Frasier Online Episode Guide -> Season 3 -> Episode 3.18

Chess Pains

Frasier's antique scout has found for him an antique chess set, and can't wait to play with it. Niles declines, explaining that it will remind him too much of Maris as they used to play every Thursday night. However, Frasier succeeds in convincing Martin to play, who makes his moves very quickly unlike Frasier who makes carefully considered moves. Even so, and despite knowing the pieces as "prawns" and "horseys", it is Martin who wins their first game. Frasier is a bit stunned and works out that Martin won by sheer luck.

Frasier is convinced he should be the one who should win, but Martin wins the next game, and the next - and the next. Driven to the point of distraction by this, Frasier sets off the fire alarm on purpose, waking up his father, and suggests that since they're up they may as well play a game of chess. Martin sees right through this, working out that Frasier set off the fire alarm, and refuses to play any more games with him because Frasier is only trying to prove that he is better than his father. Frasier then counters with a prize of $5000 if Martin beats him - who jumps out of bed like a shot. This time, it's Frasier who is victorious after Martin left himself vulnerable by mistake - but did Martin let him win?

- Niles declines to play chess with Frasier:
Niles: Maris and I used to play chess every Thursday - she loved the game.
Frasier: No wonder - the King is stationary while the Queen has all the power (!)

- Martin makes his chess moves too quickly for Frasier's liking:
Frasier: Survey the board, take your time. I will not hover like a vulture, and feel free to ask any questions you like.
Martin: Is this checkmate?
Frasier [taken aback]: Yes it is.....

- Roz wants Frasier's help with a problem she's having:
Frasier: Trouble on the dating front?
Roz: I'm not that shallow, OK - it's about my hair.

- Niles is showing off his new dog to the rest of the family:
Frasier: Niles saw her in the pet shop and had an inexplicable attraction (!)
Martin: You can see her ribs.
Frasier: Hint number one (!!)

- Martin refuses to play chess with Frasier after he set off the smoke alarm deliberately to wake Martin up:
Martin: I don't see any reason why I should ever play you again.
Frasier: If you win, I'll give you $5000!
Martin: Get out of my way!!

A nice episode whose winning touch is to show just the end of each game that Martin wins, the cumulative effect of which is to make each victory seem even funnier than the last. One of the best of these is when Frasier makes a speech about having lined up his actions like an army going into battle as he makes his move, with Martin responding with the winning move and saying "Checkmate Schwarzkopf!". There is also a great battle of wills in the final game as Frasier and Martin try to outmanoeuvre each other, with Frasier saying the cemetery called about Martin's plot, and Martin saying he's sorry the ratings for Frasier's show had dropped(!). Despite all this, the central storyline did feel slightly too drawn out at times, so thankfully there are a number of small subplots to lift the episode - Roz's encounters with her hairdresser Naj, and in particular the introduction of Niles' canine subsititute for Maris the source of some good laughs, all of which manage to make another enjoyable and above-average Season 3 episode.

Rating

81 %

Avg. Viewer Review: 94.0%
Total Number of Reviews: 5