MovieChat Forums > Hatley High Discussion > Chess

Chess

posted 18 years ago by badchess
10 replies | jump to latest

OK, I liked the movie. But as a chess geek, the chess really bugged me.

I'm sure they could have found some chess player (it is, after all, to some extent, a chess movie) to have pointed them in the right directions, as toward chess moves, games, and behavior. Would it have killed the director to say "A, chessgeek, for a $100 (Canadian!) I want you to give me some chess tips in the movie I am making..."

Real chess players do not move their knights to Rook 3, or refuse to take free pieces in the opening, or make moves with the right hand and punch the clock with the left hand, etc.

Other then that, a good movie, but how come no cheerleaders pursued me when I was captain of the chess team? How come no Russian beauties tried to seduce me?
And where did that cheerleader get a shotgun from?

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] philthephilmmaker 17 years ago

I have no idea how to play chess. When we shot the film we got a chess consultant but the guy just got too frustrated with us. Sorry to those out there about the bad chess play but it is a movie. No way did we mean to offend chess enthusiasts...

Phil

[–] dragondemon12 17 years ago

I have to admit the one thing that bugged me the most as a chess player is the very ugly and very unpractical chess sets they were using. I know that teaching actors how to play chess is challenging but it would probably have been cheaper to just purchase standard playing sets. Another thing, having cheerleaders and all those other people watching me would drive me nuts if I was trying to play.

[–] biesman 17 years ago

ayy, but you people forget, this movie was NOT aimed at realisim, its a spoof of all them teen movies, so sure it might make you nervous to have people watching you in a serious contest, but for the movie, it makes perfect sense.

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[–] king_of_bob 17 years ago

I guess real chess players don't know how to spell Knight huh?

Two wrongs don't make a left hand turn.

[–] brandiann 17 years ago

That was the joke...trying to be ironic...guess it wasn't that funny

[–] king_of_bob 17 years ago

I don't see how what you said is ironic.

Two wrongs don't make a left hand turn.

[–] chad-selph 16 years ago

I agree. It didn't ruin the movie for me, but a few times I was like "come on!"

[–] eldenhiemer 16 years ago

I can't believe this is even a post. If you don't get that this movie is not about chess then you really need to re-evaluate your perception of things in life. My, and I stress that word MY, perception is that this was a pseudo comedy/comming of age story in which the main character is bening put in a situation he does not want to be in. Being thrust into a world where he knows no one but they all seem to know him, his history and also have great expectations of him. NONE OF WHICH HE WANTS....and that is how the movie progresses. The fact that they are chess players and not Football/Baseball/Swimteam etc..etc. Is the humor in it. If you were to replace chess with football then none of the behavior you may question is abnormal AND IT WOULD BE LIKE EVERY OTHER TEENAGE MOVIE OUT THERE!

Now if the director wishes to correct me on this please do, but that is what I felt the movie was about. And having re-watched it tonight I can say I did really enjoy it as much as I have some of his other films as well.

MORE funny and unconventional films is what this world needs and far less garbage of what there is out there now.

That is my opinion berate me as you wish

[–] The Shrike 12 years ago

Real chess players do not move their knights to Rook 3, or refuse to take free pieces in the opening, or make moves with the right hand and punch the clock with the left hand, etc.

They don't in your typical 40 moves in two hours tourament setting, but go down to Washington Square, or various other outdoor chess corners and you see that all the time.

I've seen many strong masters, IM's, and even GM's open blitz money games with Na3. The strategy is a simple one, take your opponent out of the opening book from the first move. Works best against weaker opponents, and players who spend far too much time playing chess programs, and not enough against real people.

As for breaking tournament rules like same hand that moves the piece must punch the clock, that happens on the chess corners too. At the corner I go to, you have to catch an illegal move before you punch the clock, otherwise it's too late buddy.

My favourite is a guy who will purposely move his king into the square beside yours late in the endgame when he's losing. By that point both players are usually under time pressure and moving fast, so he's hoping you quickly move one of the pieces you're boxing him in with and punch the clock, at which point he snaps your king with his and laughs.