

In this Gilles Carle feature documentary on the game of chess, the international chess match is cast as a classic Western shoot-out. Three chess greats dominate the film: Russia's Anatoly Karpov; Viktor Korchnoi, a Russian defector; and American Bobby Fischer. Chess aficionados Camille Coudari and Fernando Arrabal analyze the personalities and strategies of the players and comment on the interplay of politics and chess.

Pascal Rollin
Narrator (voice)
Lead
Anatoli Karpov
Self
Viktor Kortchnoi
Self

Fernando Arrabal
Self
Boris Spassky
Self

Bobby Fischer
Self (archive footage)
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Gilles Carle's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
“Every frame feels alive. The Great Chess Movie is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”