The Duel (Russian: Дуэль, romanized: Duél') is a novella by Anton Chekhov originally published in 1891; it was adapted for the screen by Iosif Kheifits in 1973 (as The Bad Good Man, starring Vladimir Vysotsky) and by Dover Kosashvili in 2010 (as The Duel).

Chekhov included "The Duel" in Volume 6 of his Collected Works, published by Adolf Marks in 1899–1901.

The two had lengthy discussions, one of which was on the subject of the then-popular concept of "the right of the strong one", which formed the basis of the philosophy of main character Von Koren, for whom Wagner apparently served as a template.

[3] Ivan Andreitch Laevsky is an educated Russian aristocrat who has run off to a Black Sea village with a married woman, Nadezhda Fyodorovna.

When the novella begins, he has fallen out of love with Nadezhda Fyodorovna, who is having affairs with other men, and wants to leave her.

She owes three hundred roubles to a merchant and thinks of giving herself to his young son Atchmianov, whom she likes, to pay off her debt.

Samoylenko has two boarders in his house, and they discuss philosophy, science, and literature around the dinner table and elsewhere.

One of them is Nikolay Vassilitch Von Koren, a zoologist; the other is the deacon Pobedov in the Russian church.

Samoylenko is offended by Von Koren insulting Laevsky and they reject his "German" ideas.

Meanwhile, the deacon, who has been hurrying to the scene, appears from the bushes and shouts, causing Von Koren to flinch and miss Laevsky.

In the wake of the wedding, Laevsky is a changed man, working hard to pay off his debts.

Before he leaves, he visits the newlyweds' home, where Laevsky and Nadezhda Fyodorovna greet him awkwardly.