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Act 2

A year later, the Russian is set to defend his championship in Bangkok , Thailand . Freddie is already there, chatting up locals about the nightlife (The Golden Bangkok / One Night in Bangkok ) before taking his place as television presenter for the championship. Florence and the Russian are now lovers, and worry about the situation (One More Opponent / You and I), especially the impending arrival of his wife, Svetlana, from Russia . Molokov, meanwhile, has trained a new protege, Viigand, to challenge the Russian, meanwhile spying on the opposing pair (The Soviet Machine).

Walter manipulates Freddie into rattling the Russian on live TV, showing him footage of his wife's arrival (The Interview). Svetlana contemplates her relationship with Anatoly (Someone Else's Story). Molokov blackmails Svetlana into making Anatoly lose the match, whilst de Courcey informs Florence that her father is still alive in Russia , and will be released if Anatoly loses. Neither of these ploys work, so Molokov and de Courcey attempt to get Freddie to convince the pair to throw the match (The Deal).

Svetlana and Florence both reflect on their relationships with him (I Know Him So Well). But Freddie is more interested in winning back the love of Florence . Secretly, Freddie arranges to meet Anatoly in a temple, whereby he informs Sergievsky of a flaw in his challenger's game (Talking Chess). In the deciding game of the match, the Russian manages an exceptional victory, and realizes that it may be the only success he can achieve--Svetlana castigates him for wallowing in the crowd's empty praise, whilst Florence is similarly annoyed with him for casting aside his moral ideals (Endgame). Later, he and Florence reflect on their story that seemed so promising, and how they "go on pretending/ stories like ours/ have happy endings" (You and I reprise).

Florence is left alone, when de Courcey informs her that Anatoly has defected back to the USSR, meaning that her father will be released, that is, if he is actually alive...Florence breaks down, telling Walter that he is using people's lives for nothing, before repeating Anatoly's sentiments from the end of Act One, that her only borders lie around her heart (Finale).