Chess in movies
The magic of chess has been often inspiring for moviemakers. We have already mentioned the ‘The Seventh seal’ movie, and we will bypass ‘The Queen’s gambit’ series.
Also, we will later present some newer movies and movies about Bobby Fischer separately. In some movies, chess is the backbone of the story similar to the overcoat being the axle in Gogol’s ‘Overcoat’ while some authors used chess as a simple prop to occupy our hearts.
Have in mind that chess is not, so visually thrilling sport for movies like soccer, basketball, martial arts… Let’s start almost from the start with regard to the fact that this writing is just a proposition and personal choice. Chess Fever is a Soviet 1925 silent black and white comedy. The main character is so passionate about chess that he neglects everything, including his fiancé.
Eventually former World chess champion Jose Raul Capablanca saves the day. You may also see chess players like Frank Marshall, Richard Reti, Frederick Yates, and Ernst Gruenfeld as well as the writer Vladimir Nabokov. This movie ‘used’ the 1925 Moscow chess tournament, which was eventually won by Bogoljubov ahead of Lasker and Capablanca.
Brainwashed is a great German drama movie from 1960 based on Stefan Zweig's novella ‘The Royal Game’.
Deprived of freedom, he learns chess and loves to be his food for the brain while descending into insanity.
If you love thrillers, you will love Knight Moves, an American 1992 movie. In this movie, Christopher Lambert is a chess grandmaster accused of several murders while trying to win a tournament, proves his innocence, establishes a love relationship, and saves his life.
More moves, more Europe: Dangerous moves is a 1984 French-Switzerland movie. Full antagonism, Cold War era, World chess championship, dirty moves, tricks, and tension, and Oskar won. I hope you’ll like it. Drama met romance in Luzhin defense from 1992. The plot is built around an international chess tournament in Italy where gifted but mentally tormented chess master tries to win both chess and love against all odds. His former chess tutor is against him, her fiancé’s mother is against them, and his health is endangered by his chess obsession. 
It’s hard to tell the win/loss ratio here. Before we continue with some newer movies, there is an honorable mention: The musical Chess from 1986 is not the movie, but its great music on double album released in 1984 and chess-based story should place it on your list of interest. Just check the biggest hits from the musical: ‘One night in Bangkok’ by Murray Head and ‘I know him so well’ by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson. If it reminds you of ABBA it’s because the male half of the band created the music.
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