Iconic chess player depicted as chronic complainer.

Rating: 8/10 (23 September 2015)

Bobby Fischer is depicted as being moody, pushy, nasty, obstinate, possibly mentally ill. At times he is outright detestable. The problem with the movie, therefore, is that although it seems intent on depicting Fischer as a sympathetic character, one who is being manipulated for political reasons, the exact opposite is achieved. Instead of coming off as a hapless victim, Fischer is depicted as contributing to his own victimization, thus making his character far less sympathetic. Like his handlers, Fischer himself has no use for Communists and lets his feelings be known loudly on that subject. He also has no use for his mother who to him is little more than a Bolshevik whore, hence the basis for Fischer's mouthing off about communism. Thus, he's not cut out to be a Cold Warrior. Patriotism does not figure into Fischer's actions. All he wants is to be left alone so he can prove that he is greatest chess player in the world and make a lot of money. He doesn't need or want the political notoriety which to him is nothing but a distraction. Pay him enough money and he'll play chess anywhere in the world. Of course, Fischer's wishes are ignored and soon chess when played by Bobby Fischer is transformed into a weapon, and the player into a warrior. The question is: how does Fisher handle such pressure? The answer is: not well. One wants to sympathize with him. Even the White House is urging Fisher to play. Nobody really cares about Fischer personally. He's just being used. Yet, he is depicted as being so prissy, self-centered and mean spirited that it is virtually impossible to sympathize with his him or empathize with his plight. In the movie, Fischer is as nasty as his handlers are deceptive. Nothing about him is lovable. Even as a child he is argumentative. As a young child he tells his mother's boyfriend to get out of the house and then scolds his mother for being a communist. Far from being a hapless victim or politically naive, Fischer fully understands what his handlers expect from him, which, not unreasonably, just makes him angrier and more oppositional. Soon, people are questioning Fisher's sanity. After all, how could he possibly believe that the Russians are rigging the matches and tapping his phone? (This at a time when it was standard practice for the KGB to engage in all kinds of covert espionage activities. So Fischer's concerns were not far-fetched.) Not surprisingly, he eventually chucks his career, and then becomes, not surprisingly, a fugitive from US justice over, again not surprisingly, another controversy involving Bobby Fisher and chess. For the rest of his life Fischer is forced to live the life of an expatriate even though he did nothing to warrant such harsh treatment. This effectively ended the career of a world champion chess player whose only "crime" was refusing to let himself become a pawn in the big chess game being played between the US and the USSR. But despite the shoddy way Fischer is treated, still in this movie we're glad to watch him go. It's a relief. After all, according to the movie, Bobby Fischer was nothing but an obnoxious ingrate and a chronic complainer, and who wants to deal with a chronic complainer?