I tried to watch it, believe me. But the first scene I saw was Ted Dansen explaining to the kids, chess is like war...and showing them moves. Then the principal walks in and he scrambles them up to the board to show their multiplication skills. One of the kids is having trouble, but solves the problem by relating it to the chessboard. The principal says something like, "tricks like that have a short shelf life in education." Any principal I've known would have said, "Great! They're learning something!" I'd like to hear from a chess player who could keep watching it. I'm betting the teacher shows (through chess) how these troubled, inner-city kids can better themselves despite allthe nay-sayers, like the principal (who probably learns his lesson in the end.) In other words, every cliche in the book. Does anybody remember a tv show called White Shadow about a white basketball coach showing black, inner city kids how to behave themselves. That show was more realistic. Don't get me wrong, I like Ted Dansen, and think he's underestimated as an actor (after cheers). I'm just waiting for someone to come along and make a movie about chess players minus cuddly kids. I'd love to see the triumph and tragedy of say, Paul Morphy.
Originally posted by buddy2Well it was based on a true story, Bronx teacher who was a chess
I tried to watch it, believe me. But the first scene I saw was Ted Dansen explaining to the kids, chess is like war...and showing them moves. Then the principal walks in and he scrambles them up to the board to show their multiplication skills. One of the kids is having trouble, but solves the problem by relating it to the chessboard. The principal says s ...[text shortened]... chess players minus cuddly kids. I'd love to see the triumph and tragedy of say, Paul Morphy.
expert got kids interested, the principle was showing himself to be
a rules ruled jerk from the beginning, remember the 'no colors'
comment?
BTW A&E showed it a couple of times at about 2 am, I taped the
second showing.
Originally posted by buddy2You're lucky you didn't watch the rest. The movie was somewhat entertaining, but the chess was excruciatingly unrealistic. These kids, who started playing chess 6 months ago, ended up going to the nationals and winning the team competition. Also, half the boards were set up backwards. After nearly EVERY move, the player would say "Check". I'm not sure what the record for consecutive checks is, but they must've been close. They're opponents, who should've been around 1500 were hanging a rook and a knight, then going on a checking rampage where the opponent hangs his queen, and so on. The chess was at a 500 level, not a 1500. Plus they'd move in less than 3 seconds, which is not the kind of chess people at the nationals would be playing. Most games lasted 15 moves.
I tried to watch it, believe me. But the first scene I saw was Ted Dansen explaining to the kids, chess is like war...and showing them moves. Then the principal walks in and he scrambles them up to the board to show their multiplication skills. One of the kids is having trouble, but solves the problem by relating it to the chessboard. The principal says s ...[text shortened]... chess players minus cuddly kids. I'd love to see the triumph and tragedy of say, Paul Morphy.
Originally posted by sonhouseExperts are rated over 2000. David MacEnulty is rated 1654. See http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?12544466. I had watched the preview and read the summary on A&E's website, so I was dreading the simul by a B player. Not surprisingly, Richard Mason (the character based on MacEnulty) checkmated nearly opponent on the same circuit around the boards.
Well it was based on a true story, Bronx teacher who was a chess
expert
I found the film inspiring, albeit sensationalized. Of course, I recognized that nearly every character and every scene was a stock element from similar stories. Indeed, as presented, the film was structurally almost identical to Stand and Deliver, a true story about a math teacher at Garfield HS in South East Los Angeles.
I, too, was bothered by the constant "check, check, check," which has become standard fare in chess dramas. Searching fior Bobby Fischer also put forth this nonsense.
I'd like to see a movie that tells the true story of David MacEnulty, as it may be more inspiring than A&E's melodrama.
Originally posted by Wulebgrfu
Experts are rated over 2000. David MacEnulty is rated 1654. See http://www.uschess.org/msa/MbrDtlMain.php?12544466. I had watched the preview and read the summary on A&E's website, so I was dreading the simul by a B player. Not surprisingly, Richard Mason (the character based on MacEnulty) checkmated nearly opponent on the same circuit around the boards.
...[text shortened]... that tells the true story of David MacEnulty, as it may be more inspiring than A&E's melodrama.