Pawn Sacrifice (Bobby Fischer film)

[Mark Ashley]

I wanted to see it before i came across any spoilers.

I didnt enjoy any of the pre-sequals, but loved the original trilogy. This one, i really enjoyed and think JJ has done a good job with what could have been a very difficult project.

[Carl Hibbard]

A quick fleeting visit. I still cannot navigate this new look.

We have to move with the times Geoff and make sure this software is up to date mainly for security concerns if nothing else.

[Stephen Saunders]

Trivia question for you (or any kibitzers) -

Who won a brilliancy prize playing against William Lombardy in 1974?

Was it Ivkov at Amsterdam? That's the only game in Informator which seems to fit.

If not I'd love to know who it was!

[John Moore]

Nah, it was Ghitescu, a Rumanian, at Olot 1974 - not exactly one of the best known tournaments or the best known brilliancy prize winners. The game is, however, well worth a look if somebody would be kind enough to put it up.

[Roger de Coverly]

Nah, it was Ghitescu, a Rumanian, at Olot 1974

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1385863

[John Moore]

I think that the only thing Olot 1974 was famous for was the Iskov-Bartrina miniature. White was 2380 at the time when that meant something.

[IM Jack Rudd]

White was 2380 at the time when that meant something.

Hmmmm.

[John McKenna]

Nah, it was Ghitescu, a Rumanian, at Olot 1974 - not exactly one of the best known tournaments or the best known brilliancy prize winners. The game is, however, well worth a look if somebody would be kind enough to put it up.

Teodor Ghitescu b. 24 Jan 1934 Bucharest, IM 1961. Romanian Champion 1963

The game -

[Event "Olot (Spain)"] [Site "?"] [Date "1974.03.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Ghitescu, Teodor (IM 2455)"] [Black "Lombardy, William (GM 2520)"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E87"] [PlyCount "59"] {Comments by Toran - This game won the brilliancy prize.} 1. c4 g6 2. e4 Bg7 3. d4 d6 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. f3 {Samisch} O-O 6. Be3 e5 7. d5 c5 $5 {Inferior to both 7... c6, and 7... Nh5.} 8. g4 h5 9. h3 a6 {No better are 9... Nh7... and 9... Na6... as in Tal-Boleslavsky 1958 USSR Ch. and Ghitescu-Gavrila 1959 Bucharest(respectively).} 10. a4 Nh7 11. h4 hxg4 12. fxg4 f5 13. g5 fxe4 14. Bg2 Rf7 15. Bxe4 Nf8 {The N still has nowhere to go.} 16. h5 Qb6 17. h6 Bh8 18. h7+ Kg7 19. Qe2 {threat - 20.Qh2} Rf5 20. Nf3 Qd8 21. Qh2 Kf7 22. Kd2 {To bring the QR into play with Raf1.} b5 23. Bxf5 Bxf5 24. Nh4 b4 25. Ne2 Nc6 26. Raf1 (26. dxc6 d5 {would give Black counterpay.}) 26... Ne7 27. Ng3 b3 28. Nhxf5 Qa5+ 29. Ke2 gxf5 30. Qh5+ {1-0 There is no answer to 31.Nxf5.} 1-0

[Stephen Saunders]

Many thanks, John, Roger, and John. One wonders how many fine games get left out of Informator!

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I’ve been trying to track down any sort of release date on this, details seem very sketchy and have done for the past year really. Toby Maguire is a medium big draw name thanks to Spiderman, so you would expect some sort of general release for the film. I’ve got a suspicion like “Bobby Fischer against the World” It’ll be a wait for the endlessly delayed DVD job.

Just checking in on this to make sure I didn't somehow miss a limited UK release (I am not aware of anything outside single showings arranged for the media/special occasions).

I found this site claiming to show DVD release dates:

http://www.ondvdreleases.com/2481-pawn-sacrifice.html

Does anyone have any definite news on this? Might writing to the studio who produced it get any news? Has it been released on DVD in the USA?

Apparently yes:

http://www.amazon.com/Pawn-Sacrifice-To ... B015DFI986

But that is Region 1 (USA and Canada only). It has been a long time since I had to 'unlock' DVDs to play them. Is that still possible or necessary in this day and age,and is importing a DVD released in a different region possible or is it better to wait for an official release?

Oh, apparently it was released in region 2 (Europe) as well:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pawn-Sacrifice- ... B01BU218Q6

But frustratingly with English audio and Polish subtitles (go figure).

The region 1 DVD has English subtitles for the hearing impaired, so I'll have to get that then, won't I?

[Jon Mahony]

I’ve been trying to track down any sort of release date on this, details seem very sketchy and have done for the past year really. Toby Maguire is a medium big draw name thanks to Spiderman, so you would expect some sort of general release for the film. I’ve got a suspicion like “Bobby Fischer against the World” It’ll be a wait for the endlessly delayed DVD job.

Just checking in on this to make sure I didn't somehow miss a limited UK release (I am not aware of anything outside single showings arranged for the media/special occasions).

I found this site claiming to show DVD release dates:

http://www.ondvdreleases.com/2481-pawn-sacrifice.html

Does anyone have any definite news on this? Might writing to the studio who produced it get any news? Has it been released on DVD in the USA?

Apparently yes:

http://www.amazon.com/Pawn-Sacrifice-To ... B015DFI986

But that is Region 1 (USA and Canada only). It has been a long time since I had to 'unlock' DVDs to play them. Is that still possible or necessary in this day and age,and is importing a DVD released in a different region possible or is it better to wait for an official release?

Oh, apparently it was released in region 2 (Europe) as well:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pawn-Sacrifice- ... B01BU218Q6

But frustratingly with English audio and Polish subtitles (go figure).

The region 1 DVD has English subtitles for the hearing impaired, so I'll have to get that then, won't I?

Sorry Christopher, I've been off-forum for a while as I've had a couple of months of been pissed off with Chess in general, luckly blip over now and back to doing some study etc.

Ah at least it’s out in some form, it’s a toss-up really watch it on the laptop in R1 or get a Scandinavian front over and watch it in the DVD player. I think I’ll pop for the latter, I got a similar DVD on poker recently which ran fine in the player. I am quite curious to see the film, I suppose if you need subtitles, this is a problem though

[Carl Hibbard]

Amazon prime has pawn sacrifice with Tobey Maguire if anyone is interested.

[Kevin Thurlow]

Thanks Carl

[Christopher Kreuzer]

An update on this, over a year-and-a-half later:

http://variety.com/2017/film/global/tob ... 202520637/

"“Pawn Sacrifice” will launch on Amazon’s U.K. Prime Video on August 13, the first time the streaming service has had a movie day and date with its theatrical release in the country.

The film stars Tobey Maguire as American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer and launched at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014, before getting a limited U.S. release in 2015."

[...]

"Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.K. will be able to stream or download the movie from this weekend, as the film is released in theaters."

Bizarrely, Cineworld are marketing the film as:

UK Jewish film

Release date given there as '11 August 2017' (i.e. last Friday).

(Possibly explained by a pre-release screening at Phoenix Cinema on 5 August 2017, advertised here, by the charity UK Jewish Film)

Not sure which other cinema chains have taken up the option to show this film.

So far you can see it in the Didsbury Cineworld at 20:00 on 15 August and 17 August this week.

You can also see it in Reel Cinema Borehamwood (Hertfordshire):

https://film.list.co.uk/listing/818543-pawn-sacrifice/

Can't find any other cinemas showing it so far...

Have any chess organisations been advertising or publicising this?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Maybe merge with this thread?

http://www.ecforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php ... 57#p203957