Chess Movies

[jase]

What are your favourite movies with chess-related themes?

Obviously there's "Searching for Bobby Fischer", but I'm interested to know if there are other films you've really enjoyed that use chess. I remember watching "Fresh" in the mid-90s and thinking that was a great film with good use of chess as a metaphor within the narrative.

I can recall a horrible Christopher Lambert film that had great ideas but was poorly executed, from about 6 or 7 years ago.

Contributions?

[Rincewind]

Austin Powers. ;)

[JGB]

I can recall a horrible Christopher Lambert film that had great ideas but was poorly executed, from about 6 or 7 years ago.
Contributions?

...yeah that film was called 'Knight Moves', pretty sh*t really, although I always liked the song 'Night Moves', by Bob Seger although that has nothing to do with chess ;)

[Kevin Bonham]

I remember watching "Fresh" in the mid-90s and thinking that was a great film with good use of chess as a metaphor within the narrative.

That was good. I don't remember too many other recent efforts offhand besides those mentioned above.

"Knight Moves" sucked as a movie about chess, especially the bit where the opening was databased using only the white moves. :wall:

[eclectic]

That was good. I don't remember too many other recent efforts offhand besides those mentioned above.

"Knight Moves" sucked as a movie about chess, especially the bit where the opening was databased using only the white moves. :wall:

Some Trivia ...

A european film based on a book by someone known for lots of chess trivia and who also wrote the screenplay ...

though chess is not featured it is about a battle of wits between two people ...

and of course the d*mn yanks had to go make their own version of the movie and ruin the ending as is their want.

The movie?
The someone?
The book?

[Light entertainment for tonight]

eclectic

[arosar]

How about that chess scene in Harry Potter?

Also, check this out: http://www.jeremysilman.com/movies_tv_js/chess_in_movies_tv.html

Now another interesting question is chess in advertisements (print, online, radio, tv, etc). There's so many of them around.

AR

[Trent Parker]

At the start of the James Bond movie (i think it is "from russia with love") there is a scene where two men are playing chess. The position is based on a game between Spassky and Bronstein where Spassky won.

[Alan Shore]

There's always the classic from 2001: A Space Odyssey with HAL 9000 playing chess.

Actually, I have seen a whole movie dedicated to chess, starring Jose Capablanca! It's a black and white silent film from around 1930 but it's a great watch, called 'Chess Fever'. It's about a young Russian man who is obsessed with chess, carrying his chess set everywhere, maddening the lady in his life and infecting everyone he meets with the desire to play! I found it at my university library a few years ago, so I recommend it if you can ever get your hands on it.

[Alan Shore]

Wait, more is coming back to me now.. there was another great film called 'The Chess Game' that depicted a young French Grandmaster challenging Howard Staunton for the title of World Champion (the film was in French), it's very intriuiging!

Another one that I don't remember the name of was in Chinese and was about Chinese chess, half the story was about a little boy who was a genius the other was about a young man that no one had heard of who was a genius. The young man played a 10 board blindfold simul against the country's top players and won 9, the final game was between a reclusive old man and the moves were relayed by a boy on a bicycle, that ended in a draw offered by the old man even though he had the upper hand.


P.S. I actually didn't mind Knight Moves... as a rule Christopher Lambert movies are really bad but there were some good scenes, like the kid stabbing him in the hand with the pen at the start, creepy stuff!

[JGB]

Chess in TV commercials is huge here in Germany, especially for the leading Banks. Deutsche Bank has a new one and the its about 40 seconds just focused on a chess board talking about 'Erfolg ist kein zufall', or something meaning success in business is no accident, its all about planning. Hence the use of chess.

[Kaitlin]

Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass has chess in it I think :hmm: where the Queen sings out 'off with they heads'. I think it was chess. :ponder:

[eclectic]

Chess in TV commercials is huge here in Germany, especially for the leading Banks. Deutsche Bank has a new one and the its about 40 seconds just focused on a chess board talking about 'Erfolg ist kein zufall', or something meaning success in business is no accident, its all about planning. Hence the use of chess.

I'm waiting for Mike Moore's upcoming film

fischeRanting 960

:D

eclectic

[shaun]

Some Trivia ...

A european film based on a book by someone known for lots of chess trivia and who also wrote the screenplay ...

though chess is not featured it is about a battle of wits between two people ...

and of course the d*mn yanks had to go make their own version of the movie and ruin the ending as is their want.

The movie?
The someone?
The book?

[Light entertainment for tonight]

eclectic

"The Vanishing", Tim Krabbe, "The Cuckoo's Egg"(?)

[shaun]

"Black and White Like Day and Night" is an excellent German movie from the early 80's. It is about a computer programmer who gave up chess as a child but returns to it and becomes both World Champion and insane at about the same time. Almost every famous chess psychosis gets a run in this film (eg Steinitz playing god, Morphy having his food tasted etc).

Blazing Saddles has a good chess scene in it as well.

Further Trivia: Who is Tim Krabbe's famous brother and what is he famous for?

[eclectic]

"The Vanishing", Tim Krabbe, "The Cuckoo's Egg"(?)

2/3

the golden egg

(but i can't be sure that something isn't lost in the dutch to english translation)

eclectic

[eclectic]

Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass has chess in it I think :hmm: where the Queen sings out 'orrff wif they heads'. I think it was chess. :ponder:

and of course jefferson airplane's song "white rabbit" expands on this very theme ...


One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small

When men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said:
"Feed your head
Feed your head
Feed your head"


at times it would seem we're all trying to "feed our head(s)" ... with chess
... or bulletin board babble

:P ;)

eclectic

ps kaitlin, if you haven't heard the song see if you can get it from somewhere

[eclectic]

"Black and White Like Day and Night" is an excellent German movie from the early 80's. It is about a computer programmer who gave up chess as a child but returns to it and becomes both World Champion and insane at about the same time. Almost every famous chess psychosis gets a run in this film (eg Steinitz playing god, Morphy having his food tasted etc).

Blazing Saddles has a good chess scene in it as well.

Further Trivia: Who is Tim Krabbe's famous brother and what is he famous for?

jeroen krabbe film actor (part time artist?)

a link showing his film credits

http://entertainment.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx?mp=f&c=208191

eclectic

[Alan Shore]

Alice in Wonderland Through the Looking Glass has chess in it I think :hmm: where the Queen sings out 'orrff wif they heads'. I think it was chess. :ponder:

Actually it's the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland that cries 'off with his head!' but in Through the Looking glass Alice does meet the Red and White Queens, the White Knight and actually becomes a Queen herself. At the start of the book there's a chess position with 'White Pawn (Alice) to play and win in eleven moves' and if you follow the moves (re: what happens in the story) Alice takes the Red Queen on the final move to checkmate.

[Alan Shore]

Chess in TV commercials is huge here in Germany, especially for the leading Banks. Deutsche Bank has a new one and the its about 40 seconds just focused on a chess board talking about 'Erfolg ist kein zufall', or something meaning success in business is no accident, its all about planning. Hence the use of chess.

The classic commercial here was the chess game with a huge audience and a fan yells out 'Come on the BLACK!!! GO THE BLACK!! WOOO!!' So funny :D

[Brian_Jones]

ACE currently stocks two chess movies on DVD:

1. Searching for Bobby Fischer is G-rated and still selling well.

2. The newly-released Luzhin Defence is M-rated (adult themes)

Both DVDs are available at www.chessaustralia.com.au

[bobby1972]

what about" the get away" nice very nice

[Kevin Bonham]

"Luzhin Defence" is based on Nabakov's "The Defence" - an excellent book but I understand that the film takes a lot of rather silly liberties with the script.

[Shirty]

Tonight at 11:30 on SBS is the Italian film Check and Mate.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279365/

[Trent Parker]

Tonight at 11:30 on SBS is the Italian film Check and Mate.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279365/

Hmmm probably with subtitles which i (being a slow reader) cannot keep up with but might check it out........

[Alan Shore]

Tonight at 11:30 on SBS is the Italian film Check and Mate.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279365/

Didn't think that much of it..

Didn't think too much of Luzhin Defence either.. guess it's hard to make an engaging film about chess/chessplayers. Chess Fever is still the best.

[PHAT]

Didn't think that much of it.

I did not see it - we don't have a TV. But I suggest that being a foreign film on SBS probably had you thinking that you would enjoy some nudey-rudey, but you didn't get any. My suggestion: take on a bed warmer.

[Trent Parker]

it was pretty average.... Kept up with the subtitles though...... sat close up to the tv :)

[shaun]

As a movie is seemed to lack real substance. It told a story but without to much detail.
However the chess representation was good. They got the games right (although SBS mistakenly subtitled 1.e4 c5 as 1.e4 g5?), with no silly opening names (eg Nightmoves) or absurdly constructed positions. A couple of Sicilians and a Marshall were easily recognisable, while I thought the game in the cafe she lost looked like Polugaevsky v Nehzmetdinov but it seemed to end too quickly.
And the Italian Champion always combing his hair cracked me up. I swear he was one of the Daddo brothers.

[Trent Parker]

However the chess representation was good. They got the games right (although SBS mistakenly subtitled 1.e4 c5 as 1.e4 g5?), with no silly opening names (eg Nightmoves) or absurdly constructed positions.

Yeah i was wondering about that...... :lol: thanks for that.

And the Italian Champion always combing his hair cracked me up. I swear he was one of the Daddo brothers.

Yeah this was very amusing.

[antichrist]

I woke up to see when she plays the guy (stepfather?) who doesn't look at the board. I am guessing the beginning of the climax of the movie. Thought it was excellent from their onwards, especially the background story.

That .itch of a mother accusing the father of molesting the girl while actually he was protecting her.

My old grandmother who's English was quite poor used to watch Homicide and thought it was genuine. She would then describe it to us in Arabic with full theatrics, we would pretend to get the story.

[WBA]

The Luzhin defense is an excellent movie and is wonderfully acted by the very talented pair of John Turturro and Emily Watson. There are silly points to the movie, such as when Watson plays Turturro's opponent after his demise so as to finish off the game. To suggest that the equal best player in world may have missed a five move combination after many months of analysing is ridiculous of course, however that was never the point and the movie was not made to the small chess playing market, btu to the wider audience. Nabikov of course has an experieince with chess players, with suggestions the maths professor from lolita was based on a strong chess player he knew. and The Luzhin Defense touches on the paranoia and introvertness prevalent in the chess community. There is a touch of Morphy to what is going on as Lushin fights an ultimately losing battle against his inner demons. Watson adds a lot with her portrayal as the only person to infiltrate the barrier surrounding the brilliant but tragic Luzhin.

Highly recommend it 7/10

The order of the 5 chess movies I have seen would be

1 The Luzhin Defense
2 Fresh
3 Searching for Bobby Fischer
4 The Chess Master
5 Knight Moves

[arosar]

What about Joan of Arcadia last night on Channel 9? This chick beat the school's #1 by "accident". No one could explain this. But some chessmaster butts in and gave his wisdom. This chick, apparently someone who did not even know the basic rules, won because the #1 chess player was using logic and this chick wasn't. Something to do with chaos theory or something.

AR

[arosar]

Also, the Tarzan cartoon last Sunday had chess as a theme.

Good morning boys! Just thought I'd share that.

AR

[Rincewind]

Also, the Tarzan cartoon last Sunday had chess as a theme.

Good morning boys! Just thought I'd share that.

Damn, must have missed it. I thought last Sunday was the flourescent ape who could magically heal other animals. Was that the Sunday before?

[pballard]

From the early 1980's, I remember a Blakes Seven episode in which one of the stars gambles his life in a game of chess. I was fascinated at the time because the games looked real.

Fast forward to today: a quick net search turns up a partial reconstruction of the games, but no mention of whether they are historical games (as in 2001):

http://www.btinternet.com/~blakes.seven/main/Scripts/body_24_gambit.htm

[Rincewind]

I can't find any form on the first game. Perhaps it was played in high level British competition but not high enough to make my database.

However game 2. Vila - The Klute was a GM game. It was Nunn-Soos, 1979 - the same year as the Blake's 7 episode.

Here is the full game.


1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 Be7 8.Qe2
Nxd4 9.Bxd4 O-O 10.O-O-O Qa5 11.e5 dxe5 12.Bxe5 b6 13.f4 Bb7 14.Rhf1 Rac8
15.Bd3 Nd5 16.Bxh7+ Kxh7 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.Bxg7 Kxg7 19.Qg4+ Kh8 20.Qh5+
1/2-1/2

[pballard]

Thank you very much! How did you do that? Give the program a position and it finds any games with that position?

--
Peter

[Rincewind]

Thank you very much! How did you do that? Give the program a position and it finds any games with that position?

Yep. I used SCID and a large database of games to search for the position after white's 19th move. One game was found. A quick check of previous moves confirms the identity.

As I said no form could be found on Game 1. It is a much wilder position and may have been concocted for the show. If anyone digs something up, please post it here.

[Denis_Jessop]

If you want a "heavy" film with a chess theme running through it you can't go far beyond Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" (1957) - Swedish with subtitles! - starring Max von Sydow in which a knight challenges Death to a game of chess. It's actually one of Bergman's best films in my opinion as I don't like his later ones very much.

Denis Jessop

[Shirty]

However game 2. Vila - The Klute was a GM game. It was Nunn-Soos, 1979 - the same year as the Blake's 7 episode.
An excellent choice by the producers; a game by a talentless robotic freak.

[Rincewind]

An excellent choice by the producers; a game by a talentless robotic freak.

:)

Well your right in this instance in particular. The game has as much excitement as a tourist tea-towel. I doubt you would need a computer of Orac's emmense power to see the regulation double bishop sac for 20 move forced draw by rep. The Klute must have been a patzer for allowing it if Vila had white and draw odds.

[pballard]

:)

Well your right in this instance in particular. The game has as much excitement as a tourist tea-towel. I doubt you would need a computer of Orac's emmense power to see the regulation double bishop sac for 20 move forced draw by rep. The Klute must have been a patzer for allowing it if Vila had white and draw odds.

Yeah, strange choice of game indeed.

Even the first game is a bit of a disappointment, because I (well actually GNUChess) reckon in the final position white can draw with 26 Bc1.

Maybe their chess consultant money came out of their special effects budget (i.e. practically zero).

--
Peter

[rob]

Damn, must have missed it. I thought last Sunday was the flourescent ape who could magically heal other animals. Was that the Sunday before?

Not sure if you and 'arosar' also like the original 'Tarzan' with Johhny W - recently they've released two DVD's for about $8 each - they contain three films on each :) I got mine from ezydvd - I don't know if you have that in the East.

[Rincewind]

Not sure if you and 'arosar' also like the original 'Tarzan' with Johhny W - recently they've released two DVD's for about $8 each - they contain three films on each :) I got mine from ezydvd - I don't know if you have that in the East.

I'm more of a 'Toon fan (not that I would consider Tarzan top-shelf) but I used to watch the old Tarzan tv show. I believe that had Ron Ely in the title role.

[arosar]

Even at my age I still like cartoons . . . I like Kim Possible too.

AR

[antichrist]

Also, the Tarzan cartoon last Sunday had chess as a theme.

Good morning boys! Just thought I'd share that.

AR

Enjoy your second childhood. If with children I will watch the Simpsons.

[Rincewind]

OK to draw the thread of comments, re: The Luzhin Defence, together...

2. The newly-released Luzhin Defence is M-rated (adult themes)

"Luzhin Defence" is based on Nabakov's "The Defence" - an excellent book but I understand that the film takes a lot of rather silly liberties with the script.

Didn't think too much of Luzhin Defence either.. guess it's hard to make an engaging film about chess/chessplayers.

The Luzhin defense is an excellent movie and is wonderfully acted by the very talented pair of John Turturro and Emily Watson. There are silly points to the movie, such as when Watson plays Turturro's opponent after his demise so as to finish off the game. To suggest that the equal best player in world may have missed a five move combination after many months of analysing is ridiculous of course, however that was never the point and the movie was not made to the small chess playing market, btu to the wider audience. Nabikov of course has an experieince with chess players, with suggestions the maths professor from lolita was based on a strong chess player he knew. and The Luzhin Defense touches on the paranoia and introvertness prevalent in the chess community. There is a touch of Morphy to what is going on as Lushin fights an ultimately losing battle against his inner demons. Watson adds a lot with her portrayal as the only person to infiltrate the barrier surrounding the brilliant but tragic Luzhin.

Highly recommend it 7/10

I saw it last night and was pleasantly surprised. I thought the character of Luzhin was engaging and well acted by Turturro. However, not much is revealed of the others and they are generally cast in a very 2-d way. This is brought into higher relief by the complexity of Luzhin.

The way the period was portrayed with attention to detail in the costume and sets - it was very enjoyable to watch. I also liked the way they avoided using phony Russian accents, I think that would have been very distracting. The occasional use of Italian and French set the scene without seeming ridiculous.

Not having read the book I cannot comment as to liberties. Regarding the final scene: for me the story is really over in the second last scene and the final scene where Luzhin's widow finishes the game doesn't do much for me. But I understand from a position of mainstream popularity, this scene might have seemed "required".

I think 7/10 seems about right.


One point of interest as a possible anachronism in the film. One of the character's describes Luzhin's opponent as an "Italian grandmaster". Now the film appears to be set in the late 20's or 30s. Would the term grandmaster have had currency in that period? I realise this is nit-picking and really didn't distract me at the time but I was wondering...

[Denis_Jessop]

OK to draw the thread of comments, re: The Luzhin Defence, together...

One point of interest as a possible anachronism in the film. One of the character's describes Luzhin's opponent as an "Italian grandmaster". Now the film appears to be set in the late 20's or 30s. Would the term grandmaster have had currency in that period? I realise this is nit-picking and really didn't distract me at the time but I was wondering...

According to the "Oxford Companion to Chess" the term "grandmaster" was commonly used before its official adoption by FIDE in 1950. Its first use in connection with chess was probably in 1838. It was later used to describe Philidor and a few other players. It gained wider currency early in the 20th century when tournaments were sometimes called grandmaster events eg Ostend 1907, San Sebastian 1912.

Denis Jessop

[Rincewind]

According to the "Oxford Companion to Chess" the term "grandmaster" was commonly used before its official adoption by FIDE in 1950. Its first use in connection with chess was probably in 1838. It was later used to describe Philidor and a few other players. It gained wider currency early in the 20th century when tournaments were sometimes called grandmaster events eg Ostend 1907, San Sebastian 1912.

Thanks.

[Alan Shore]

According to the "Oxford Companion to Chess" the term "grandmaster" was commonly used before its official adoption by FIDE in 1950. Its first use in connection with chess was probably in 1838. It was later used to describe Philidor and a few other players. It gained wider currency early in the 20th century when tournaments were sometimes called grandmaster events eg Ostend 1907, San Sebastian 1912.

Denis Jessop

In the French film 'The Chess Game' depicting Howard Staunton vs. the French player 'Max' both were referred to as 'Grandmaster' which seems to almost fit in with Denis's historical descriptions.. if I remember it was Staunton, Anderssen and Morphy who were chronologically the forefathers of chess before the 'official' WC Steinitz of the modern era.

[Rincewind]

In the French film 'The Chess Game' depicting Howard Staunton vs. the French player 'Max' both were referred to as 'Grandmaster' which seems to almost fit in with Denis's historical descriptions.. if I remember it was Staunton, Anderssen and Morphy who were chronologically the forefathers of chess before the 'official' WC Steinitz of the modern era.

From a philosophical context, those three are distinctly pre-Steinitz in a way which is unlike anyone to come after him.

[Kevin Bonham]

I just watched "The Luzhin Defence" on DVD. I own a copy of the book (which took me years to find, Hobart being Hobart - recently I saw a really beautiful hardback copy and had to restrain myself from buying that as well). To call the film "based on" the novel is really a stretch. Some characters are similar and some of the incidents are the same but basically the plot has been completely rewritten. More on this in item 103 of Tim Krabbe's Open Chess Diary (http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess2/diary_6.htm). While a film based too closely on the book would have been deadly dull I think it's a real shame that severe liberties with the reality of chess tournaments were needlessly taken in the process of transforming it.

I found the film emotionally moving but also severely overdone and on the whole the portrayal of chess players (including Luzhin himself, whose freakery was way overdone) was very caricatured. That said, Turturro is excellent.

The DVD is bereft of interesting extras. Shame as I would have been interested to see what excuse the makers offered for the changes made. Nabakov would certainly be spinning in his grave.

I finally got around to seeing "Searching for Bobby Fischer" late last year and that one gets the thumbs up.

[antichrist]

Listen KB, who is going to debate this at this hour of night. I am watching a movie I have an excuse. But is does not have a patch on the Filipino one which was a classic.

Have you read "The Royal Game", I loved it. It should be on the HSC reading list.

[Kevin Bonham]

Have you read "The Royal Game", I loved it.

Yes, it is brilliant. From memory (it was a looooooooong time ago) I enjoyed some of the other stories in the same volume too.

[Denis_Jessop]

This thread may have been given either a real kick ahead or its death sentence by an article referred to, and summarised, in the latest edition of The Chessville Weekly.

On its website at <www.chessville.com/BillWall/ChessInMovies.htm> there is an article by the said Bill Wall entitled "Chess in the Movies" in which he mentions many movies including chess scenes. But his piece de resistance is a list of all 702 (count them!) movies in which he is aware that there are chess scenes. It can be reached by a link in his article.

Obviously one for the real fanatic.

DJ

[antichrist]

This thread may have been given either a real kick ahead or its death sentence by an article referred to, and summarised, in the latest edition of The Chessville Weekly.

On its website at <www.chessville.com/BillWall/ChessInMovies.htm> there is an article by the said Bill Wall entitled "Chess in the Movies" in which he mentions many movies including chess scenes. But his piece de resistance is a list of all 702 (count them!) movies in which he is aware that there are chess scenes. It can be reached by a link in his article.

Obviously one for the real fanatic.

DJ

Does that include foreign films?

The Nanny (from Turkey) had such a scene a few weeks ago.

[Rincewind]

I watched Bladerunner (director's cut) last week (yes again) and realised that no one has yet mentioned the chess scene from that movie. While not central to the development of the plot it is a used as a device to set up a situation which probably would not have otherwise occured. Apparently the game used is the Immortal Game so not a lot of points to Scott for originality but I hear the position depicted on the board is not quite right either.

Either way a great film (as I think I may have mentioned in another thread or two). Also does anyone know if the original 'European Theatrical' version is available on DVD? (The one with the Harrison Ford voiceovers). Would be good to have both versions to 'compare and contrast'. ;)

[Denis_Jessop]

Does that include foreign films?

The Nanny (from Turkey) had such a scene a few weeks ago.

Yes - many of the films listed are "foreign", that is, not from the USA. There are a lot of European films, but not The Nanny, at least under that title. So perhaps that makes it 703. (Did it have a title in Turkish or whatever?)

DJ

PS the list also contains some very brief comments, sometimes just the actors' names, about most of the films in it.

[antichrist]

I don't know the Turkish name, but if you visit that Turk's kebab shop in Sydney's north shore who got all those illegal migrants in he may be able to give a translation.

Just checked out SBS site and in Turkish it is called "DADI" The scene was two or three weeks ago. I think I announced it in shout box at the time, a Tuesday night at around 1am, as each episode has a name.

You know towards the end of the year I want to try and make a (sorry low brow) chess film of transfer chess, of a famous game where they swap clothes as well as pieces, mixed teams. Set in a swanky beach location. I am trying to get actor Jason involved but we are class enemies.

[Ausknight]

So far I've really enjoyed Searching for Bobby Fischer but I'm curious as to what other chess oriented movies are out there to watch?

I'm not talking about movies that have a 'chess scene' only in them as much as a movie which actually revolves around the game similar to Searching for Bobby Fischer did all the way through.

It seems most of what you watch in regards to the game revolves around either documentaries or tutorial formats, so I wouldn't mind checking out a drama or something similar that focuses more on the less technical aspects of the game.

Post your recommendations here!

Cheers

[Denis_Jessop]

So far I've really enjoyed Searching for Bobby Fischer but I'm curious as to what other chess oriented movies are out there to watch?

I'm not talking about movies that have a 'chess scene' only in them as much as a movie which actually revolves around the game similar to Searching for Bobby Fischer did all the way through.

It seems most of what you watch in regards to the game revolves around either documentaries or tutorial formats, so I wouldn't mind checking out a drama or something similar that focuses more on the less technical aspects of the game.

Post your recommendations here!



Cheers

I've a feeling that there is an old thread on this somewhere. [threads merged - mod]

I've only seen one - "Black and White like Day and Night" starring Bruno Ganz, a German TV movie that was on ABC or SBS several years ago. It was rather good but then Bruno Ganz is a very good actor.

There is also "Knight Moves" which has been mentioned on this BB and of which I bought a tape for $1 at the Salvos the other day but haven't yet watched it. Halliwell is lukewarm, at best, about it while there are apparently at least 1001 other movies that you see iin preference before you die :) .

[Alexrules01]

I saw a movie, fairly new. I think it is called "Knights of the South Bronx"

[macavity]

Hi Ausknight,

There is also a movie called Fresh which has a lot about chess within it, in fact when I first saw the film it was because the Dandenong chess club was given free tickets and I ended up with about 5 of them somehow

Take care and God Bless, Macavity

[justaknight]

Nothing beats the old Soviet classic "Chess Fever" starring Capa and featuring most of the greats of the '20s!
CHESS FEVER
Soviet Union, 1925
Directors: Vsevolod Pudovkin and Nikolai Shpikovsky
Starring: Vladimir Fogel, Anna Zemtsova, Zakhar Darevsky, Konstantin Eggert, Natalya Glan, F. Ivanov, Boris Barnet, Jose Raul Capablanca
Further info
http://www.jeremysilman.com/movies_tv_js/chess_fever.html
Also interesting
SCHACHNOVELLE, DIE (BRAINWASHED, THE) – 1960/Black & White)
Directed by: Gerd Oswald
Starring: Curt Jurgens, Claire Bloom
German with English subtitles

[Ausknight]

Awesome, thanks for the heads up on those flicks - I'll be sure to check them out.

Seems in the modern era we're not seeing much in regards to the chess board which is a bit of a shame. Still, more moofies to watch over the weekend = :clap:

[Kaitlin]

ah and that phyloisphy one I put in another thread somewhere .. except its all in spanish

[Kevin Bonham]

I've merged an old thread on the same theme into this one. There are also several reviews of an Italian chess movie on another thread at
http://chesschat.org/showthread.php?t=2893

[antichrist]

How about someone try to organise a chess film festival to co-incide with a chess tourney? With game in the day and chess movie at night we want to ensure that no one stay sane

[Denis_Jessop]

How about someone try to organise a chess film festival to co-incide with a chess tourney? With game in the day and chess movie at night we want to ensure that no one stay sane

The Australian Championship, January 2010 is slotted for Sydney so there is your big chance to do as you say should be done.

DJ

[Rincewind]

One of the chess references in the Big Bang Theory.

OOQHw4Ymy6c

I don't know if the game is a famous one (perhaps Spock-Kirk stardate 3472.1)