Top critic
Indian Express
Film review ·
After watching 'Pawn Sacrifice', the game, that involves kings, queens, knights and bishops, but essentially two players poring over a small table, will never look the same again.


Maguire's Fischer holds the board, but familiar moves limit the drama.
Verdict tier Mixed, lukewarm or divided, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.
Not streaming in India
Critic consensus
Critics received Pawn Sacrifice with a generally positive but measured response, praising the film for making chess compelling and dramatically tense for general audiences. Tobey Maguire's portrayal of Bobby Fischer was specifically highlighted for capturing the complexity and frustration surrounding the chess prodigy. The film's direction and screenplay were credited for elevating the on-board action into gripping cinema. The main criticism was that viewers already familiar with Fischer's life would find little new ground covered.
1 not-rated review isn't plotted
Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10
AI-generated summary of 5 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyFrom the papers
Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated
Top critic
Film review ·
After watching 'Pawn Sacrifice', the game, that involves kings, queens, knights and bishops, but essentially two players poring over a small table, will never look the same again.
Top critic
Film review ·
Even if you have never played chess in your life, Pawn Sacrifice is fun to watch. It is a testament to Zwick's direction and Knight's writing that Pawn Sacrifice makes chess games so tense and exciting.
Film review ·
Playing Fischer, Maguire accurately portrays the frustration that the people close to the real chess prodigy felt, but understood and tolerated because they knew that this was no ordinary guy. Essaying a complex character like Fischer isn't easy, but Maguire does a pretty admirable job of it. You might just want to bring out that old chessboard after watching this one.
Film review ·
Pawn Sacrifice is a fascinating drama, a biopic of sorts, that sheds light on the life and career of America's most valued asset during the height of the cold war. And it's not a weapon of mass destruction I am alluding to, but a homegrown champion whose mastery over the game of 64 squares put the chess giants, USSR, on the back foot.
Film review ·
If you have never heard the name Bobby Fischer and want to see the biopic on this Chess legend's life, Pawn Sacrifice is a decent watch for you. But if you are well-read about this personality, the film will show you something you already know.
Credits
Tobey MaguireBobby Fischer Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick as teenage Bobby Fischer Aiden Lovekamp as young Bobby Fischer
Peter SarsgaardWilliam Lombardy
Liev SchreiberBoris Spassky
Michael StuhlbargPaul Marshall
Lily RabeJoan Fischer Sophie Nélisse as young Joan
Sophie Nélisseyoung Joan
Efim GellerEfim Geller
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrickteenage Bobby Fischer
Conrad PlaCarmine Nigro
Évelyne BrochuDonna
Aiden Lovekampyoung Bobby Fischer
Robin WeigertRegina FischerEnglish films like Pawn Sacrifice