English Chess Forum

I have thought of a new type of chess film festival. One which shows various minorities playing chess. e.g
QUEEN OF KATWE Africans and women Uganda
ALGORITHMS Indian blind juniors
SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER aka INNOCENT MOVES child player USA
CHESS FEVER 1925 silent USSR
HATLEY HIGH the students are besotted with chess in the same way as they are depicted for basketball, etc. USA
DARK HORSE a mentally disturbed man gained salvation teaching chess. NZ

https://youtu.be/9ejKTip0tRQ
Recipe for genius: How child chess prodigies master the game.
Pointed out in the FIDE newsletter how this can be accessed on yotube, as above.

On freeview channel 5USA tonight there is an old Columbo film "The Most Dangerous Match" - the synopsis is "An American chess champion fears he is about to be beaten by a superior player from Russia, and decides the only sure-fire way he can avoid defeat is by murdering his opponent."

"On freeview channel 5USA tonight there is an old Columbo film "The Most Dangerous Match" - the synopsis is "An American chess champion fears he is about to be beaten by a superior player from Russia, and decides the only sure-fire way he can avoid defeat is by murdering his opponent.""

It's quite entertaining if you like Columbo! Some of the chess is a bit suspect, e.g. a loss in a simul (although I realise why it was included), and a cafe scene. I'll say no more, but look out for those examples...

Laurence Harvey was the principal guest actor in that old Colombo film - if memory serves me correct.

"Laurence Harvey was the principal guest actor"

Yes - he died shortly afterwards (stomach cancer) aged only in his mid-40s.

I watched The House on 92nd Street (1945) a film cum documentary apparently based on a true incident.

Secrets are smuggled out of an American scientific laboratory but the FBI have no idea as to the how or who.
They then learn one of the technicians they suspect can hold 14 games of chess in his mind at the same time.
So they figure out he is memorising the details and copying them out at the house on 92nd street.

One memorable moment.

"Where did you take the details too?"

"I cannot remember."

"You can hold 14 games of chess in your mind and now you forget an address?"

Geoff C >I watched The House on 92nd Street (1945) <
You have found one that Bob Basalla has not seen. He collates all references to chess in the movies.

I recently watched the 1966 Thunderbirds Movie. Brains playing (I say Virgil wife says Scoot) at chess.



Plot: (in a nutshell)

Men are sent to Mars. They see something that looks interesting so being human they blast it with a high powered rifle.
Interesting thing turns out to be a now ex-living thing and is killed. Thing's friends (one eyed rocks) attack men,
spaceship takes off but is damaged and has trouble at Earths re-entry. Thunderbirds rescue them.
Cliff Richard and The Shadows make an appearance. Brilliant.

That's definitely Virgil.
There's also an episode 'Sun Probe' where Brains invents a robot which later beats him at chess.

Hi Phil,


There is also a Thunderbirds chess set.

Mention of Columbo reminded me of an earlier TV series, 77 Sunset Strip (showing my age there). One episode featured events in and around a chess tournament. I forget most of the details, but I do recall that Efrem Zimbalist Jnr's character for some reason had to persuade two of the competitors to rig a game. The American player was very reluctant, but finally agreed, remarking "at least the result's right - I win!".

There is also a Thunderbirds chess set.

Thanks for the thought, Geoff. You say 'is' not 'was' - does that mean it's still available?

Phil Neatherway wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:51 pm

There is also a Thunderbirds chess set.

Thanks for the thought, Geoff. You say 'is' not 'was' - does that mean it's still available?

There are a few for sale on E-Bay, here is one.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/c/624485884

Stewart Reuben wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 30, 2021 6:48 pm

I have thought of a new type of chess film festival. One which shows various minorities playing chess. e.g
QUEEN OF KATWE Africans and women Uganda
ALGORITHMS Indian blind juniors
SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER aka INNOCENT MOVES child player USA
CHESS FEVER 1925 silent USSR
HATLEY HIGH the students are besotted with chess in the same way as they are depicted for basketball, etc. USA
DARK HORSE a mentally disturbed man gained salvation teaching chess. NZ

Album61 Boris Gelfand ?