In the barren Nogai steppe, at the crossroads of three worlds—Christian Stavropolye, Muslim Dagestan, and Buddhist Kalmykia—an enormous palace shaped like a chess rook (a “chess rook”) has been built using the money of an Arab Prince. There is held an Extraordinary Chess Championship with special allowances. The focus of the competition—and of paparazzi—is the Prince’s daughter Leyla, dressed head to toe in a black hijab, wearing gloves and a veil over her eyes. She wins game after game and is aiming for the main victory. And nobody suspects that under the veil there is not a princess at all. Almost nobody—except the chief arbitrator Sosnitsky. By his duty, he was assigned to listen to toilet cubicles where candidates for the proud title of Champion went to do what was natural. And he did hear something…