#agggg

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65963347

Katya and Goncharov have just finished dinner with Andrey, Sofia, & Co., and they begin getting comfortable in their bedroom (note: Katya puts on a black nightgown with white lilies on it, Goncharov takes off his dinner jacket and vest. This will be somewhat important). There is a balcony outside their room and, Katya goes first, they both go outside to play chess on the table there. It's a very fancy chess set made of quartz and onyx, from what I could tell. Katya sits on the side with the black pieces, and Goncharov sits opposite her. They begin to play, and their moves are mostly shot from overhead. Now, when they're shown from above, their clothes are the opposite of what they are usually. This is one of the only times Katya is in black and Goncharov is in white. This, I think, is essentially an allusion to their futures. Katya will attend a funeral in all black while Goncharov will die (usually a fade-to-white moment in film). The chess game itself has Goncharov winning most of the time, but ultimately, Katya wins the chess match. However, she loses all her pieces in the process. This is, as we all know, ✨ symbolism ✨. Time catches up to Goncharov in the end, but he reconciles his relationship with Andrey (even though it leads to his death, he does get closure). Katya, on the other hand, while she lives, doesn't end up with Sofia, loses Goncharov, and has to flee once again. She stays alive but loses everything, while Goncharov dies at peace. Katya wins as the only piece standing; Goncharov loses, but his knight and king are still on the board.

*I don't know why they loook kind of blurred but when you click on them, they actually look good*