Pawn Sacrifice - the film

[MJMcCready]

Think we chess players are too close (in the know) to the subject matter for us to be too critical and without prejudice.

It could have been better historically and chess wise but it could have been a lot lot worse.

When I saw it, I thought it wasn't written for chess players, finding cringeworthy far too often. On the whole I thought it was poor across the board. If I remember correctly by the time I got about half way through it I had had more than enough and turned it off. No idea how the film ends, never got that far.

[Reg Clucas]

No idea how the film ends, never got that far.

Spoiler - Bobby Fischer won.

[Jon Mahony]

Yeah, I didn't think a lot to it - pretty crummy, overly dramatised and I can't stand Tobey Maguire - the guy playing Spassky was pretty good from what I remember though.

[Simon Rogers]

The film Pawn Sacrifice is on BBC2 Tuesday 6th June.
11.15pm to 1.05am.

[Stewart Reuben]

Pawn Sacrifice does not rank in my top 10 chess movies.
Of course one's view is always affected by the number of inaccuracies that are easy to spot if you are knowledgeable about the subject.
Searching for Bobby Fischer aka Innocent Moves
Queen of Katwe
Chess Fever
belong in anybody's list.

[Geoff Chandler]

Serious players know too much about the history of what happened for 'Pawn Sacrifice' to be taken too seriously but my small circle of non-playing friends seem to have liked it.

I've been looking about for 'Queen to Play' The trailer is here https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1082009/ I think Netflix has it but I do not subscribe. I'll pop round to my brother house, it will be my birthday treat. (if it gets too mushy, we can always switch it off and watch some football.)

[Stewart Reuben]

IMDB has the following review of Queen to play. I didn't look at any others. For those who don't know, IMDB stands for International movie database.

Very complex movie
This may be the best chess movie i have watched, and i watch any I can find.

--The original title to this movie is Joueuse, the feminine form of "player", which say a lot about the movie

--I think Joueuse and 'Queen to play' says it all, it has wheels within wheels regarding a woman's traditional role VS wanting more out of life without losing those things you originally love

--The makers of this movie also manage to incorporate the primary attributes a great chess player has in their character, and they do this in such a way that blends them seamlessly into the movie.

I know there are some chess movies that are 'based on true events', but if a viewer does the research, they will find that the actual facts are so far removed from the actual story, that it may as well be fiction

I found this movie to have multiple layers to it - like real life

[James Plaskett]

Liev Schreiber, who played Spassky, also looks quite a bit like him, too!
I agree with Nick re the fabulously interesting 13th game. And see my comment re Kavalek at the Obituaries thread re regretting sooooooo much not having quizzed him about working with Fischer on the adjourned position.

Apropos Game 6, see Timman Vs Geller, Hilversum 1973 where Geller successfuly sprang an inovation on Timman which Efim later claimed he had shown to Spassky when helping him to prepare for the 1972 match with Fischer!

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1049648

[Matt Mackenzie]

Spassky apparently "forgot" it before that game, I'm sure Geller was delighted.

[Jon Mahony]

If anyone didn’t see it, you can currently watch for free on BBC iPlayer - I wouldn’t hang around though, they usually take them off pretty quick.
My partner is very into Marvel (god help me ) and so I might give this a re-watch, I can give her some Chess info while keeping her interested with Spiderman.

[Geoff Chandler]

My partner is very into Marvel (god help me )

Hi Jon,

If the film gets your partner interested in chess then the next step is the Marvel Chess Set;


RDK thinks he walked into some left over King's Indian prep from the 1972 match when he played Spassky in 1973. https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1071348

Funnily enough, Last night I was at an ATM with Lindsay McGregor, he turned his back when I entered my pin number. I said; 'Why? Surely all us old codger chess players have the same pin number...1-9-7-2.'

(When I worked at the bank every month I had to change my password so for a while I used chess champions and the year they won the title. Capablanca1921, Smyslov1957 etc... Tal1960 was refused as being too short but Euwe1935 got in apparently by one digit.)

[MJMcCready]

Nothing beats The Great Chess Movie - which is back on YouTube.