EIFF 2011: Bobby Fischer Against the World

Recounting the life of the revered American chess master famed for his strange behaviour and seemingly unmatched ability, Bobby Fischer Against the World centres around the idiosyncratic self-taught Brooklynite's Cold War World Championship rivalry with Soviet Boris Spassky. Combining rare archive footage and previously unseen stills by photographer Harry Benson, director Liz Garbus presents a portrait of an insular young man with extreme dedication to one ambition at the expense of all else.

Given the simplest of retelling, the events of Fischer's life form a captivating narrative which Garbus handles with a sophisticated touch. The testimonies of those associated with Fischer, including Henry Kissinger, Malcolm Gladwell and Dick Cavett alongside a number of former chess champions, provide an intriguing glimpse into both the artistry of his playing and the psychotic affects seemingly caused by years of isolated commitment.

Fascinating and far less didactic than you might expect, Garbus' film explores the intellectual beauty of the game balanced against the erratic and enigmatic Fischer. [David McGinty]