannibal Lecture]] he gives the two when they finally confront them even has them wondering whether they'd done anything but play right into his claws.

* ''[[Soul Nomad and The World Eaters]]'' has {{spoiler|Levin/Raksha}}, [[Gambit Pileup|amongst others]]. Those "pointless" [[Sidequest|side quests]] you've been doing? Not so much.

* And in the ''[[Blaz Blue]]'' corner we have [[Card Carrying Villain|Hazama]], also known by his true name, [[Complete Monster|Terumi Yuuki]]! He may seem unimpressive at first glance, merely 183 cm/6'0" high and weighing in at 61 kg/134 lbs, but make no mistake folks, this guy has [[Rage Against the Heavens|outmanouvered his universe's equivalence of Gods]]! And it only took [[Not So Omniscient After All|1/470000th of a second of them focusing on something else than their omniscience]] to do so, folks! And that's not even getting into how [[Heads I Win Tails You Lose|utterly he has owned the mere mortals]] ([[Xanatos Speed Chess|and occasional]] "[[Fantastic Racism|shitty vampire]]") of his universe. Just don't mention [[Spanner in The Works|squirrels]] to him.

* And in the ''[[Blaz Blue]]'' corner we have [[Card-Carrying Villain|Hazama]], also known by his true name, [[Complete Monster|Terumi Yuuki]]! He may seem unimpressive at first glance, merely 183 cm/6'0" high and weighing in at 61 kg/134 lbs, but make no mistake folks, this guy has [[Rage Against the Heavens|outmanouvered his universe's equivalence of Gods]]! And it only took [[Not So Omniscient After All|1/470000th of a second of them focusing on something else than their omniscience]] to do so, folks! And that's not even getting into how [[Heads I Win, Tails You Lose|utterly he has owned the mere mortals]] ([[Xanatos Speed Chess|and occasional]] "[[Fantastic Racism|shitty vampire]]") of his universe. Just don't mention [[Spanner in The Works|squirrels]] to him.

* There are two real chessmasters in [[Eien no Aselia]], and in general they don't really show up until the last 15% of the game. {{spoiler|Temuorin}} is the big bad and set up the whole plot and {{spoiler|Tokimi}} interfered so that the game doesn't get a downer ending.

* Lord Alden in ''[[Vanguard Bandits]]'' is a literal chessmaster, being the best player on the continent and rumored to be undefeated. {{spoiler|Then [[Love Interest|Milea]] beats him in her second time playing the game at all.}} Meanwhile [[Big Bad|big bad Faulkner]], is more of the moving and controlling of wars type of Chessmaster. And he's very, very good at it.

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* In ''[[Order of the Stick]]'', Lord Shojo provides an interesting example of the non-villainous chessmaster, ruling Azure City and the Sapphire Guard with the aid of a series of deceptions.

** And Nale, especially at the Cliffport arc, gives us the more traditional villainous one.

** Generally [[Big Bad Wannabe|Nale is too unsuccessful to be counted.]] [[Luke I Am Your Father|Tarquin is a better example.]]

** Generally [[Big Bad Wannabe|Nale is too unsuccessful to be counted.]] [[Luke, I Am Your Father|Tarquin is a better example.]]

** The IFCC seems to count, too.

** And in comic 830, {{spoiler|Red Cloak is revealed to be one who's manipulating Xycon.}}

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** Tankor, [[Dumb Muscle|of all characters]], became one in ''[[Beast Machines (Animation)|Beast Machines]]'' after his spark was reawoken.

* Azula of ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' -- [[The Vamp]], [[Magnificent Bastard]], and [[Psycho for Hire]] all rolled into one.

** Her father, [[Evil Overlord]] Ozai, prefers the 'set the chessboard on fire and stand back laughing maniacally' approach, rather than messing about with all those fiddly little pieces. {{spoiler|Until her [[Villainous Breakdown]],}} Azula was a genuine (and, fortunately for Ozai, genuinely ''[[~~Daddys~~ Girl|loyal]]'') Chessmaster, so she got to do all the thinking.

** Her father, [[Evil Overlord]] Ozai, prefers the 'set the chessboard on fire and stand back laughing maniacally' approach, rather than messing about with all those fiddly little pieces. {{spoiler|Until her [[Villainous Breakdown]],}} Azula was a genuine (and, fortunately for Ozai, genuinely ''[[Daddy's Girl|loyal]]'') Chessmaster, so she got to do all the thinking.

*** Oh, Ozai ''can'' scheme fine (note the flashback in "Zuko Alone", where he very clearly exploits the weak spots of everyone around him to get ''exactly'' what he wants, and he managed to keep Azula under control for years- no mean feat!). Problem is, he's usually far too [[Drunk With Power]] to put that cunning to effective use.

**** Effectively, Azula plays this trope straight, using [[Batman Gambit|plots,]] [[Lack of Empathy|her skills as]] [[Manipulative Bastard|a 'people-person']] and [[Dangerously Genre Savvy|good ol' situational awareness]] to deal with her enemies; [[Dark Action Girl|kicking ass]] and [[Playing With Fire|taking]] [[Psycho Electro|names]] is more a trump card she keeps close to the vest. Ozai's cunning when he needs to be, but he is much more of an outright bully who uses [[Kill Em All|violence]], intimidation and [[Kill It With Fire|raw displays of power]] to get his way. Ozai's the club, Azula's the rapier.

**** Effectively, Azula plays this trope straight, using [[Batman Gambit|plots,]] [[Lack of Empathy|her skills as]] [[Manipulative Bastard|a 'people-person']] and [[Dangerously Genre Savvy|good ol' situational awareness]] to deal with her enemies; [[Dark Action Girl|kicking ass]] and [[Playing With Fire|taking]] [[Psycho Electro|names]] is more a trump card she keeps close to the vest. Ozai's cunning when he needs to be, but he is much more of an outright bully who uses [[Kill'Em All|violence]], intimidation and [[Kill It With Fire|raw displays of power]] to get his way. Ozai's the club, Azula's the rapier.

** [[Evil Chancellor|Long Feng]] is very good at this too, keeping an entire city under his control for years with no one but his immediate henchmen the wiser. Really the only things keeping him from being a full fledged [[Magnificent Bastard]] are underestimating his opponents and not dealing well with sudden reversals- [[Eviler Than Thou|both of which Azula exploits...]]

* Amon, [[Big Bad]] of ''[[The Legend of Korra (Animation)|The Legend of Korra]]'', has claimed himself to be a chessmaster. [[Dangerously Genre Savvy|He has thus far been very convincing at his role.]]

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* Xanatos isn't the only one ''[[Gargoyles (Animation)|Gargoyles]]'' has to offer. Fox, Thailog, and the Weird Sisters all play close to Xanatos's own level (Thailog even bested him once). Demona does some of this, though she's often so hot blooded and/or generally screwed up that she'll inadvertently sabotage herself. [[Evil Sorcerer|The Archmage]] doesn't have the same skill as the above, but he makes up for it with [[A God Am I|the sheer grandiose nature of his ambitions]]. Also, [[Ancient Conspiracy|the Illuminati]] are implied to be a whole ''organization'' of these (at least, the ones at the top are).

* James McCullen makes a good ''attempt'' at being this in the ''[[G.I. Joe Renegades]]'' episodes, playing the Joes and Cobra against each-other {{spoiler|1=but gravely underestimates who it is he's really up against in Adam DeCobray.}}

* ''[[My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'':

* ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'':

** The [[Big Good]], [[~~Everythings~~ Better With Princesses|Princess]] Celestia, seems to be able to play this part when necessary, and is a rare benevolent example, working for the good of her subjects. She remains somewhat enigmatic, but seems to have wisdom fitting her [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|millennial]] experience of ruling. She generally seems on top of everything that's going on, but has twice been shown doing some serious plotting: At the beginning of the first season, she pulled off a [[Gambit Roulette]] with the twin goals to a) make her student Twilight Sparkle get out more and make some friends and b) save the world. In the beginning of the second season, she performs a much simpler and more elegant single-step [[Batman Gambit]] with somewhat similar goals.

** The [[Big Good]], [[Everything's Better With Princesses|Princess]] Celestia, seems to be able to play this part when necessary, and is a rare benevolent example, working for the good of her subjects. She remains somewhat enigmatic, but seems to have wisdom fitting her [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|millennial]] experience of ruling. She generally seems on top of everything that's going on, but has twice been shown doing some serious plotting: At the beginning of the first season, she pulled off a [[Gambit Roulette]] with the twin goals to a) make her student Twilight Sparkle get out more and make some friends and b) save the world. In the beginning of the second season, she performs a much simpler and more elegant single-step [[Batman Gambit]] with somewhat similar goals.

** Celestia's old [[Arch Enemy]] Discord -- a being so [[Knight of Cerebus|dangerous]] and [[Magnificent Bastard|chaotically ingenious]] that he's actually able to catch her off balance and [[OOC Is Serious Business|unnerve her]] -- [[Battle of Wits|plays a round against her]] in "The Return of Harmony", with the main characters as pawns. (Although, if we're doing [[Chess Motifs]], there's more than one reason why it might be fitting to call them Celestia's knights.<ref>If you want to know... "pawns" is a metaphor for ones regarded as mere tools and not valued, and knights are also more powerful; Celestia actually does a "knighting" gesture to Twilight Sparkle before sending them out; and, of course, the characters in question are miniature horses.</ref>) Discord's plan aims at making sure that the ponies will be [[Break the Cutie|psychologically]] [[Despair Event Horizon|broken]] and unable to use the only thing that can stop him even after they do find it, although [[The Omnipotent|given his power]], it looks like he's also [[Just Toying With Them|doing things the hard way]] just [[For the Evulz]].

** Then we have {{spoiler|Changeling Queen Chrysalis in the season 2 finale. She somehow managed to kidnap Princess Cadence, take her place, turn Twilight against all of her friends, and siphon enough energy off of Shining Armor (while masquerading as his fiancee) to ''defeat Princess Celestia'', all without anypony except Twilight being even slightly suspicious of her.}}

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[[Category:The Chessmaster]]

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