Chess Movies

Originally posted by Renars
indeed, just to a degree.. and let's face it, Death was not that good a player ..

he violated the terms of agreement!

Thanks for the indications. I'll take a look at them.

Luzhin's Defense by Vladimir Nabokov.

The Royal Game by Austrian author Stefan Zweig first published in 1942, shortly before his death. Great read particularly if you play chess.
Nazi's, chess, and a brutish chess champion what more could you ask for.

Also worth a look "64 Square Madhouse" a collection of short stories by some of the "old guard" and newer sci fi authors.

The Grass Arena.

Not a movie as such but a feature length TV drama from Channel 4 in the '90s. Its a biog of John Healy, a guy who became a homeless alcoholic but found salvation in this silly board game. Been a long time since I seen it but I remember it being quite good.

I don't think it was ever released on video but I'm sure someone somewhere has a copy. Since quality Chess related movies are few and far between, it may be worth tracking it down.

Originally posted by heinzkat
There is also a thriller movie I have been thinking about lately, I saw it when I was, I don't know exactly, about eight years old or so. It's about a chess GM and his daughter who are being threatened by some maniac who murders on coordinates on the city map, that are related to chess squares involved in his opening preparation(??). [hidden]And the chess geek turns out to be the maniac.[/hidden] Does anybody here know its name??

i think it's knight moves, a terrible thriller with poor acting (just check who plays the first role...) and incoherent scenario, but the worst is the chess part !
but it might be worth seeing, just for the laugh

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104627/

There's a new movie about chess in france : "joueuse".
i haven't seen it yet, here's the trailer (in french)

YouTube&feature=related

At the end of this trailer, kevin kline asks her "why is it so important, for you, this game?" and she answers "i don't know, when you take risks, you can lose, when you don't, you always lose!"
I'm not so sure of that (ask karpov!) not toking risks doesn't mean doing nothing, or playing passively

Bobby Fischer Goes to War is rumored to become a movie and will open in 2010.

Originally posted by shorbock
i think it's knight moves, a terrible thriller with poor acting (just check who plays the first role...) and incoherent scenario, but the worst is the chess part !
but it might be worth seeing, just for the laugh

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104627/

Yes, it was a C-movie, forgot to mention. Perhaps it's this one, who knows ...

Originally posted by chesskid001
Game Over: Kasparov vs the Machine is decent. Next year I believe a movie based on Michael Weinreb's The Kings of New York will be released

edit: nevermind.

Brainwashed, 1960, Curt jurgens plays a prisoner of the Gestapo kept isolated a room with nothing in it. Starts to go nuts, but manages to steal a book which turns out to have no words, just chess problems. Don't remember how good it is, I was just 8 when I saw it. Only scene I recall is when he's released theres a checkerboard floor tile in the lobby and he runs around putting potted plants and people around on squares trying to set up a problem while he babbles like a loon.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069906/

... but then aren't they all

Originally posted by Sam The Sham
Brainwashed, 1960, Curt jurgens plays a prisoner of the Gestapo kept isolated a room with nothing in it. Starts to go nuts, but manages to steal a book which turns out to have no words, just chess problems.

seems very similar to Zweig's short novel. only difference being it was a game collections book.

Originally posted by philidor position
seems very similar to Zweig's short novel. only difference being it was a game collections book.

Yes it is based on Stefan Zweig's novel according to IMDB, German title Schachnovelle or something like that. Released in the US as Brainwashed.

By far the best I've seen so far:

YouTube