Before The Queen’s Gambit, there was Searching for Bobby Fischer. Based on the real-life story of child chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin, the film tells a fictionalized tale about the seven-year-old’s journey to becoming a chess champion. Released in 1993 and directed by Steven Zaillian, the movie still holds up today as one of the most wholesome and riveting stories about chess to ever make it to the big screen.
Much of Searching for Bobby Fischer revolves around the premise of greatness and mystery that the real-life Bobby Fischer brought to not only chess but also the world. In 1972, Fischer won the match against the USSR’s Boris Spassky, and this victory would go on to symbolize America’s strength in the face of the Cold War. Shortly after this win, Fischer disappeared and would not return to the public eye for almost 20 years. His brilliance as a chess player was revered back in the day—today, despite his Grandmaster title, he is looked at with considerably more skepticism thanks to his raging antisemitic views—and his books are still studied by those looking to become as great at the game as him. Searching for Bobby Fischer takes place during the time when Fischer was still in hiding, a choice that only adds to the joyful impossibility of finding a young chess prodigy on the streets of New York City.
Like all great sports movies, Searching for Bobby Fischer leans hard on our emotions. James Horner’s score manipulates viewers into believing that Josh just might be Fischer reincarnated. After obsessively—and secretly—observing the speed chess players in Washington Square Park, Josh teaches himself how to play chess. His natural prowess at the game doesn’t go unnoticed by his parents, both of whom feel that their son’s burgeoning love of chess should be encouraged. But Josh’s father, Fred (Joe Mantegna), can’t set aside his own desire to see his son become great at something, and soon, his pressurized approach to Josh’s playing begins to wear on the boy. It’s a fairly run-of-the-mill storyline, but it’s enhanced by its unique subject matter and excellent performances from a cast of exceptional actors.
The film is based on the book of the same name written by the real-life Fred Waitzkin, and one of the most interesting things about the movie is how it smartly approaches the darker, more fanatic side of child chess players. When Josh finally begins competing in tournaments, it is the parents who want to see their children win more than the actual children themselves. In one standout scene, after two fathers get into a fight over a match, the tournament officials force all the parents to leave the hall where the games are being played. In response to the now silent and calm environment of the tournament hall, the children erupt into applause, signaling that it is their parents’ dreams and anxieties getting in the way of their winning. Not their own.
There is just so much to love about Searching for Bobby Fischer. Josh, who is played by Max Pomeranc, is undeniably wholesome with his slight lisp and chronically untied sneakers. He is the picture of boyhood, all ill-fitting clothes and minute attention span. His bedroom feels like something straight out of a Spielberg set so steeped in nostalgia that it becomes almost impossible to ignore. Josh’s bunk bed is turned into a fort of sorts, with patterned bed sheets tucked underneath the top mattress so that they conceal the lower bunk completely. An ethereal, glowing magic lantern spins on his windowsill, and his beloved Playmobil castle and knights provide him with his very first makeshift chess set. In one tender scene, Frank shows Josh how to oil his first baseball glove, but when he realizes he didn’t buy his son an actual baseball to put in the glove, Josh digs a kitschy snow globe out from under his bed, using the glittering globe in place of an actual ball. His room is the ultimate symbol of his childlike wonder, constantly reminding us that, while he is unbelievably good at chess, he is still tied to that magical world of childhood.
And then there’s the supporting cast. A young Laurence Fishburne plays Vinnie Livermore, a regular player at the speed chess tables Josh is so fond of and who takes a liking to Josh right from the start. The two strike up an unlikely friendship, with Vinnie coaching Josh in both chess and life (he is also the only character in the entire movie to ever ask Josh if he is doing okay). And while one might expect Vinnie’s storyline to veer into white savior territory, it never really does, preferring instead to allow Vinnie the space to exist as nothing more than a strong, positive influence on Josh. Ben Kingsley plays the hardened yet hopeful Bruce Pandolfini who agrees to take Josh on as a chess student, honing his skills with unconventional tactics. Based on the real-life Pandolfini, Bruce maintains a love-hate relationship with the game, preferring to look at chess as an art. When explaining his son’s greatness to Frank, Bruce tells him that the people who come to his chess club are “like forgers. We’re competent fakes” before going on to say that Josh is the real deal with actual potential to be just like Fischer.
Movies that take a game or sport and elevate it to art always hold the potential to reveal something truly special about their subject matter. James Mangold’s Ford v. Ferrari did this with racing, and Akeelah and the Bee did this with spelling bee championships. Both films showed audiences how to love the sport in the same way the people who participate in it love it. Searching for Bobby Fischer does this with chess, imbuing its audience with messages about the game that can easily be translated into powerful, real-world adages. One of the most quoted lines from the film, “Don’t move until you see it,” speaks volumes as to how we might approach challenges in our lives.
The film is also an exceptional portrayal of sportsmanship, with Josh being genuinely unable to hate or despise his opponents. In a desperate attempt to get Josh to understand what is at stake when playing in a tournament, Bruce tells him, “You have to have contempt for your opponents. You have to hate them … They hate you.” But Josh is unable to see things this way. Even when Bruce says, “Bobby Fischer held the world in contempt,” Josh replies, “I’m not him.” This unwillingness to dislike his opponents simply for being his opponents serves Josh well, especially in the film’s final, tension-filled match with the Damien-esque Jonathan Poe (Michael Nirenberg). Jonathan is Josh’s foil in every way, and he is always shown with a scowl on his face. His favorite catchphrase to use when he beats an unsuspecting opponent is “Trick or treat” (yes, really), and he is always dressed in a white dress shirt and black slacks. You loathe him from the very moment you see him, and yet, you pity him for getting trapped on the wrong side of competitive children’s chess. When Josh recognizes that he is going to win his match against Jonathan, thus winning the championship, he tries to offer his opponent a way out by extending a draw. It is a unique moment of sportsmanship rarely seen in uplifting sports films as it shows that Josh is willing to forgo winning in order to help his opponent succeed (it should be noted that the real-life Waitzkin offered a similar draw in the actual match, as well). Of course, Jonathan declines the draw, and Josh goes on to sweep the floor with him, but even though you want to celebrate seeing Jonathan’s smug smile wiped cleanly off his face, you can’t help but feel sorry for him instead.
Searching for Bobby Fischer is over 30 years old, yet it doesn’t offer many major instances where it feels supremely outdated or offensive. It’s hard to point to any specific section and say, “Wow. That really didn’t age well,” and that’s because the movie is a Grandmaster in its own genre. Currently, it holds a 100% fresh rating on the oft-referenced Rotten Tomatoes, making it a perfect film to revisit if you’re looking for a feel-good sports drama. Even though Josh was always too quick to bring out his queen, Searching for Bobby Fischer gets its pacing just right so that by the time it’s over, there’s no denying that check-and-mate feeling.
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