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Chess of the Wind (1976) (2021) movie poster

Timeline

Chess of the Wind (1976) (2021) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2021 · 1 h 39 m · Persian
Echo score 84
Directed by
Mohammad Reza Aslani
Starring
Agha Jan Rafii, Akbar Zanjanpour, Anik Shefrazian, Fakhri Khorvash, Hamid Taati, Javad Rajavar

Following the departure of the manor's mysterious mistress, a complex and dangerous struggle for control of her substantial estate begins. Power-hungry relatives and questionable allies engage in a deadly game of chess, maneuvering for advantage and revealing long-held secrets. Allegiances shift as the inheritance sparks bitter rivalries and exposes a tangled web of intrigue.

On this page (4)
  1. 1 Events in order (14)
  2. 2 Timeline questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Every angle

14 events in order · contains spoilers

Chess of the Wind (1976) Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Chess of the Wind (1976) (2021) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Khanom Bozorg dies and mourning begins

    Khanom Bozorg, the matriarch, dies, leaving Aghdas wheelchair-bound and dependent on Hadji Amoo. The vast Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion becomes a stage for grief, money-driven motives, and the social gossip that threads through the film. Ramezan is engaged to Aghdas, but his interest seems rooted in her fortune.

    When
    immediately after Khanom Bozorg's death
    Where
    Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion
  2. Deeds burned to claim the house

    Aghdas and Kanizak enter Hadji Amoo's room and burn the deeds to the house with his name on them, destroying papers that could prove ownership. The act cements their intent to control the inheritance. The room's ashes mark a turning point in their scheming.

    When
    soon after Khanom Bozorg's death
    Where
    Hadji Amoo's room
  3. Confrontations escalate; plan to kill

    Tensions between Aghdas and Hadji Amoo intensify, with confrontations revealing competing claims to the house. Aghdas openly contemplates murder and signals the plan to Ramezan, setting the stage for a deadly resolution.

    When
    a few days after the deeds are burned
    Where
    Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion
  4. Aghdas kills Hadji Amoo

    As Hadji Amoo prays in his room, Aghdas is wheeled in by Kanizak and strikes him on the head with a silver flail. He collapses, and Kanizak and Ramezan drag the body toward the cellar to conceal the crime. The act marks a decisive turning point in the scheme for inheritance.

    When
    night
    Where
    Hadji Amoo's room then cellar
  5. Body stored in cellar

    The conspirators transfer Hadji Amoo's body to the cellar and place it in a bottomless jar, planning to dissolve it later with nitric acid. The warehouse-like basement becomes their secret chamber of crime. The scale of the deception grows as more people come to the mansion.

    When
    same night
    Where
    cellar
  6. Creditors visit; no body found

    A few days later, two creditors and a police commissar arrive to collect a debt Hadji Amoo owed. Aghdas denies knowing him, and Kanizak and Ramezan escort the men to the cellar, where the jars are inspected but the body is nowhere to be found. The inquiry unsettles Aghdas further.

    When
    a few days later
    Where
    Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion, cellar
  7. Aghdas grows paranoid; rumours spread

    Aghdas becomes increasingly paranoid about whether Hadji Amoo is truly dead. A traveling musical troupe claims to have met him in public, and such whispers drive her into a feverish panic, emphasizing her isolation in the mansion.

    When
    shortly after
    Where
    Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion
  8. Kanizak arranges escape to a holy site

    Kanizak persuades Aghdas to leave the house for a brief break, visiting a nearby holy site. Aghdas departs with Kanizak's help for a couple of days, stepping away from the looming possibility of exposure in the mansion.

    When
    a couple of days later
    Where
    Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion to nearby holy site
  9. Aghdas descends to the basement

    Alone in her room at night, Aghdas hears laughter from the cellar. She retrieves an antique pistol and drags herself down to the basement, where she confronts the secrecy that's haunted the house.

    When
    night
    Where
    basement
  10. Aghdas discovers the hidden scene

    In the basement, Aghdas finds Hadji Amoo and Kanizak in the bath, exposing their connivance. The shock compounds her fear and rage as the crime circles closer to home.

    When
    night
    Where
    basement
  11. Aghdas shoots Hadji Amoo; dies

    Aghdas shoots Hadji Amoo and immediately collapses from a heart attack. The murder and the death eliminate the central obstacle to her inheritance, but at a terrible personal cost.

    When
    immediately after
    Where
    basement
  12. Kanizak and Shaban plot to claim the inheritance

    With Hadji Amoo dead, Kanizak and Shaban scheme to live off the inheritance. The plan hints at a long-running alliance, though the earlier aid to the deception by Kanizak now collides with Shaban's own intent.

    When
    days after Hadji Amoo's death
    Where
    Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion
  13. Ramezan kills Shaban

    Tensions erupt when Shaban's betrayal is revealed. Ramezan races upstairs and shoots Shaban dead, removing a rival for the inheritance and sealing the fates of those left behind.

    When
    shortly after
    Where
    Moshir ad-Dowleh Mansion, upstairs
  14. Kanizak leaves; final image

    Kanizak departs the mansion, leaving only a young boy and Aghdas's elderly nanny. The camera then pans across the city beyond the mansion walls, closing the story on the social labyrinth of wealth and crime.

    When
    final scene
    Where
    outside the mansion, city

Last updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:33

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Timeline questions answered

Chess of the Wind (1976) Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Chess of the Wind (1976) (2021): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Aghdas kill Hadji Amoo?

Aghdas killed Hadji Amoo because she believed she was entitled to inherit her mother's estate. After Khanom Bozorg's death, both Aghdas and Hadji Amoo claimed ownership of the mansion. To secure her claim, Aghdas burned the house deeds with Kanizak's help, removing Hadji Amoo's name from the documents. When this failed to stop his demands, she viewed murder as the only solution to remove him permanently and claim the inheritance.

Foreshadowing: Earlier confrontations between Aghdas and Hadji Amoo revealed their competing claims to the house, foreshadowing the violent resolution.

  • aghdas
  • hadji amoo
  • murder
  • inheritance
  • estate
Q2

How did Hadji Amoo survive being placed in the jar?

Hadji Amoo never actually died from Aghdas's initial attack. When Aghdas struck him with the silver flail, he was knocked unconscious but not killed. Kanizak, who was secretly working with him, helped stage his death. She and Ramezan placed his unconscious body in the jar, but Kanizak later freed him and concealed him in the basement, where he lived secretly alongside Kanizak.

Foreshadowing: The creditors searched the jars and found no body, hinting that Hadji Amoo had been removed from them.

  • hadji amoo
  • jar
  • cellar
  • survival
  • body
Q3

Why was Kanizak helping Hadji Amoo?

Kanizak was helping Hadji Amoo because they had formed a romantic relationship. When Aghdas discovered them together in the basement bath, it became clear that Kanizak had been secretly collaborating with Hadji Amoo throughout the scheme. This betrayal explains why she helped stage his death and kept his survival hidden from Aghdas.

Foreshadowing: Kanizak's unusual access to both Aghdas and Hadji Amoo, and her separate bond with Shaban, suggested a more complex allegience.

  • kanizak
  • hadji amoo
  • relationship
  • betrayal
Q4

Why did Ramezan kill Shaban?

Ramezan killed Shaban after discovering that Shaban and Kanizak had betrayed him. When Ramezan returned to the cellar, he found the bodies of Hadji Amoo (whom Aghdas had shot) and Kanizak (who had died from a heart attack or was killed in the chaos). More importantly, he learned that Shaban had been plotting with Kanizak to claim the inheritance together, using Ramezan as a pawn. Enraged by this treachery, Ramezan shot Shaban dead.

Foreshadowing: Tensions between Ramezan and Shaban had been building as Shaban's separate dealings with Kanizak came to light.

  • ramezan
  • shaban
  • killing
  • betrayal
Q5

Why did Aghdas burn the house deeds?

Aghdas burned the house deeds to remove Hadji Amoo's name from the property documents. Both she and her stepfather claimed entitlement to Khanom Bozorg's estate. By burning the deeds, which contained Hadji Amoo's name, Aghdas hoped to destroy the legal proof of his ownership and secure the mansion for herself.

Foreshadowing: The burning of the deeds marked the first major escalation in the conflict between Aghdas and Hadji Amoo.

  • deeds
  • house
  • property
  • inheritance
  • aggression
Q6

What was Kanizak's plan with Shaban?

Kanizak and Shaban planned to claim the inheritance together after eliminating the other claimants. They had secretly collaborated throughout the scheme, with Kanizak helping stage Hadji Amoo's false death. Their plan was to live off the inheritance as a couple once the others were out of the way. However, when Kanizak learned Shaban did not intend to marry her, their alliance fractured.

Foreshadowing: Kanizak's separate relationships with both Hadji Amoo and Shaban hinted at her duplicitous nature.

  • kanizak
  • shaban
  • inheritance
  • plan
  • alliance
Q7

Why did Aghdas shoot Hadji Amoo a second time?

Aghdas shot Hadji Amoo a second time after discovering him alive in the basement with Kanizak. Her paranoia had been fueled by rumors that she had seen him in public, and when she descended to the cellar expecting to find evidence of his murder, she instead found them together in the bath. In that moment of shock and rage, she shot him, though the exertion triggered a fatal heart attack that killed her as well.

Foreshadowing: The traveling musical troupe's claim that they saw Hadji Amoo in public planted the seed of doubt in Aghdas's mind.

  • aghdas
  • shooting
  • heart attack
  • basement
  • discovery
Q8

Why couldn't the creditors find Hadji Amoo's body in the cellar?

The creditors couldn't find the body because Kanizak had already removed Hadji Amoo from the jar. After staging his death, Kanizak freed him and concealed him elsewhere in the basement. When the creditors searched the jars with Kanizak and Ramezan present, the body was no longer there, allowing the conspirators to maintain the illusion that Hadji Amoo had vanished.

Foreshadowing: This mysterious disappearance heightened Aghdas's paranoia about whether Hadji Amoo was truly dead.

  • creditors
  • body
  • cellar
  • jar
  • missing
Q9

Why did Kanizak help Aghdas kill Hadji Amoo if she was working with him?

Kanizak's loyalty was entirely self-serving. She initially helped Aghdas murder Hadji Amoo because she was also motivated by greed for the inheritance. However, she secretly saved Hadji Amoo and continued working with him behind the scenes, creating a backup plan with Shaban. This double-dealing allowed Kanizak to hedge her bets and potentially profit regardless of which side won.

Foreshadowing: Kanizak's willingness to participate in the murder while simultaneously saving the victim revealed her duplicitous nature.

  • kanizak
  • betrayal
  • double cross
  • loyalty
Q10

What happened to Kanizak at the end?

At the end of the film, Kanizak survived the violence in the mansion but left with nothing. After Ramezan killed Shaban and Aghdas died from a heart attack, Kanizak departed the mansion carrying only a young boy and Aghdas's elderly nanny. She escaped into the city, leaving the estate empty, a hollow victory for all who schemed for the inheritance.

Foreshadowing: The final shot of the city beyond the mansion walls emphasizes how the pursuit of wealth led to destruction for everyone involved.

  • kanizak
  • ending
  • departure
  • mansion
  • escape
Q11

Why was Aghdas in a wheelchair?

Aghdas was wheelchair-bound, which made her physically vulnerable and dependent on others within the mansion. This disability increased her isolation and vulnerability, though it also gave her motivation to secure the inheritance, she needed wealth to ensure her future care. Her wheelchair-bound state also made her reliance on Kanizak for physical assistance crucial to the plot.

Foreshadowing: Aghdas's physical dependence on Kanizak made the betrayal more devastating when Kanizak's true allegiances were revealed.

  • aghdas
  • wheelchair
  • disability
  • dependence
Q12

What was the purpose of the washerwomen scenes?

The washerwomen served as a narrative device to provide background context and social commentary. Through their gossip, viewers learned details about Aghdas and Hadji Amoo's history, the family's secrets, and the social judgments surrounding the household. These intercut scenes added depth to the film's world while creating an atmospheric undercurrent of rumor and speculation.

Foreshadowing: The gossip provided hints about the family's troubled dynamics before the main conflicts unfolded.

  • washerwomen
  • gossip
  • social
  • rumors
  • atmosphere

Movie threads

More Movies Like Chess of the Wind (1976), by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Chess of the Wind (1976) tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Gothic family power struggles like in Chess of the Wind (1976)

Dark tales of inheritance and betrayal within a decaying, oppressive manor. If you liked the dark inheritance drama and claustrophobic atmosphere of Chess of the Wind, explore more movies like it. This thread gathers similar gothic thrillers and dramas centered on family betrayal, greed, and power dynamics within a decaying manor setting.

  • gothic
  • claustrophobic
  • deceptive
  • oppressive
  • suspenseful
  • treacherous
  • Tone: dark, oppressive, treacherous
  • Pacing: steady, methodical
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically involves the death or departure of a patriarch or matriarch, leaving behind a valuable estate. This triggers a ruthless competition among heirs and hangers-on, where old secrets are unearthed, loyalties are tested, and characters are often destroyed by their own avarice in a confined, atmospheric location.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on familial conflict in a gothic setting, a tone of dark cynicism, and a steady pacing that builds suspense through psychological tension rather than action. They explore universal themes of corruption, class, and the destructive nature of greed.

Claustrophobic psychological thrillers like Chess of the Wind (1976)

Stories where confined spaces and psychological pressure lead to bleak outcomes. For viewers who enjoyed the suspenseful and paranoid vibe of Chess of the Wind, this collection highlights similar movies with a claustrophobic feel. Discover psychological thrillers focused on manipulation, deceptive characters, and a steady build-up of tension towards a bleak conclusion.

  • suspenseful
  • claustrophobic
  • paranoid
  • deceptive
  • oppressive
  • psychological
  • Tone: dark, tense, paranoid
  • Pacing: steady burn
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a group of characters whose conflicting interests create a pressure cooker environment. Trust is a liability as alliances are constantly tested and broken. The story methodically escalates the psychological stakes, often culminating in a violent confrontation or a revelation that leaves the characters morally or physically devastated.

Why they belong together: These films are united by a high-intensity, suspenseful mood generated from psychological rather than physical danger. They share a dark tone, steady pacing that builds dread, and a focus on the dynamics of power and deception within a tight-knit, often trapped, group of people.

Every angle

Chess of the Wind (1976) (2021) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Chess of the Wind (1976) in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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