History TheChessmaster / Film

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBadGuys2022'': Professor Marmalade manages to manipulate the titular Bad Guys, including their leader Wolf, into doing things just so they can be the patsies for his heist. To wit, he manages to spin the two major heists of the gang into something that serves him without them realizing.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''Scar and his whole plan of becoming king by getting rid of Mufasa and Simba making them look like accidents, and making sure there won’t be any blame traced back to him. First tricking Simba into sneaking into Hyena territory by playing on his curiosity knowing he would go there despite being told not to, then he arranged a stampede hoping to kill both Simba and Mufasa, successfully with the later, and making Simba believe he caused it. In fact, his plan would've worked and he would have remained king of the pride lands had the hyenas killed Simba when he was a cub.

%%* Scar from ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994''

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'': [[spoiler:Prince Hans of the Southern Isles]] is revealed to be a cold and calculating ManipulativeBastard, and possibly ''the'' most notorious case of this in Disney films. The scene where he gives his MotiveRant has a chess set visible, symbolizing his exploitation of Anna as a "pawn" in his plan to seize control of Arendelle by faking his romance with her. On a grander scale, he proves to be a very effective and crafty VillainWithGoodPublicity, even fooling ''the viewer'' into thinking he's a PrinceCharming and KnightInShiningArmor. The infamous betrayal scene revealed just how duplicitous this man is.

* ''Film/{{Momentum|2015}}'': Near the end of the movie assassin Mr. Washington attempts to recover a data drive from Alex Faraday, an ex-CIA operative turned thief.

%%* Scar from ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing''

* CRS in ''Film/TheGame''.

* For a character who ''claims'' to hate the convoluted plans, ''Film/TheDarkKnight'''s Joker is skilled at making them. Unless he's lying or [[IndyPloy making it up as he goes along]], [[ChaoticEvil which is quite possible]]. [[AxCrazy The Joker's sadism]] also leads him to pull off some [[ShootTheDog nasty]] (although thwarted) {{Evil Plan}}s.

* ''Film/TheMatrix''

!!!With Chess Motifs

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'': [[spoiler:Prince Hans of the Southern Isles]] is revealed to be a cold and calculating ManipulativeBastard, and possibly ''the'' most notorious case of this in Disney films. The scene where he gives his MotiveRant has a chess set visible, symbolizing his exploitation of Anna as a "pawn" in his plan to seize control of Arendelle by faking his romance with her. On a grander scale, he proves to be a very effective and crafty VillainWithGoodPublicity, even fooling ''the viewer'' into thinking he's a PrinceCharming and KnightInShiningArmor. The infamous betrayal scene revealed just how duplicitous this man is.
!!!Without Chess Motifs
* [[spoiler:Miles Axlerod]] from ''WesternAnimation/Cars2''. In order to turn all the cars in the world away from alternative energy, [[spoiler:Axlerod]] actually invents an explosive chemical called Allinol which he pretends is actually a safe alternative fuel, and he promotes Allinol with the World Grand Prix, a series of races where the world's fastest racecars must compete in three races taking place in different parts of the world. [[spoiler: Axlerod]] then order his [[TheDragon Dragon]], Professor Z and his army of [[{{Mooks}} Lemons]] to use a powerful radiation cannon to blast away said racecars once the race is in session, then makes everyone think that Z is the one behind the evil plot and not him. After the second race, which takes place in Italy, [[spoiler: Axlerod]] tells everyone that Allinol is actually dangerous and forces the racecars to use ordinary fuel, because since [[spoiler:Axlerod]] secretly owns the largest oil supply in the entire world, he and the Lemons will become unstoppable once alternative energy has been shunned from society, but tricks Lightning [=McQueen=] into still using Allinol so that the Lemons can blow him up. Unfortunately for [[spoiler:Axlerod]], Sarge secretly removed the Allinol from [=McQueen=]'s body and instead replaces it with Fillmore's, and as a result he has no other choice but to install a detonator onto Mater's body as a last-minute attempt to kill that racecar.

!!!With Chess Motifs

!!!Without Chess Motifs
* The ComicBook/RedSkull, as portrayed in ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', was so clever in [[spoiler:dispersing his resources throughout Europe]] that he was able to make his DoomsdayDevice. [[spoiler:Captain America and his allies were only able to stop his final plan at the last possible moment]].
* For a character who ''claims'' to hate the convoluted plans, ''Film/TheDarkKnight'''s Joker is skilled at making them. Unless he's lying or [[IndyPloy making it up as he goes along]], [[ChaoticEvil which is quite possible]]. [[AxCrazy The Joker's sadism]] also leads him to pull off some [[ShootTheDog nasty]] (although thwarted) {{Evil Plan}}s.
* In ''Film/DeathRace'', the Warden is clearly the Chessmaster, with the way she manipulates the convicts to play in the GameShow race. In view of the fact that the audience is made not to like her she's also the AntiHero, and she's a ManipulativeBastard.
* ''Film/DenOfThieves'': [[spoiler:Donnie. First, he spends years working at a bar that he knows is frequented by employees of the Federal Reserve, and uses his service job to eavesdrop on their conversations to accumulate enough information to plan the heist. Then he lets Merrimen in on the heist, convincing him that Merrimen and his crew get to reap the lion's share of the cash. He plants his own people inside the Reserve to facilitate access to the Reserve, or enable lifting the prize out of the garbage dumpster. This trope most clearly shows when he deliberately allows both Merrimen's crew and Nick's posse to subject him to ButtMonkey treatment, causing both groups to grossly underestimate him. He lets Merrimen think Merrimen's crew will take the most active role in pulling off the heist, but in truth he is taking the relatively safest role for himself while allowing Merrimen's crew to take all the physical risks upon themselves. Once he's made it to the garbage dumpster, he switches out the prize cash to his own driver, and leaves Merrimen's driver with useless shredded cash. Merrimen dies without ever knowing he's been double-crossed, as it's Nick who opens the bags with the shredded cash. He also has no issue with walking down the street from the Reserve to present himself as an easy nab for Nick, but the point there is that he's all too ready to give up Merrimen's location to Nick. Then he picks his handcuffs and escapes while Nick's posse is engrossed in an intense and extended fire fight with Merrimen and his crew. And to top it all off, he uses his cash to open a bar in London near the diamond exchange, so that he can gather intel for a heist on the exchange, and coincidentally setting up a SequelHook along the way.]]
* CRS in ''Film/TheGame''.
* Vito Corleone in ''Film/TheGodfather'' 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]].
* In ''Film/LittleSweetheart'' nine year old Thelma (8 and 364 days at the start of the movie) manipulates her new and only friend, her mother, her uncle, the police, the new neighbors who happen to be bank robbers on the run and everyone else she meets throughout the movie. [[spoiler: Only one thing goes wrong: her friend doesn't die after going face down in the ocean after an arm shot and what was either a torso or '''headshot''' for several minutes. The friend is also nine]].
* ''Film/TheMatrix''
** The Oracle is a [[spoiler: sentient computer program]] capable of predicting Neo's reactions so well that she essentially made Neo the One. All of Neo's heroics are all essentially part of her chessmaster plan, even Agent Smith.
** The Architect, who managed to [[spoiler: manipulate all previous "Ones" into his plan by threatening them with the extinction of the human race]].
* Tommy from ''Film/MillersCrossing'' is a very prolific anti-heroic example. Nearly every character in the movie is deceived by him in some capacity. In fact, he manages to [[spoiler: take down Casper's gang]] simply by sowing seeds of mistrust. Even his closest friends are lied to and manipulated, albeit for their own safety. By the resolution of the movie, even the people he saved are are unaware of the entirety of his schemes.
* [[spoiler: Dylan]] in ''Film/NowYouSeeMe''.
* Rotti Largo from ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'' is so good at these, it sometimes gets hard to find things that ''aren't'' orchestrated by him.
* Both Creator/MichaelCaine and Creator/LaurenceOlivier are chessmasters in the 1972 version of ''Film/{{Sleuth}}''.
* Senator/Chancellor/Supreme Chancellor/Emperor [[Characters/StarWarsEmperorPalpatine Palpatine]] in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequel trilogy. Got a less-than-scrupulous faction to blockade/invade his backwater homeworld just to get the old leader kicked out and himself elected in the process. Then gets his apprentice to start a war to increase his authority under "wartime powers". Then gets his sworn antitheses to attempt to thwart him so he can declare them enemies of the state and use his "severely disfigured in an attempt on my life" sob story to get enough sympathy to be named dictator for life. While [[PlayingBothSides playing both sides of the board]], so as to have a backup plan if something went wrong (presumably, just sabotage the clones from the Republic side and conquer the galaxy with droids. Not that he ever needed to.)
** You have to give Luke Skywalker props for this as well. At the start of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', his positioning of Artoo, Threepio, Leia, Han, Chewie and Lando in the rescue of Han is actually quite brilliant, as each of his friends ended up with a very particular role to play.
*** Artoo smuggled in his lightsaber; Threepio's obliviousness to the plan ensured Jabba didn't get wise to the other players, either.
*** Leia brought in Chewie, freed Han from carbonite, and later killed Jabba.
*** Han's subsequent failure to escape ensured Jabba thought he'd won, as well as his part in the sailbarge fight later.
*** Chewbacca...well, when ISN'T a 7-ft tall Wookiee useful in a fight? There's also his role in Leia's cover, and as a warm-up blanket for Han in the prison cell.
*** And Lando, who infiltrated Jabba's palace before anyone, ensured Han and Chewie would end up in the same cell after Han thawed, and helped clear the prisoner skiff for their escape by sneak attacking the guards while they distracted by Luke's Force-powered acrobatics.
*** And lastly, Luke, who holds everyone's attention with the OMFG JEDI factor so his comrades can do their tasks.
** That's [[GambitRoulette quite a few pieces that needed to be in JUST the right places]] to make the whole thing work.
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] (like [[{{Deconstruction}} many other tropes]]) in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' with Supreme Leader Snoke. Snoke imitates Palpatine by allowing Kylo Ren and Rey to communicate mentally, using his apprentice's internal conflict as bait to trap Rey. However, it backfires tremendously when Kylo Ren betrays and kills him, taking his title as Supreme Leader of the First Order, when Snoke orders him to kill Rey.

* * TheChessmaster: After [[spoiler:Theresa kills herself]], Gallagher (played by Creator/PaulNewman) agrees to become Quinn's informant if Quinn publicly refutes the accusations against him. Then he makes a donation to a charity Quinn is involved in, knowing that Rosen will think that he bribed Quinn and launch another investigation that will bring down Quinn and get the proper authorities looking closely at Rosen's role in starting the mess.

* Paul Newman's character in ''Film/AbsenceOfMalice'' is a good guy (and thoroughly unexpected) Chessmaster. He manages to play the DA, the police, and a newspaper against each other without anyone realizing what he's up to.

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

* Michael Corleone of ''Film/TheGodfather'' trilogy - especially Godfather II. He started out as a NiceGuy who becomes a true [[TheMafia Mafia]] Chessmaster, only to lose it all in the end. At the height of his power, he proved quite adept as a Mafia Don, with amazing intuition, excellent observational skills, good combat instincts (he did earn a Navy Cross in the Marines, after all), a keen understanding of masculine psychology (arranging the suicide of one of his enemies, for example), the ability to pick the right people for the right job, and sharp financial acumen.

--->'''Mr. Washington:''' You might want to rethink this whole chess thing. It's good for people in our line of work. This situation - that's what we call check.

*** [[spoiler: Alex plays the tough DeadpanSnarker while undergoing physical torture, but later - after Washington brings up her tragic CIA history and suggests FemalesAreMoreInnocent and can't compartmentalise - she pretends to break, fooling him into thinking he has the upper hand.]]

* Hades from Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{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.

* Hades from Disney's ''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.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'': [[spoiler:Prince Hans of the Southern Isles]] is revealed to be a cold and calculating ManipulativeBastard, and possibly ''the'' most notorious case of this in Disney films. The scene where he gives his MotiveRant has a chess set visible, symbolizing his exploitation of Anna as a "pawn" in his plan to seize control of Arendelle by faking his romance with her. On a grander scale, he proves to be a very effective and crafty VillainWithGoodPublicity, even fooling ''the viewer'' into thinking he's a PrinceCharming and KnightInShiningArmor. The infamous betrayal scene revealed just how duplicitous this man is.

* Michael Corleone of ''Film/TheGodfather'' trilogy - especially Godfather II. He started out as a NiceGuy who becomes a true [[TheMafia Mafia]] Chessmaster, only to lose it all in the end. At the height of his power, he proved quite adept as a Mafia Don, with amazing intuition, excellent observational skills, good combat instincts (he did earn a Navy Cross in the Marines, after all), a keen understanding of masculine psychology (arranging the suicide of one of his enemies, for example), the ability to pick the right people for the right job, and sharp financial acumen. If Michael had more charisma, extroversion, and a better grasp of feminine psychology, he would be a true MagnificentBastard.

* [[spoiler: Miles Axlerod]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars 2}}''. In order to turn all the cars in the world away from alternative energy, [[spoiler: Axlerod]] actually invents an explosive chemical called Allinol which he pretends is actually a safe alternative fuel, and he promotes Allinol with the World Grand Prix, a series of races where the world's fastest racecars must compete in three races taking place in different parts of the world. [[spoiler: Axlerod]] then order his [[TheDragon Dragon]], Professor Z and his army of [[{{Mooks}} Lemons]] to use a powerful radiation cannon to blast away said racecars once the race is in session, then makes everyone think that Z is the one behind the evil plot and not him. After the second race, which takes place in Italy, [[spoiler: Axlerod]] tells everyone that Allinol is actually dangerous and forces the racecars to use ordinary fuel, because since [[spoiler: Axlerod]] secretly owns the largest oil supply in the entire world, he and the Lemons will become unstoppable once alternative energy has been shunned from society, but tricks Lightning [=McQueen=] into still using Allinol so that the Lemons can blow him up. Unfortunately for [[spoiler: Axlerod]], Sarge secretly removed the Allinol from [=McQueen=]'s body and instead replaces it with [[TheOtherDarrin Fillmore's]], and as a result he has no other choice but to install a detonator onto Mater's body as a last-minute attempt to kill that racecar.
%%* Scar from ''Disney/TheLionKing''

* [[AntiHero Andy]] from ''Film/TheShawshankRedemption'', is an example of a {{Chessmaster}} who is the "good" guy. ([[BlackAndGreyMorality 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 ChessMotifs, it's repeatedly mentioned in the movie that Andy likes chess, and he remarks that he finds it to be a "civilized" game.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'': [[spoiler:Prince Hans of the Southern Isles]] is revealed to be a cold and calculating ManipulativeBastard, and possibly ''the'' most notorious case of this in Disney films. The scene where he gives his MotiveRant has a chess set visible, symbolizing his exploitation of Anna as a "pawn" in his plan to seize control of Arendelle by faking his romance with her. On a grander scale, he proves to be a very effective and crafty VillainWithGoodPublicity, even fooling ''the viewer'' into thinking he's a PrinceCharming and KnightInShiningArmor.

* In the film ''Film/JasonAndTheArgonauts'', the gods are shown playing a boardgame, with the heroes and villains as pieces.

** Mr. Washington plays chess and fancies himself a master. He prides himself on being GenreSavvy and outsmarting clever opponents, and knows what tactics to employ to gain their co-operation. While interrogating a captured Alex he challenges her to a match. She refuses.