- Case
- Gambit
- Year Published
- 1962
- Case Introduction
- 12 - 16 February 1962. Murder at a chess club, during a tournament where the victim was playing twelve simultaneous games, blindfolded (i.e., he himself didn't have a board for any of them).
- Notes
- Resolution
-
The vehicle of the poison was Dr. Avery's preparation, not the hot chocolate. Avery wanted Blount executed for murder, thereby making Anna Blount available. Even a suspicion in Anna's mind would cook his goose, so he killed Kalmus even though Kalmus had no real evidence.
Characters in the case:
Mentioned. Wolfe's current book was _African Genesis_ when Archie first visited the Gambit Club.
Character descriptionAuthor of _African Genesis_.
Reserved notes for this case
Wolfe, noticing that Sally borrowed some of his Voltaire, is interested in why she chose him, so Voltaire is a topic for lunchtime conversation, especially on whether Voltaire could be considered a great man.
Character descriptionFrench writer and philosopher (1694-1778), one of the leaders of the Enlightenment under the pen name 'Voltaire'. Imprisoned in the Bastille twice.
Reserved notes for this caseVoltaire came out fairly well in the character analysis, except on the toady count, but lost out finally over dinner on the grounds that he had no palate and not much appetite, and didn't quite qualify even as a human being on that score.
One of the 12 opposing players during Jerin's simul at the Gambit Club, playing the Albin Counter Gambit. Acts as the Blount family physician, and delivered Sally.
Character descriptionPhysician, member of the Gambit Club. Bachelor.
Reserved notes for this case
Wolfe, summarizing Archie's take on her, says "she might well unwittingly lead a man to defy the second prescription of the Tenth Commandment, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife."
Character descriptionMarried to Matthew Blount, apparently loving and faithful, but not for lack of opportunity. Every man who meets her falls under her spell.
Reserved notes for this case
As the story opens, in jail for Jerin's murder. As well as being president of his own company, he's on the board of directors of Yerkes' bank.
Character descriptionPresident of the Blount Textile Corporation, board member of the Continental Bank and Trust Company. Member of the Gambit Club. Married, age 47, one daughter.
Reserved notes for this case
Arrives in the middle of a helping of dictionary flambe with $22000 in a brown leather bag, to hire Wolfe to clear her father of murder.
Character descriptionBennington graduate, daughter of Matthew and Helen Blount. Young and pretty, but overshadowed by her mother. A brownie (not a Girl Scout, but brown eyes, brown hair, and a small face).
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned. Archie says Hausman would have liked to poison all chess masters alive, beginning with the world champion (name supplied by Wolfe).
Character descriptionFIDE World Champion, 1948-1957, 1958-1960, and 1961-1963.
Reserved notes for this case
Fritz prepared Grilled Lamb Kidneys and Papaya Custard during this case.
Character descriptionMaster chef in Wolfe's kitchen, has a small apartment in the basement. (In "Fer-De-Lance," his apartment is across from the plant room, not in the basement.) Swiss; native French speaker, served in WWI. Uninterested in murder, except whether a client is in the offing; gets anxious about household finance when Wolfe isn't working. Doesn't like to talk while cooking. Changes to his old slippers at 9 pm because of "things left on his feet by the war to remember it by". Implied he was a member of the Swiss Alpine Patrol during WWI.
Reserved notes for this case
Playing white in the game underway when Archie first visits the club.
Character descriptionMember and chess player at the Gambit Club.
Reserved notes for this case
Helps out.
Character descriptionSecond in line behind Saul Panzer when Nero and Archie need extra manpower.
Reserved notes for this case
Wolfe, through Archie, trades Lon an exclusive about his engagement in the case for background information.
Character descriptionReporter at the Gazette. Dark skin, dark brown eyes. Neat little face, slick black hair. Neatest (card) shuffler Archie knows.
Reserved notes for this case
Gives Wolfe an unintended compliment.
Character descriptionInspector with NYPD, Homicide. Has tolerate / hate relationship with Wolfe. He respects Wolfe, but is greatly irritated by his eccentricities. Habitually chews (but rarely lights) cigars. Notably, Cramer lights a cigar in Wolfe's office during "Instead of Evidence" in which the murder weapon is an exploding cigar! First name is given as Fergus one time, but generally accepted as Lionel. Had a son in the Army Air Corps during WWII. Archie has called Mrs. Cramer on the phone more than once to reach the Inspector at home. Archie's favorite alias for him is "the man about the chair" or "any name with a double "d", e.g., Mr. Judd".
At no time is Inspector Cramer ever referred to in the books as "Lionel T." Cramer; his first name is given as "Fergus" in "Where There's a Will." There is a lone later reference to him as L.T.C. (The Silent Speaker), but never Lionel. Stout's biographer, John McAleer, asked Stout to explain the "Fergus"/"L.T.C" discrepancy; Stout replied: "No significance. Laziness. I didn't bother to check on whether he already had a first name. Of course, all discrepancies in the Nero Wolfe stories are Archie Goodwin's fault." (from "Royal Decree; Conversations with Rex Stout)
He is featured in a book by Stout called Red Threads, first published 1939, tracking down a killer with a young fashion designer. There is no reference to Nero Wolfe.
Reserved notes for this case
"Dobbsy" is just what Sally called him as a child; his given name isn't provided.
Character descriptionButler to the Kalmus household, later superintendent of the building when the Kalmus house was turned into apartments.
Reserved notes for this case
Archie mentions that Wolfe once cracked a case because Fred reported that a boy bought bubble-gum at 2 different places.
Character descriptionHired hand used by Wolfe and Archie when extra manpower is needed. Not the best, but can tail better than anybody but Saul. The favorite "irregular" after Saul - Fritz: "I'm glad it's Orrie instead of Saul or Fred"; Archie: "Such a chore for Saul or Fred of course, but I didn't like doing it for Orrie."; Mr Wolfe: "He doesn't have the dignity of a man who has found his place and occupies it, as you have, Fred."
Bald, burly, 5'10, 190 lbs; moves like a bear. Married with four children. Archie: "You can trust him to hell and back."
Reserved notes for this case
One of the 4 messengers during Jerin's simul at the Gambit Club. Got a speeding ticket on the night of the murder.
Character descriptionSales manager and assistant VP at the Blount Textile Corporation, mainly because he's a nephew of Mrs. Blount, but he feels under-appreciated. Member of the Gambit Club. Age 31, single, lives with the Blounts.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned. Mort Farrow (who plays at chess but isn't very good) claims that chess doesn't help develop the mind, saying "Look at Bobby Fischer, the American champion. Has he *got* a brain?"
Character descriptionU.S. Champion, later FIDE World Champion (1972). In 1958 at age 15 became the youngest international grandmaster in the history of chess.
Reserved notes for this caseFischer's brainpower aside, Farrow doesn't seem to have much.
He knows that blindfold simuls have occurred, but doesn't believe in them, having monkeyed with chess a little.
Character descriptionNero Wolfe's tough and witty assistant.
Reserved notes for this caseFound Kalmus' body. Pretends at one point to have been fired.
One of the 4 messengers during Jerin's simul at the Gambit Club. During his first interview with Wolfe, Hausman asks for a game of chess, and they begin playing a Queen's Gambit Declined opening.
Character descriptionWealthy retired broker and half-owner of a big Wall Street firm, 72, childless widower. One of the founders of the Gambit Club, owns the finest collection of chessmen in the world. Would give 10 million dollars to be able to defeat a chess master without odds.
Reserved notes for this caseThe line Hausman expected Wolfe to take was the Cambridge Springs Defense, a.k.a. the Pillsbury defense (named for the tournament in which it was introduced and the master who introduced it).
Mentioned by Archie in comparing his interviews with men in jail for murder.
Character descriptiona.k.a. Peter Hays.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Archie while sassing Wolfe.
Character descriptionOrchid grower.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned.
Character descriptionOlder man. Wolfe's orchid nurse. Lives in small cubbyhole on the roof with the plants. First mentioned in ch. 3 of "Fer-de-lance" - Archie sometimes hears him shouting at Wolfe in the mornings.
Reserved notes for this case
Fatally poisoned while playing 12 simultaneous blindfold games as a guest at the Gambit Club. Sally says he was a good dancer, but nobody with sense would have married him.
Character descriptionLusus naturae at chess, but not a professional player; makes a living writing greeting cards, performing magic tricks at parties, and playing dice.
Reserved notes for this case
One of the 4 messengers during Jerin's simul at the Gambit Club. Sally distrusts him, saying he's in love with her mother.
Character descriptionProminent corporation lawyer, partner in McKinney, Best, Kalmus, and Green, counsel for the Blount Textile Corporation. Age 51, widower, 4 children. Member of the Gambit Club, said to be their best player.
Reserved notes for this caseMurdered.
One of only 3 non-members to attend Jerin's simul at the Gambit Club (Nash and Jerin himself were the other two).
Character descriptionCook at the Gambit Club.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned. The chessboard in the library of the Gambit Club is kept in the position after the 9th move of Morphy's "most famous game", his defeat of the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard (playing in consultation) in Paris in 1858.
Character descriptionConsidered by some the unofficial world chess champion of his day (1837 - 1884).
Reserved notes for this caseArchie doesn't mention that the game was played in the Count's opera box during a performance, or that after move 9 Morphy's opponents muffed their game badly.
One of only 3 non-members to attend Jerin's simul at the Gambit Club (Laghi and Jerin himself were the other two).
Character descriptionSteward of the Gambit Club.
Reserved notes for this case
Helps out.
Character descriptionTop hired hand Nero and Archie look to for manpower. Hosts regular Thursday night poker game at eight pm at his apartment in Brooklyn. Rust-colored hair, 5'7, 145 lbs, big nose and flat ears.
In the "Rubber Band" (ch. 6) Archie tells us that Panzer has a photographic memory when it comes to faces.
Reserved notes for this case
Thanks to their previous encounter in Poison a la Carte, Piotti's relations with the brownstone are friendly, and he's willing to do a favor.
Character descriptionRestaurant owner.
Reserved notes for this case
Takes Archie's check for his dinner at Piotti's in the endgame.
Character descriptionWaitress.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Lon. A friend of Jerin's told Proctor that Blount ran Jerin off to keep him away from Sally.
Character descriptionJournalist at the Gazette. Lon says he's a good man.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned during the Voltaire discussion.
Character descriptionFrench cardinal and statesman (1585 - 1642), who became the king's chief minister in 1624. The power behind the throne for many years.
Reserved notes for this case
When Archie tries to call Cramer for the final handoff, some creep puts him through to Rowcliff instead.
Character descriptionLieutenant in NYPD. Has antagonistic relationship with Archie and Wolfe.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned by Archie when recounting a certain round of police questioning, saying he's "amended the Constitution; a man is guilty until he proves he's innocent."
Character descriptionAssistant DA, Manhattan.
Reserved notes for this case
Mentioned in connection with the Piotti incident.
Character descriptionInitially an employee in N.Y. D.A.'s office. Later Cramer's man.
Detective (sergeant). Unfriendly.
Reserved notes for this case
When Saul answers the brownstone phone after the Piotti's incident, Archie initially gives him a falsetto Liz Taylor impression, asking for himself.
Character descriptionFilm actress.
Reserved notes for this case
Looks after Sally while she stays at the brownstone.
Character descriptionM.D. Wolfe's consultant where a physician is needed.
Wolfe likes him. Always accepts a beer when he calls in the evenings. He leaves abruptly after business is finished. His house and office is one minute (60 yards)from the brownstone. His brownstone still has a vestibule (Mr Wolfe removed his years ago to make the front hallway bigger). Once signed a medical certificate that Mr Wolfe was batty. Once took 22 stitches in Archie's side when a character "went wide enough but not deep enough".
Short. Spectacled.
Reserved notes for this case
Sent a letter to Wolfe offering a fresh batch of ready-mixed Berrichon cheese, which Archie opened while briefing Wolfe on his encounter with the cops after murder #2.
Character descriptionSupplies cheese to Wolfe on occasion.
Reserved notes for this case
Burns a dictionary for incorrect usage of words. Archie points out that he knew he'd burn it when he bought it, or he'd have ordered a leatherbound copy. Currently reading _African Genesis_.
Character descriptionMaster detective. Genius. Estimated weight: 1/7 ton. Carries a large platinum watch in his vest pocket. Sends a check every month to his mother in Budapest ("Fer-de-lance, ch. 13)..
Reserved notes for this caseIn Archie's judgement, the final charade he sets up in this case is the best he's ever done.
One of the 4 messengers during Jerin's simul at the Gambit Club. Blount was one of the minority of the board of his bank who favored another man as president, but he says there was no personal animosity on either side.
Character descriptionSenior VP of the Continental Bank and Trust Company, age 44, married, 2 children. Member of the Gambit Club.
Reserved notes for this case
Meals in the case:
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Orchids in the case:
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Quotations in the case:
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