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

The Svengali, in acting for the (supposed) good of his protégés, will often be this (and if he isn't, he'll pretend). Heroic Chessmasters are very often introduced as a Mysterious Employer. The best will also have layers upon layers of misdirection and backup plans in case some unexpected hero appears to gum up the works.Ĭhessmasters can sometimes be on the side of good, but if so they'll almost certainly be the Anti-Hero (the Pragmatic Hero variation) at best or the Well-Intentioned Extremist at worst, as it's very hard to plan a Chessmaster scheme that doesn't sacrifice a few pawns along the way. 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 innocent Unwitting Pawns ( who else?) to do all the heavy lifting. The Chessmaster gets their name from their ability to manipulate events (that is, they cause events to develop in the way they want in order to produce a desired result through planning them out) as if they were pieces on a chessboard.