20 Nov 04
I am searching for the title of a film about a chess player from England who before taking up chess had a drink problem and spent time in prison on numerous occations, On one such visit he met a chess player who taught him chess and he went on to become a very good player. The bbc made a film or documentory about his life and if anyone could help me out i would be very grateful.
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21 Nov 04
Originally posted by knights courtThe documentary/film you're thinking of was called 'The Grass Arena' and it was based on a book by the same name. The film doesn't seem to be available on DVD or video, and the book is out of print. However you might be able to obtain it second hand, through sites such as Amazon.
I am searching for the title of a film about a chess player from England who before taking up chess had a drink problem and spent time in prison on numerous occations, On one such visit he met a chess player who taught him chess and he went on to become a very good player. The bbc made a film or documentory about his life and if anyone could help me out i would be very grateful.
Here is the publisher's synopsis of the book:-
"Winner of the J.R.Ackerley prize for The Best Literary Autobiography of 1988, this is the true story of John Healy, who lived as an alcoholic vagrant before learning to play chess in prison. His dedication to the game and natural ability led him to become a tournament champion."
