Pawn Sacrifice

About Pawn Sacrifice

Pawn Sacrifice is a biographical drama film released in 2015. It is a thrilling recount of the historic chess match between American grandmaster Bobby Fischer and Russian Boris Spassky during the height of the Cold War. Set in the 1970s, it showcases the journey of Bobby Fischer, right from his childhood to becoming one of the greatest chess players in the world. The film brings to light Fischer's struggles with paranoia and mental instability.

Making / Production

Directed by Edward Zwick, Pawn Sacrifice is written by Steven Knight. The movie artfully depicts the political dimensions of chess during the Cold War period. With the same narrative force, it also brings forth the fragility of genius human minds.

Actors

• Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer: Maguire plays the ultimate pawn sacrifice, displaying a complex personality wracked with fear and paranoia yet exuding genius.
• Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky: Schreiber plays the stoic Russian chess champion who becomes Fischer's sworn enemy both on and off the board.
• Peter Sarsgaard as William Lombardy: Sarsgaard plays Fischer's priest and coach who tries to understand and manage Fischer's volatile nature.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film is shot in Montreal and Reykjavík, the latter being the location of the historic chess match.
• "Pawn Sacrifice" is a term used in chess when a player sacrifices his pawn to gain a strategic advantage.
• Tobey Maguire was also a producer on the film.

Awards

The film did not win any major awards but was nominated for Best International Film at the Irish Film and Television Awards in 2016.

Quotes

• "Nothing is so healing as the human touch."
• "Chess is a war over the board. The object is to crush the opponent's mind."
• "I like the moment when I break a man's ego."

Music, Soundtrack

• Time Gets Us All - Kreng
• There's Usually One Right Move - James Newton Howard
• Bobby Plays Carmine - James Newton Howard