I’m thinking about showing my High School chess students a movie or two next year and I was wondering if anyone would like to comment about the following movies and whether or not they would be worthwhile and appropriate to show to a High School chess team?
Knights of the South Bronx (2005)
Game Over - Kasparov and the Machine (2006)
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)
Any other suggestions?
Steven Craig Miller (chess coach at Lincoln-Way West High School)
I think an updated version of “Chess Kids” has come out. It was an independent film in 1996 that won awards. It includes Judith Polgar and Josh Waitzkin. Film is about the World Youth tournament held here in the US that year. Many interviews. Nice film; my students (ages 8 to 17) liked it a lot.
Knight Moves (Christopher Lambert as a GM) is a good movie, but not appropriate for a high school class. Some of the others mentioned are also good movies, but either are not or may not be appropriate for a high school group.
There have also been TV shows that have some focus on chess - a Columbo episode or two, House, etc. Kashdan on You Bet Your Life (on YouTube), a young Fischer on I’ve Got a Secret. Perhaps HULU or VUDU have Arnie, starring Herschel Bernardi. There was an episode in which he was worried about a big chess match, and the game was shown - a From’s gambit I think it was 1. f4 e5 2 fxe5 d6 3 exd6 Bxd6 4 Nc3 Qh4+ 5 g3 Qxg3+ (the crowd around the board murmured “A Queen sacrifice!” 6 hxg3 Bxg3#) Unfortunately I’m not sure of the episode name, but I would guess it would more likely be in the second season (1971) as Fischer was picking up steam.
Searching for Bobby Fischer is an excellent movie, but I think “Knights of the South Bronx” would be more inspirational to a class.
The Knights of the South Bronx is a story about how a teacher used chess to both inspire his students, and allow them to excell at an intellectual sport.
The reason I think Searching For Bobby Fischer isn’t as good of a choice, is because it has elements that are not nesessarily in the reach of many students. For example, Josh has a professional tutor. Plus, unlike Knights of the South Bronx, in which very average or below average students are taught chess in order to show them how to excel in life, Josh already showed a natural talent for chess, with abilities far in advance of his age group.
I haven’t seen the other movies, so I can’t comment on them.