It's like The Karate Kid for overachievers.

“It doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a game.”
“No, it isn’t.”

This movie is about chess the same way Moneyball was about baseball. And yet, not being a player myself, it made me think of what might it mean for chess to be one’s life’s companion, to be able to feel the chessboard like not very many people do, to take lessons from all the games of chess back into the real life.

My favourite moments in the movie were those glimpses of chess being something more, something better, something beautiful: an early speed chess game interrupted by rain; a tower made for fun out of chess pieces; the rapid-fire, almost instinctive exchanges of moves.

Excellent cast of actors and characters, not to mention cameos from many famous chess players. Worth checking out. The only major problem is James Horner phoning it in, but hey, not the first time either. Just don’t watch it straight after Field of dreams.

Damn good film, it addresses a 7-year-old kid looking at his future amazingly well, I was impressed. Made even better by Laurence Fishburne and Ben Kingsley.

This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.

It's like The Karate Kid for overachievers.

The best movie about chess I've ever seen. Also the only movie about chess I've ever seen.

More seriously: Lovely theme work. Decent acting. Fairly good story, though it drags in places. Gorgeous cinematography.

It's difficult to say anything negative about this film. The acting is impeccable, it's beautifully shot and the writing keeps you emotionally involved throughout. Ben Kingsley and Laurence Fishburne are tremendous as Josh's polar opposite chess teachers. Joan Allen's performance as his mother is moving. But not enough can be said about Max Pomeranc in the lead role. One of the best child performances I've seen. I'm obviously biased, because this is one of my 100 favorite films of all-time.

Laurence Fishburne scares me in this movie.

I like Rudy. I like sappy (sometimes). I still like this movie overall.
joshuahoover.com/2011/12/04/way-late-review-searching-for-bobby-fisher/

I have seen and loved this many times. It's funny the synchronisity in things, I was watching Road to Perdition which was shot by Conrad Hall, which pointed to Bobby Fischer, which was directed by the guy who co-wrote Girl With the Dragon Tattoo for Fincher.

The DVD I have of this is a bad Pan & Scan job and it is terrible. I wish a decent Blu would come out on this one.

A feel good movie for me.

Damn good film, it addresses a 7-year-old kid looking at his future amazingly well, I was impressed. Made even better by Laurence Fishburne and Ben Kingsley.