Pawn Sacrifice
Genre: Biographical drama
Personal rating: 8/10
Note: If you already know about Bobby Fischer’s life, no spoilers ahead
Pawn Sacrifice is a 2014 film that tells the story of Bobby Fischer, the enigmatic American chess genius who took the world by storm during his short time in the public eye in the 60s and early 70s.
Tobey Maguire expertly portrays Bobby Fischer — a quiet, draw-hating genius with a stunning ability to deploy variations that confused experts and opponents alike before shining through in the endgame. He is also easily agitated by the tiniest aberration to his routine, frequently launching into tantrums and constantly living in paranoia that he was being watched and followed by the KGB.
Now, chess is a game that lends itself easily to metaphorical references — it can represent a battleground, act as a depiction of the class system, or merely indicate that the characters involved are smart. In this film, it is made clear that Bobby Fischer’s battle against Soviet grandmasters is about more than winning at chess. This was during the Cold War, and hence the battle of chess is also a battle of perception. 24 years of Soviet domination in chess being shattered by a boy from Brooklyn would provide a massive boost to American morale and turn him into a celebrity.
This is not going to be easy. The Soviet Union has a vice grip on the game, providing the winner of the World Chess Championships for every year since 1948. Fischer’s team — composed of patriotic lawyer Paul Marshall (played by Michael Stuhlbarg) and priest-turned-coach William Lombardy (played by Peter Sarsgaard) — finds it increasingly difficult to manage Bobby’s outbursts, tantrums and demands. Before long, they find themselves working not to improve his game, but to ensure he does not wreck his career, and himself.
After returning from semi-retirement in the mid-1960s, Bobby Fischer’s legend grows as he begins to dominate chess (Indeed, Fischer won every tournament he competed in since turning 23 in 1966). He is confident that he is the best player in the world, and has his sight set firmly on the reigning champion — Soviet grandmaster Boris Spassky (portrayed by Liev Schreiber). Fischer’s rise and what his becoming champion would mean to the American people made him the biggest national celebrity of his time. Leaving a trail of grandmasters in his wake, Fischer earns his championship match against Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972.
Fischer shows a no-nonsense approach towards anything he views as unfair, and is prone to absconding unless his conditions are met. After his defeat in the 1962 Candidates tournament, he accused the Russians of colluding to ensure he doesn’t win (a claim largely accepted as true), and refuses to play unless his demands are met. He also forfeited Game 2 of the historic 1972 World Chess Championships as his demands for a silent, closed playing area weren’t accepted at the time. Outside of chess, he is crippled by paranoia, frequently taking apart clocks and phones in his hotel rooms in fear that he has been bugged, and got into the habit of listening to anti-Semitic tapes. Although he was never formally diagnosed with any mental illness, the film strongly suggests a worsening mental condition even has his performance on the board peaked.
It is hinted that Fischer’s paranoia and anti-Semitic tendencies might have taken root in his childhood, his Jewish mother (who he grew to view unfavourably) telling him in an early scene that they were being followed by the FBI, and trains him on how to answer their questions should he ever be interrogated by them.
There are also points when it becomes clear this is an American film — Fischer is portrayed as the righteous underdog fighting against a corrupt system rigged by the Soviets. While it is subtly made clear the pressure the Soviet players themselves face (after defeat against Fischer, they are ‘diagnosed with the flu’ to avoid national embarrassment), we do not learn more about Spassky or any of the other Soviet players — all we need to know, apparently, is that they are the enemy and their defeat must be celebrated. Nothing makes this clearer than the somber music turning upbeat when match 3 of the 1972 Championships turns Fischer’s way. Boris Spassky himself has called the film weak and without intrigue, and claims the ‘main thing is missing’ with regard to how exactly he agreed to continue the 1972 match. He also chalks down many of Fischer’s outbursts against the Soviet players to advice from ‘idealogue’ William Lombardy, Fischer’s coach, to put Spassky under ‘constant psychological stress’. Indeed, other biographical films about competitors, like Borg vs McEnroe, do a better job of portraying both sides of the story, even as they choose their hero.
That said, this film was 115 minutes well spent — an engaging portrayal of the events leading up to the 1972 World Chess Championship and of its winner, a player many regard as the greatest chess player of all time.
