One of the most notable and stylish crime mysteries to come out of Soviet-era Latvia.

The body of a woman is found in an apartment in Riga, her face disfigured beyond recognition. All the evidence points to the tenant, a young woman. The police find valuables belonging to the victim in her possession. The clues lead out of Riga and straight to Tallinn!

The film’s director, Aloizs Brenčs, is best known for the historical TV series “Long Road in the Dunes,” which was hugely popular across the entire Soviet Union. He is also known as the king of crime films having made so many of them with great skill. “Checkmate to the Queen of Diamonds” is one of his finest – a classic story with surprising twists, whose resolution does not reveal itself easily. What makes it particularly interesting are its noir-inspired elements, which are seldom found in Soviet crime films.

HÕFF presents a restored version of the film.