Based on a true story, Pawn Sacrifice is an intense drama film about Bobby Fisher's chess life. In Pawn Sacrifice Bobby Fisher (played by Tobey Maguire) is a paranoid chess genius that wants to be the best chess player in the world. Fisher becomes the youngest grandmaster in the world. While at a tournament in Bulgaria Fisher thinks that the Russians are trying to cheat him, which he feels makes it impossible for a non-Soviet player to win the championship. He quits the tournament and ends his professional career. When he returns to America a lawyer says that he will help him modify the tournament rules to give Fischer a fair chance to win future tournaments. Fischer re-enters the world of professional chess. Fisher beats most of the grandmaster around the world. Fisher then begins to be a celebrity in America. He loses against Boris Spassky (played by Liev Schreiber), the current world champion. Fisher is mad and wants to rematch him in Iceland. Since this takes place during the Cold War the US is desperate to challenge the Russian's in anything so they get involved with Fisher. The pressure to win every game drives Fischer towards psychosis. Fisher and Spassky begin their 24 game match. Fisher ends up winning the matches against Spassky. Due to his paranoia and all the stress Fisher gets into the anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and overall becoming a nut job.
To start Tobey Maguire does a great job playing Bobby Fisher and Liev Schreiber does a great job playing Boris Spassky. Pawn Sacrifice is continuously intense throughout the movie. Pawn Sacrifice was a unique move due to its chess themed nature. I enjoyed Pawn Sacrifice because of its great actors, it being a continuously intense movie, it's storytelling and it's chess theme. Overall I give Pawn Sacrifice four out of five stars.
