The film follows the story of two chess grandmasters, Akiva Liebskind from the Soviet Union and Pavius Fromm from Hungary, who compete in a world championship match in Geneva, Switzerland.

As the match unfolds, the two players engage in a series of intense and strategic chess moves, but their personal issues and political pressures continue to impact their game.

Akiva, for example, is struggling with his identity and is feeling increasingly isolated from the Soviet Union, while Pavius is dealing with the conflicting demands of his government and his own ambitions.

[citation needed] Dangerous Moves was released during the height of the Cold War, a period of political tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.

Dangerous Moves won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1984;[3] it was submitted by the Swiss government, and gave that nation its first Oscar win.