Hugo Pludek comes from a middle class Czech family, and spends all his time playing chess against himself. His parents, dismayed by his behaviour, attempt to find him a career by introducing him to the influential Mr Kalabis, who is attending a garden party held by the Liquidation Office. Hugo soon finds himself sucked into an absurd bureaucratic world where everyone talks but no-one says anything, and ends up playing chess against himself again, but this time at a governmental level. Of course, when you're playing yourself, when you win, you also lose...