Chess in the movies

12/21/2013 – Chess and Hollywood have long been close friends, and even when the silver screen was not showing movies that were outright about chess, they never hesitated to slip in some scenes with chess. Here is a look at the films where the royal game makes a cameo appearance, but is not the outright star. Each movie listed includes the key scene and a bit of commentary. How many of them do you know?

 

Chess and Hollywood have long been close friends, and even when the silver screen was not showing movies that were outright about chess, they never hesitated to slip in some scenes with chess. Here is a look
at films where chess makes a cameo appearance, but is not the outright star.

The Killing (1956)

Stanley Kubrick was a well-known chess aficionado, and not only had a chess
board with pieces on all his movies sets, but would drag actors, personnel, and
even reporters into a game. In "The Killing" (1956) a key scene takes place in
a chess club, with a perfect line "Shut up, patzer!"

2001 A Space Odyssey

In the science-fiction classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), astronaut Frank
Poole plays a game against the ship's AI computer, HAL 9000

Blade Runner (1982)

In the timeless masterpiece Blade Runner (1982) by Ridley Scott, chess opens more doors
than just the mind. Blade Runner was initially shown without the voice-over narration by
Harrison Ford and was slammed by an uncomprehending press who viewed it two weeks before
the release. Terrified, the studio added it before it hithte theatres, and no one could understand
what the reviews were complaining about. Ridley Scott's avantgarde vision was for a visual telling.

Young Victoria (2009)

In the film Young Victoria (2009), about the early reign of Queen Victoria and her famous
romance with Prince Albert, they play a game and she tells him how she feels as if she is
but a piece in a game

WarGames (1983)

WarGames was an iconic film, bringing to the fore the potential dangers of
letting a computer be the decision-maker in a war situation. The final scene
and line "How about a nice game of chess?" are a part of movie history.

The Seventh Seal (1957)

The chess scene from Ingmar Bergman's classic "The Seventh Seal" is quite
possibly the most famous movie chess scene of all time. The challenge by the
Knight to Death for his life on a wager of a game is wondrous to behold.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

The new action spin on Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law features
chess on several occasions, and even sports a chess clock as they first appeared. Kudos
to whoever gave them that proper guidance.

From Russia with Love (1963)

In the classic James Bond film "From Russia with Love" (one of the best), with
Sean Connery and Daniela Bianchi, one of the criminal masterminds is the
dastardly Kronsteen who is shown playing for the title against MacAdams. The
chess tournament set appearing at the beginning of the film cost $150,000 at
the time, and the ceiling top of the chess set was actually a matte painting.

Independence Day (1996)

In the big screen blockbuster "Independence Day" (1996) the scientist responsible for saving
the human race is shown playing chess with his father in the park

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)

The depiction of chess with pieces going for each other was a fallback on past films and
even software (Battle Chess anyone?), but great fun all the same.

The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

It is possibly unique in the history of film, when chess becomes a key element in a grand
seduction, but both Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, at the height of their careers
(and looks), pull it off with sensuality and class

X-Men (2000)

After a successful first film and start of a franchise, X-Men concludes with both
hero and villain, played by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen (best friends in real
life), facing each other at the board

Star Wars (1977)

Though not chess in the purest sense, the famous holographic game between
R2D2 and Chewbacca had children and adults dreaming of the day chess would
look so cool. "Let the wookie win"

Source: en.chessbase.com