Bobby Fischer Against the World review

Tragic tale of the chess champion who ended his life a fugitive

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

American chess genius Bobby Fischer became world champ in 1972, triumphing over his Russian opponent Boris Spassky in a 24-game series.

A sudden global celeb, Fischer dropped out of public life, and ended his troubled life as a fugitive, infamous for anti-Semitic rants.

Liz Garbus’ intimate film combines impressive archive footage with candid interviews with Fischer’s friends and colleagues.

The tragic upshot is that the psychological make-up that contributed to Fischer’s brilliance also lay behind his mental instability away from the board.