The late Bobby Fischer was a brilliant, gifted World Chess Champion whose arrogance made him one of sports hated figures well before Tom Brady came along. The new fact-based biographical drama "Pawn Sacrifice" is a gripping, well-acted tale about a chess legend that is a winning match. During the rise of the Cold War, American chess professional Fischer (Tobey Maguire) finds himself caught between two superpowers when he challenges the Soviet Union and its greatest player, Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber) for the World Championship. Directed by Edward Zwick ("The Last Samurai") and written by Steven Knight ("Eastern Promises"), "Pawn Sacrifice" is an absorbing, character-driven thrill match even for those of us who aren't chess enthusiasts. The movie details Fischer's life from the time he was a young chess prodigy in Chicago to achieving world wide fame when he beat Spassky for the World Chess Championship in 1972, widely seen a match between two opponents in the Cold War. After a slow start detailing Fischer's early life, the movie picks up steam and becomes more tense as it focuses on the chess matches, which are the highlight of the film. As well, it's well-acted by Maguire, who hasn't had a great film in awhile and is both believable and affecting as the chess master who teeters between genius and madness; also strong is Emmy nominee Liev Schreiber of TV's "Ray Donovan," an inspired, fun casting choice as the intimidating Spassky, who's still alive. It's unsurprising that the movie truncates or leaves out many details of Fischer's personal and professional career, focusing on the the 1972 match that made him and the game of chess famous. Much like Fischer himself, the satisfying "Pawn Sacrifice" isn't perfect and will appeal most to those who enjoy this game, but it's superbly acted and brims with its passion for chess.
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