Which Russian author is known for the short story 'The Bet'?

Anton Chekhov wrote the short story “The Bet.” First published in 1889, the story centers on a banker and a young lawyer who wager two million rubles over whether voluntary imprisonment is preferable to capital punishment.

The lawyer agrees to spend fifteen years in solitary confinement in a lodge on the banker’s estate. At first he struggles with isolation, but he later reads widely, studies languages, and explores philosophy, history, religion, and literature. His intellectual journey becomes as important as the wager itself.

A common mix-up is confusing “The Bet” with Chekhov’s many other famous stories, including “The Lady with the Dog,” “Ward No. 6,” and “The Cherry Orchard,” which is a play rather than a short story. The tale was originally published under the title “Fairytale” before Chekhov revised it for his collected works.