The Chess Kings

The Chess Kings

Start date:	December 24, 1956
End date:	March 2, 1957
# of strips:	60 (10 weeks)
Writer:	Lee Falk
Artist:	Phil Davis
Preceded by:	"Tub's Gang"
Followed by:	"The Western"

"The Chess Kings" is the 90th Mandrake daily story. The story was written by Lee Falk and drawn by Phil Davis.

Plot Summary

Years ago, the two distant cousins, the kings of Gambetia and Philador played a simple chess game. The rivaly grew and they became chess addigts. Each studied hard, trying go beat the other. The rivalry became hotter, they became fanatics and bet huge sums, and it was no longer a friendly game. This year they bet their kingdom in their chess tourney. The king of Gambetia needs help and tried to invite Mandrake's old friend professor Korr, the chess champion, to the chess tourney.

When Prof Korr refused to go, the king's men kidnapped him.

Appearances

Recurring characters

One-time characters

Professor Korr, chess champion.
King of Gambita.
King of Philador.

Locations

New York
Gambita, tiny kingdom in the mountains near Philador.
Philador, tiny kingdom.

Mandrake gestures hypnotically

Hypnosis; a gun seems to turn into a chess piece (a knight), whinny and then bites.
Ventriloqism; chess pieces talking.
Hypnosis; the armor get hotter and hotter.
Hypnosis; Mandrake and Lothar walking through a wall.
Hypnosis; canceling the kings orders.
Hypnosis; making the king sit down.
Hypnosis; making the king voiceless.
Ventriloqism; the king giving orders.

Behind the scenes

The title for the story is taken from the strip of December 22, 1956 (Next Week: The Chess Kings -) and December 24, 1956 (Beginning: The Chess Kings).
There are twelve plane changes from New York to Gambita.
Narda knows the King of Philador from when she was a little girl.