You are sitting with the white pieces at a chessboard in a quiet cafe on the outskirts of Paris. It is late autumn but still quite warm. The fallen leaves rustle gently in a cool breeze and the air is filled with a hidden sparkle. Though the scene appears calm and tranquil you are in fact about to play for the very highest stakes. You reach out for a piece knowing that what happens in the next few hours will determine the future course of your life.