A war game against an old ship tests Riker and Data.
Starfleet arranges a war game in which the Enterprise must face the old starship Hathaway, commanded by Riker, in a mock battle. Data is also challenged to a strategy game by a famous grandmaster, Sirna Kolrami, and when he loses, he begins to doubt his abilities. Riker tries to help his friend recover his confidence.
The war game takes a dangerous turn when a real Ferengi vessel appears and attacks. The story uses a simple plot to explore the idea of a machine's ability to think strategically and to cope with failure. The episode is also a good opportunity to see Riker use his tactical wits, and the Ferengi are shown as an increasingly credible if still unpredictable threat.