[thrilling music playing]
[phone ringing]
Unknown number.
[phone ringing]
Hello ACP Pradyuman.
You took a long time to answer the call, ACP Pradyuman.
Who's this?
I've sent a gift in the name of CID.
Don't take too long to open it,
or else...
Ha ha ha!
Hello!
[intense music playing]
Pankaj.
Check this phone number quickly.
Sir.
This parcel has arrived.
- For whom? - Sir, I don't know who it's for.
It was written 'For CID' on it.
When I returned to the gate from the forensic lab,
this parcel was lying there.
I checked the CCTV,
but the person's face wasn't visible.
He was wearing a mask and also had a cap on.
Alright,
keep it there, and you may go.
[thrilling music playing]
The strange thing is, sir...
There's no address, no name.
Just left it saying 'For CID'.
Who could it be, sir?
Don't know, Sachin. But I got a call at my number.
It was from an unknown number.
And that man also said
he was sending a gift,
so maybe this is it.
Sir, the call came from an unknown number
what if there's some explosive in it?
Let's check.
[tense music playing]
Sir, the parcel is clean.
There are no explosives in it.
Open it and take a look.
[tense music playing]
Sir, this looks like...
like a chess piece... the king.
[beep]
[tense music playing]
So, you CID people finally opened my gift.
Didn't you?
You must be wondering
where this gift came from... or who I am.
For now, you can call me...
The Chess Master.
And I challenge
all of you to play a game
of chess with me.
But this isn't an ordinary game of chess.
This game comes with a deadly twist
because tied to it...
is the game of death.
The rule is simple.
There will be 4 rounds in this game,
and at the end of each round, one pawn...
will be eliminated from this world.
Meaning, they will lose their life.
But yes,
I'm giving you all a chance
to save these pawns.
To do that,
you'll have to solve some chess puzzles.
And to solve each puzzle
and save a pawn's life,
you'll have
exactly three hours.
But...
If you fail to save
the pawn within that time
or even if you're
a second late in reaching them
then along with those 3 hours...
The pawn's game will end... forever.
Oh, and yes
a new puzzle
will appear on your tablet.
That puzzle will lead you to the next pawn.
Ah!
I've made my move.
Now it's your turn to play.
Come on, CID...
Show me some of your best moves.
The knight's move will reveal the clue
to a place where machines work every day.
Figure out where the knight is... because that's where
you'll find your first pawn.
There are numbers behind, too.
This knight...
is placed on F4, sir.
The king is placed on E1
and the pawn is on G6.
- Daya. - Sir.
You and Purvi
try to solve this puzzle as quickly as possible.
And Sachin, send this box and the chess piece
to the forensic lab right away.
Tell Tarika to examine it thoroughly
see if there are any fingerprints or anything else,
and match them with the criminal records.
Also find out if there was any old criminal
who had any kind of connection with chess.
And Pankaj,
find out the source of this video.
Let's see
where he's hiding.
[thrilling music playing]
[tense music playing]
- Sir. - Yes, Pankaj, did you find anything?
Sir, I tried several methods,
but I'm unable to trace the video source.
Actually, this Chess Master
has rerouted the video through multiple VPNs.
And this device
is connected to an international server,
so tracing it is nearly impossible, sir.
Meaning, it's possible...
But sir, it'll take two or three days.
- Sir. - Yes.
Sir, we've checked the criminal database.
There's no one in our records
who has any connection with chess.
Sachin, do one thing.
Check the missing person reports from the last 4 days.
See if any are connected to chess.
It's possible
that one of them is the victim.
Sir, look at this puzzle carefully. It says...
The clue lies in the knight's move,
to a place where machines work every day.
Find where the knight stands
that's where you'll find the first pawn.
Clue lies in the knight's move.
In chess, the knight moves in an L-shape.
Two and a half steps.
But sir, every square
on the chessboard has a unique coordinate.
Where machines work during the day...
Sir, this could be a factory or an industrial area.
Yes.
Find where the knight is
that's where you'll find your first pawn.
We'll have to figure out the knight's exact move.
Only then can we reach the first victim, sir.
But, sir, the knight has 8 possible moves.
How will we know which exact move is he talking about?
We have to find out, Purvi.
Someone's life is at stake.
- Sir. - Yes.
We've checked the missing persons' reports, too.
There's no one in there
who has any known connection with chess.
I don't understand. There's no old criminal,
and no one from the recent missing person reports either.
Then who are these four victims
of this Chessmaster? Ask ChatGPT.
Sir, according to this puzzle,
the Knight
is on square F4,
the King is on E1,
and the Pawn is on G6.
And as you said,
the knight moves in an L-shape
so if we take the coordinates from this box,
the first coordinate is D...
3.
And this one is D5,
and down here is 2,
G2...
and this one is E2.
Here, the coordinate formed
is H3...
and this one is H5.
Over here, G...
It's G6,
and this one is
E6, sir.
- Daya. - Yes, sir.
The knight can't move to G6.
Because the pawn is already there.
Sir, if we eliminate G6 from the options.
- The knight is left with 7 possible moves. - Okay.
D3,
D5,
E2,
E6,
G2,
H3,
and H5.
But these aren't coordinates of any real area
or location, sir... then what are they?
Sir, if we convert the alphabet of these possible moves into numbers,
we might be able to find the victim's last location.
Like, if we take the last two digits,
we might be able to get a pin code.
Take this.
Sir, I'll write 1 under A,
2, 3, 4, E5, 6
G7, H8
D3 43
Okay.
D5 45.
E2 52.
E6 56.
- G2 - Yes.
- 72. - 72, one minute.
Sir, the pin code of Saki Naka Industrial Estate is 72.
400072.
Absolutely correct, Daya.
And there, machines are in operation too... so...
It's possible our victim is somewhere in that very area.
Sir, but Saki Naka Industrial Estate is so huge
what if while searching for the victim there,
we end up losing our way.
The puzzle still isn't fully solved,
there are more numbers written below.
Look at that, Daya, read it out.
23, one, 18
58
Sir, could it be that all these numbers
indicate the exact location of the victim?
Sir, they don't look like any kind of coordinates.
What could it be?
Sir, what if...
Just like we
converted chessboard alphabet
into numbers earlier,
now we need to convert these numbers back into the alphabet?
Why not!
Purvi, check it quickly.
Convert these numbers into alphabets.
Sir, 23...
W 1...
A...
A.
[tense music playing]
Sir, warehouse number 8.
There can be only one meaning, Daya
the Chessmaster has kept his first victim
in Saki Naka, Warehouse Number 8.
No matter what, we must save them.
Daya, there's 1 hour and 25 minutes left. Go, quickly!
Yes sir. Let's go.
[intense music playing]
Everyone, spread out.
Check every corner! We only have 20 minutes left.
But stay alert.
This...
Chessmaster has surely laid some kind of trap for us.
Be alert.
[tense music playing]
[thrilling music playing]
Sir.
Sir, come to the basement. Quickly!
Yes, Purvi, what happened?
Sir, look at this.
[intense music playing]
[suspenseful music playing]
Sir, something's written here.
Think carefully before making every move,
because one wrong step...
And the pawn's game is over.
Pankaj, this isn't just a message. It's a warning.
Look over there.
The victim is seated on that metal chair,
which is connected to an electrical board.
And the main switch (MSB) has been tied to the door's knob.
If we open this door,
current will pass through the metal chair... and it will kill him.
Yes sir,
do you see that knife?
It's attached to a spring,
and it's aimed right at his chest.
One end of it is connected to that chessboard.
Sir... even a single wrong move, and it could cost him his life.
Sir, there's a timer running. Only 3 minutes left.
How are we going to save him?
By doing exactly what the ChessMaster wants.
By playing chess.
Look at this,
this chessboard has been set up in a way
that if we complete the game correctly,
its mechanism will deactivate.
What does this ChessMaster think he is...
Some kind of reality show judge.
We'll do whatever he wants us to do...
Sir, the knight's position in this puzzle
is exactly the same as it is on this chessboard.
Sir, could it be that to solve this puzzle,
we have to track the knight's moves
just like that, here also?
The knight moves in two and a half steps.
- Sir... only seven seconds left! - Yes.
Let me think... this...
[thrilling music playing]
[knife pierces]
[intense music playing]
[tense music playing]
[phone rings]
Ha ha ha!
Congratulations, CID team.
You managed to solve the first puzzle. But what's the use?
You couldn't save the first pawn.
And that too... he died right in front of your eyes.
Well, what's done is done.
This is just the beginning of the game.
Three more pawns
are still waiting.
Waiting to see when you'll come to save them.
Remember,
the only key to this lock
is the chessboard itself.
Sir, this Chess Master seems like a deranged killer
someone with a deep obsession for chess.
Otherwise, why go to such elaborate lengths just to kill someone?
He's playing a cat-and-mouse game with us.
Do one thing
arrange to send the victim's body and this entire mechanism
to the forensic lab right away.
And Sachin, find out who this victim is.
Sir.
[tense music playing]
The queen can move in any direction
but she will go where
she must strike the next pawn.
A place where the river of justice and law once flowed,
but now the pages have yellowed,
and time seems to have stood still.
What is this?
[tense music playing]
Hello, sir.
Sir, the first victim... is dead. We couldn't save him.
He died right in front of us...
The moment he died, the next puzzle appeared on the tablet.
We are about to return to the bureau.
No, no, Daya. Don't come back to the bureau. We don't have enough time.
Do one thing. Tell Pankaj to set up a video call right there.
Pankaj,
set up the video conferencing equipment here itself for ACP Sir.
We'll have to solve this puzzle right here.
[tense music playing]
Daya, the way the ChessMaster killed the first victim
makes one thing very clear
he wants to eliminate all of them, no matter what...
And that too, right in front of us. In front of CID.
Sir, it's been 30 minutes,
and we haven't found a single clue from this puzzle yet.
Pankaj, read out that puzzle again for me.
The queen can move in any direction,
but she'll go
where she can strike the other pawn.
Pankaj, the queen can move anywhere on the board.
Any square she wants.
A place where
justice and law once flowed like a river.
Sir, could this be the clue for the next victim?
Justice and law, so, either a judge or a police officer?
And this flow of knowledge,
could it be a school or a college?
Where the pages have yellowed and time has stood still.
Maybe a museum or an archive?
A place where no one visits anymore and has been shut for a long time.
- Sir. - Yes.
Sir, we've got the first victim's identity from his fingerprints.
- Wow! - His name was Ramesh
and he was 45 years old. Look at this, sir.
He was an eyewitness in a high-profile case
from 15 years ago.
And it was because of him
that the notorious gangster Raghu received the death sentence.
Raghu?
- Raghu? You mean that 'Chhota Tiger'? - Yes, sir.
The same one we arrested 15 years ago.
He was charged with inciting riots.
So this is Raghu.
Daya, it means we've found a link.
And through that link, we can reach the chess master
and their victim.
There's someone close to Raghu.
Someone is
avenging Raghu's death.
[suspenseful music playing]
Dr Tarika...
Have you studied this mechanism?
Anything that tells us
how lives could've been saved?
Sir, whoever
built this mechanism
has a lot of knowledge and experience
with mechanical and electronic devices.
Oh!
Look at this.
The way it's set up,
if even one trigger fails,
the next one will automatically activate.
Which means the killer wants the victim dead no matter what.
Yes.
But if the killer is giving us a chance to save the victim,
then there must be a way
to deactivate this mechanism.
There is. This chessboard.
It has
pressure sensors inside. Look,
they're directly connected
to the timer and spring mechanism.
Dr Tarika,
what did Ramesh's post-mortem reveal?
Sir, the killer gave him a heavy dose,
which kept him unconscious for quite a while.
Dr Tarika, that box and the chess piece we sent...
- Did you find anything? Any fingerprints? - No.
Only the fingerprints of the bureau's security guard
- and Pankaj were found on it. - Oh!
No one else's.
Sachin, do one thing.
[suspenseful music playing]
Dig out Raghu's full profile.
Find out about his family, too.
Also, get the names of people
involved in his case.
One of them is going to be
the chess master's next victim.
In this puzzle, the queen is in F4 position.
And according to the puzzle,
she'll move where she wants to attack.
Daya, I've traced every direction the queen could take from here.
According to the puzzle, the position is
B8 square.
That's where she can attack,
because the opponent's pawn is there.
Could B8 point to the next location?
B8 could mean 28.
If we follow the PIN code logic, it becomes 400028.
Purvi, check if there's any legal
or justice-related place at this PIN code.
Sir, there's only one such place.
The law college.
No, Purvi. It can't be that location.
Because it's still in use.
And according to the puzzle,
the location must be abandoned.
Sir, if there's no other place except the college at this PIN code,
then the queen can't attack on B8.
Pankaj,
the queen will attack the horse at B8.
Because this isn't just any horse.
What do you mean, sir?
Daya,
- what's the colour of that knight? - Black?
It's black.
So, a black horse?
This time it's not about the PIN code,
- but an entire area. - Yes.
Sir, but there are so many law colleges and firms here.
There's a court, too.
So, the location could be any of these.
No, Purvi.
All these places are still in use, they're active.
Kala Ghoda means a place
where justice and law once thrived.
But now that place is shut down, it's a ruin.
Kala Ghoda Law Library, sir.
Exactly, Daya.
Kala Ghoda Law Library.
- Sir. - Yes.
Sir, I checked gangster Raghu's file.
According to it, there were four people involved in his case.
Because of them, the judge gave him the death sentence.
First was Ramesh, who is already dead.
Second, journalist Sudhir.
Third, Professor Arun.
And fourth, public prosecutor Suresh.
Sir, as per the puzzle, the victim is connected to the law.
Could this advocate be the next one?
One thing is clear, sir.
This chess master is only killing those
because of whom Raghu was sentenced.
So that means...
This chess master is someone close to Raghu.
Yes.
That's why he's out for revenge.
Daya, now we will make a move.
You, Pankaj and Purvi go to Kala Ghoda.
Protect advocate Suresh.
His life's in danger.
Yes, sir.
Sachin,
you try to contact Sudhir
and Professor Arun.
Yes, sir.
[suspenseful music playing]
Who is this person so close to gangster Raghu,
that even after 15 years,
he's out for revenge?
It's time to checkmate him.
[brooding music playing]
[car door shuts]
- Sir. - Yes.
Judging by the place,
it seems even his grandad
wouldn't have stepped in here.
Are we at the wrong location?
No, Pankaj, the location is right.
But chances are,
this chess master has laid a trap.
[thudding]
Sir, I heard something fall.
Must be a cat. Who else could be here?
Let's go inside.
Be careful not to touch anything.
[brooding music playing]
[upbeat music playing]
[music fades]
[intense music playing]
Sir, we couldn't solve even one chessboard, and here we have three!
How will we figure out which board is connected to the laser beam?
Sir, could this be some sort of trap?
Look, sir, we've got twenty-five minutes left.
Yes. See this.
These three chessboards are all connected to one another.
If we make a single wrong move on any of them,
Suresh will lose his life.
And Dr Tarika also said
everything here is controlled by pressure-sensitive chessboards.
'I must admit, the CID's eye for detail is sharp.'
'People say'
'you might escape a hungry lion,'
'but not CID.'
You won't escape either.
'Senior Inspector Daya, calm down.'
'Honestly, I'm not enjoying this challenge much, either.'
'Shall we make it a bit more exciting then?'
[alarm sound]
'Now show me what you're capable of.'
'Because you've got less than five minutes left.'
The president.
The procedure. The judgement.
We have to solve this first.
[brooding music playing]
The rook.
The rook moves straight.
If we move it from A8 to A1,
we can directly checkmate.
Checkmate!
Yes, it's done, sir.
- Green light, it's done. - Good!
Yes!
Now, it's the procedure.
If we move the rook from A6 to A8,
it'll be checkmate.
Even if the king moves forward, he'll still be caught.
If he moves this way, he'll still be caught.
From A6 to A8. Checkmate!
Sixty seconds left, sir. One more board.
[intense music playing]
Sir, quick. Thirty seconds.
Checkmate!
It's done, sir.
All solved.
Let's get him out.
[atmospheric music playing]
[suspenseful music playing]
[music continues]
[phone notification]
'I thought CID officers could handle pressure.'
'But sadly, I was wrong.'
'The so-called lions of CID'
'collapsed in the game of chess.'
'What happened? Couldn't save even two men?'
'Now, I'm finally enjoying this game.'
'Because now, it's time for the third attack.'
'Go on, try. Let's see if you can save this one.'
[chuckles]
'Go on, give it your best.'
The king can reach from any direction.
The third pawn will be found
where the king moves.
Where tall walls are unfinished
and dreams are broken.
Where incomplete work lies abandoned.
You'll find the fourth pillar of democracy there.
The fourth pillar of democracy is the media.
Yes.
Could the third victim be Journalist Sudhir?
[suspenseful music playing]
- Sir. - Yes.
We've tried contacting both Journalist Sudhir
and Professor Arun.
Arun is flying into Mumbai this evening.
I've asked him to text me as soon as he lands,
and stay alert.
Sir, we've had no success contacting Sudhir, no trace at all.
We can't reach Sudhir?
Then it's likely that the chess master has kidnapped him.
Sudhir could be the next victim.
- We also found out about Raghu. - What?
He wasn't particularly close,
but
after he was sentenced,
his entire family died
in an accident just days later.
- Sir. - Yes.
Sir, this chess master could go to any extent to kill his victims.
Sir, has the next puzzle revealed who the next victim is?
Purvi, the next victim is definitely Sudhir.
Sir,
how can you be so sure without another puzzle?
Did the chess master send one to you, too?
- Daya. - Sir.
It's gone beyond control now.
We must find out where Sudhir is,
at the earliest.
[suspenseful music playing]
Sir, it's been one and a quarter hours.
All we know is that Sudhir is the next target.
And this time, there's no chess piece in the puzzle,
just four squares highlighted.
According to this puzzle,
the king can reach these four boxes from his current location.
Sir, the third victim will be found
where the king can reach from his position.
As per the rules,
the king
can move from his current position
to only one square,
- but only to one square. - Sir.
The king is on one of these four selected squares.
So...
It's E4, sir.
Sir, if we convert E4 into a PIN code,
that would be 400054.
Santa Cruz.
Sir, there's an airport in Santa Cruz,
five five-star hotels, too.
Could the victim be held hostage in one of the hotels or at the airport?
No, Pankaj,
it can't be the airport or hotels.
They're too crowded.
And as per the puzzle, the victim is hidden somewhere
where some work is incomplete
or dreams are shattered.
Sir, the puzzle also mentions unfinished walls.
Incomplete work,
broken dreams,
unfinished walls,
what can it be?
Could it be
an under-construction building?
A project was left midway.
Where people's hopes for a home have been crushed?
In Santa Cruz, 30 under-construction buildings remain stalled, sir.
That means the victim could be in one of those 30 buildings.
Sir, maybe the number sequence will lead us to the building.
But like last time, these numbers
don't correspond to any alphabet.
Sir!
Yes, Tarika?
Sir, when Sachin said Daya made the right move,
yet the spring still launched the knife.
After you left, I examined in more detail,
I realised
this chessboard is just a trap.
There's no way to deactivate it.
All the trigger points, timers, sensors,
spring mechanism, they're all hardwired to the circuit.
Basically, the killer never intended
for us to save the victim.
That means this chess master
is pretending to give us a chance
to rescue the victim.
He's playing a drama
of murder in CID's hands to take revenge on us.
So we always carry the guilt of failing to save them.
Whatever it is, Daya,
we must save Sudhir at any cost.
Find out which under-construction building
this is.
And also find out about these numbers.
What they are, what connection do they have.
Yes, sir.
[suspenseful music playing]
Sir, we've spent enough time already.
Still no clue about the numbers.
[suspenseful music playing]
[music continues]
- Tap code. - Tap code.
Tap code! Sir, it's the same one that the prisoner's use
- to communicate in jail. - Yes.
- Purvi. - Yes, sir.
Match these numbers with the tap code.
[suspenseful music playing]
Sea view. Fifth floor.
Sir, I read about this building in a newspaper.
Years ago, the construction was stopped
due to legal reasons.
Everyone who invested in it has lost their money.
Let's go to Sea View.
Sir, Professor Arun has reached Mumbai. He's heading to his house.
Sachin, do one thing.
You, Pankaj, and Purvi, go to the under-construction building
and rescue Sudhir.
- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.
- Daya. - Yes, sir.
Meet Professor Arun
before the chess master gets to him.
- Quickly. - Yes, sir.
Let's see now!
Chess master,
let's see how great a grandmaster you really are.
[car approaches]
[car door opens]
[car door shuts]
[birds chirping]
[intense music playing]
Pankaj, hurry! Sudhir is kept on the fifth floor.
It'll take time to reach.
[intense music playing]
[music continues]
- Pankaj! - Coming, sir!
Oh, man! Sachin sir!
[suspenseful music playing]
Sir! One moment, look at that.
[suspenseful music playing]
[water pouring sound]
[intense music playing]
Sir, these wires are connected to the chessboard.
Sir!
Look at this, the rook, knight, and bishop.
All possible moves are here.
Purvi, remember what Tarika said?
Whether you make the right move or the wrong one, it won't help.
Sudhir will die either way.
Sir, let's cut the wire. Then we might be able to get inside.
No, if we cut it,
the internal mechanism might trigger.
Pankaj, Purvi is right.
Let's not touch this mechanism.
Let's look for another way to get inside.
Check if there's anything nearby to remove this.
[intense music playing]
[upbeat music playing]
[music continues]
[doorbell rings]
[door opens]
- Professor Arun? - Yes.
- There's a courier for you. - Give.
[coughs]
Sir, can I have some water?
- Okay. Come inside. - Thank you.
[suspenseful music playing]
[water trickling]
[suspenseful music playing]
Sudhir has been held captive here?
See this?
The acid, the ground is burnt here.
[suspenseful music playing]
There's acid inside this can.
[suspenseful music playing]
And water is being filled into this can.
As the water level rises and it gets heavier,
the can will tilt.
And the acid will fall on Sudhir
and kill him.
What a mechanism!
- My god! - Sir,
that chess master has scrambled my brain.
If he comes in front of me, I'll slam him down.
Pankaj, wait a minute, what did you say?
I'll slam him down.
Slam him down?
Pankaj, do one thing. Lift this.
- This? - Yes, lift it.
And keep it raised. Don't let it come down.
Because if it comes down, this will tilt.
Try your best not to let it drop.
Otherwise, Sudhir could lose his life.
Purvi, let's not touch this mechanism.
We have to think of something else.
Let's find something to cut it with.
Sir, come quickly.
It's very heavy.
It's getting heavier.
[suspenseful music playing]
I can't hold it.
Sir, come quickly.
Sir, here.
Wait a minute.
This might work.
Sachin sir!
- Pankaj! - Come quickly!
You work out in the gym, right?
[suspenseful music playing]
Cut it quickly.
[sawing noise]
[grunts]
Cut it quickly, sir.
Hold it for a little longer. Don't let it fall.
Otherwise, Sudhir will die and his bones will melt too.
[intense music playing]
[grunts]
Twenty seconds left.
[grunts]
- Hurry! - Sir!
[intense music playing]
[grunts]
[intense music playing]
- Be careful. - Pankaj, are you alright?
[gasps]
Well done, Pankaj!
Because of you, his life was saved today.
[suspenseful music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[thudding sound]
[dramatic music playing]
Chess master!
Enough of your deadly games.
[dramatic music playing]
[thudding sound]
[upbeat music playing]
[slaps]
[upbeat music playing]
[slaps]
[upbeat music playing]
[slaps]
Speak up. Who are you?
And what is your motive behind all this?
My name is Vishal.
And Raghu was my father.
Oh!
So you're taking revenge for your father's death?
Because of CID and those four,
I lost my father
when I was just 12.
What do you all know
about the pain of losing parents at a young age?
That's when I decided
I won't spare the ones
responsible for my father's hanging.
I'll have them killed by their own protectors.
I studied the case files for years.
I had to prepare those mechanisms.
My dad wanted me
to become the country's best chess player.
But because of you and those four,
I lost my childhood and family.
I lost everything.
[dramatic music playing]
[sobs]
[snivels]
That's why I decided
to kill those four using chess.
For the past two years, I've been following them like a shadow.
Whether it was Advocate Suresh's court
or Professor Arun at the cafe.
[suspenseful music playing]
For years, I waited for the right moment
to get justice for my dad from his killers
through a game of chess.
Those four didn't kill your father.
Your father's crimes are what got him killed. Got it?
You killed two innocent people just to take revenge.
The law will never forgive you.
Now sit in jail and play chess alone
until your hanging order arrives.
[music fades]