Pawn Sacrifice. A dramatization set during the cold war detailing the life of Bobby Fisher, played by Toby Maguire, whose famous chess matches in the 1970s against Boris Spassky symbolized the national pride of both nations. The movie covered the story very well without sugar coating or merrily walking down memory lane. I felt it was a an honest effort to tell the story without over dramatizing. They used original footage from news broadcasts, interview shows, Wide World of Sports and edited combinations of today and past footage that added to the feeling of being in the 60-70s.

I remember the spectacle these matches caused. I remember the fervor in which they were covered by news broadcasts, newspapers, Wide World of Sports. The matches probably single-handedly inspired more people to start playing chess than any other phenomenon before. It seemed that every where you turned there was a item regarding the competitions. Sadly, Fisher's mental demons were never diagnosed. He was highly paranoid, maybe even schizophrenic. He was homeless for a period of time until he was exiled to live his last days in Iceland.


I enjoyed Pawn Sacrifice much more than I thought I would. If you grew up in that time period I think you'll get more enjoyment form the movie - especially if you remember these chess matches and how they gripped the U.S.A.