Atop a snow-covered hill, somewhere in the heart of a gloomy forest, lies the weather-battered shack of a lonely, childless toymaker. Having holed himself up in the decrepit hut, the sad artisan takes a block of pinewood and carves it into a boy to keep him company during the long, cold nights of the winter. However, once the skilled craftsman has finished making the puppet, a new challenge awaits him and his silent, inanimate creation. Can the wooden marionette learn how to play chess?
—Nick Riganas