Das Königsspiel (1993)

Das Königsspiel: Directed by Steven Zaillian. With Max Pomeranc, Joe Mantegna, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley. A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.

“Chess is a challenging game that hasnu0026#39;t been given its due in the art of cinema, so itu0026#39;s a pity u0026quot;Searching for Bobby Fischeru0026quot;, one of the few u0026quot;chess moviesu0026quot; out there, offers an unconvincing, Hollywoodized treatment of the subject. This is one of those completely conventional, crowd-pleasing entertainments that make everything look too easy (it almost argues that one doesnu0026#39;t need to practice or study to become really good at something, as long as he has a natural gift for it; Iu0026#39;m sure the real Josh Waitzkin would dismiss all that as pure baloney), and rely on a predictable u0026quot;Rockyu0026quot;-type final showdown (in this case, against a mean-spirited little chess whiz). Nonetheless, with such a splendid cast (including an excellent performance by newcomer Max Pomeranc), it would be impossible for this film not to have its interesting and affecting moments. (**1/2)”