Chess in the Movies

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) A young boy sees men playing chess in a city park and is fascinated by the game. He learns the rules by observing chess being played for money and his father soon learns that his boy has a natural skill with combinations. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)

In the first Harry Potter movie, three children get into a

truly dangerous game of chess, as they try to get through

a room in which enemy chess pieces block their progress,

literally. The only way through is to play a deadly game of

chess. Earlier in the film, Ron and Harry play a different

version of “Wizard’s chess,” a safer little variation.

Geri’s Game (1997) A 3D computer-animated short film, Geri’s Game, follows the comical antics of an old man who appears to be two old men who play chess in a city park. The Pixar film won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1998. The story shows how the old man on the right deals with a hopelessly lost position on the chess board. The Killing (1956) The producers of this film became acquainted as they played chess together. In the movie, the game is shown in a city chess club, although chess appears to have almost no relationship to the film story. Perhaps it was put into the movie because of the interest of some of the producers, especially Stanley Kubrick.

Casablanca - Rick studies chess

Many film fans remember the scene near the beginning of Casablanca. We see Rick’s hand by the chess board as he taps the white bishop. It’s been said that Humphrey Bogart was fond of the French Defense, although he once chose e5 in a simultaneous in which Samuel Reshevsky played on 70 boards. That game was a draw.