Frederick "Freddie" Trumper, or The American, is the American reigning chess champion. He arrives at the tournament with Florence, his second and sometimes-friend, sometimes-lover. Over the course of the show he has a mental breakdown right around when Florence leaves him for Anatoly. Sometimes, he plays Anatoly at the end of Act 2. Other times, he resigns the tournament at the end of Act 1 and reappears in Act 2 as a reporter.
Freddie's likeability in various versions is affected by song placement, dialogue, and his participation in Act 2. In general, he is characterized as brash, selfish, and money-hungry. He hates the Russians. Freddie was deeply affected by his difficult childhood, in which his father left when he was 12 and his mother was neglectful and more focused on a string of bad boyfriends than she was on Freddie's well-being. His character is heavily based on Bobby Fischer, the other wildly successful American chess world champion with less-than-stellar mental health, and also on John McEnroe, a tennis player likewise known for his outbursts.
Background[]
See also Pity The Child.
Freddie Trumper may or may not be from Pennsylvania. Until he was 12, he lived with his parents and watched their relationship degrade over the years. At nine years old he "learned survival" and self sufficiency, which could have been when he learned chess or when he planned to make chess his life. He had tumultuous relationships with both parents; his father treated him badly, calling him "a fool and probably queer" before leaving Freddie and his mother when Freddie was 12. Instead of improving after this, his relationship with his mother got worse, and he continues to harbor a lot of resentment toward her. He doesn't seem to have been in contact with either of his parents since he gained success in the chess world.
While the lack of an established timeline makes it difficult to plot out Freddie's career, we know he and Florence have been working together for 7 years (usually). In the Kennedy Center production, Freddie says he won the US championship at the age of 11. Whatever path he took, it was enough for the press to call him "the best his country's produced" (i.e. better than Bobby Fischer). In most cases, he would have had to have won his title from Anatoly Karpov, most likely in 1978.
Notable Appearances[]
Concept Album (1984)[]
In the concept album, Freddie is arrogant, somewhat violent, and never redeemed. Every time we see him he is either acting out, bragging, making a scene, or manipulating Florence or Anatoly. The one time he is not doing this is during "Pity The Child", where we get some insight into his life story. In a scene in the libretto not included in the songs, Freddie is seen at the end approaching Florence about threats made during "The Deal" (probably an early version of what would become the Walter and Florence finale).
London (1986)[]
In the London version, Freddie's role in Act 2 is heavily reduced, with most of it being taken over by Walter. However, Freddie is given a redemption arc in this version, helping Anatoly win against Viigand. He also gains a reputation as being obsessed with money early on, though this dissipates later in the show.
Broadway (1988)[]
The Broadway version focuses mostly on Freddie's obsession with money during Act 1, but the major difference here is that Freddie is still in the match in Act 2. Freddie's role in manipulating Anatoly is removed almost entirely. Instead, he appears initially distraught, then gains confidence throughout, and eventually wins the match at the end.
Sydney (1990)[]
In the Sydney version, Freddie is overal more likeable than elsewhere. He acts out much less often, and legitimately seems to care for Florence. Though he isn't redeemed directly, he seems regretful about his choices at the end of the match and chooses to stay in Bangkok and retire from chess. His role is expanded from that in earlier versions and he regains his role in manipulating Anatoly and Florence.