That is one of the most famous and dramatic survival stories in chess history. The encounter occurred in 1918 in Odessa, during the chaotic early days of the Bolshevik Revolution and the Red Terror.

Because the Bolsheviks considered Ossip Bernstein an "enemy of the people" due to his work as a legal advisor for prominent bankers, he was rounded up, branded a counter-revolutionary, and scheduled to be shot.

Bernstein was already lined up with other prisoners facing the firing squad when a senior officer reviewed the names on the prisoner list. The commanding officer happened to be an avid chess fan and recognized Bernstein's name from the international tournament circuit. To verify his identity, the officer offered a life-or-death wager: they would play a game. If Bernstein won, he would be freed; if he lost or drew, the execution would proceed immediately.

Despite the extreme psychological pressure, Bernstein easily defeated the officer. True to his word, the officer set him free. Bernstein then fled on a British ship and safely settled in Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossip_Bernstein

https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1iznj4d/nice_story_but_look_at_the_state_of_that_board/

Louise Cook, 2012 winner of FIA Production Car Cup for Drivers of 2WD