2.) Not only were the tablecloths perfect, but the restaurant had enough different objects for a makeshift chessboard, lol. How did the waiter remember who pushed what item first?

4.) The clocks at a chess tournament are used to measure how much time a player has to make his next move. Perhaps that is why they were all different.

7.) I think the reason Columbo called about dog was just for the drama of the show. Iirc, he wasn’t watching Clayton’s reaction.

8.) In No Time To Die there is no death (except the audience dying of embarrassment). Although I’d like to forget that episode.

10.) Iirc, the restaurant was typical for its time.

This was definitely not one of my favorite episodes either. Although I normally like Laurence Harvey. He was great in The Caterpillar episode of Night Gallery. This episode has my favorite blooper of all Columbo episodes. When Clayton sneaks into Dudek’s hotel room you can see a staff member hiding in the bathroom. I can’t believe they didn’t catch that.

In no time to die the kidnapper gets shot in the end, pretty sure he dies, so there IS a death there, just not a murder, since it was the police doing that out of defense for the victim.

I don't like this episode either, I always skip it.

I really enjoy this episode. I think the story, clues, and twists and turns of the plot are very interesting. I agree that the final clue is not as strong as some of the other clues in the episode, but I still like it. And I think there is enough evidence altogether.

I really like this episode, but that's normal for me cause I like chess.

7) The phone call about dog can have gone either way: it can have been a legit call, and it also can have been a plot to check his reaction, columbo would be capable of having that legit reaction and would also be capable of using such a trick.

8) Curious, exactly 80% of the episode, was really hoping dudek would survive, he was great; someone else mentioned no time to die and I have to say the prospects of living for the kidnapper don't seem very bright in that episode, so if that's the case, it should be an even later death.

9) Definitely possible that the autopsy would reveal clayton tampered with the medications.

One thing that's not been mentioned is: clayton must be the weakest chess world champion of all time! Falling for a fool's mate? Even leaving that aside, the way he plays isn't any better than mine as a 1,4-1,6k player, he just has crazy memory, but that won't help you with the mistakes he makes.

I find it unrealistic such a weak player became world champion, ofc dudek is way above (and he actually can compete with modern GMs), but there had to have been other players not as strong as dudek but that definitely wouldn't have been beaten by clayton.