Tobey Maguire Gets Recruited for a Chess War in 'Pawn Sacrifice' Clip

Meriah Doty
Updated

A historic chess match becomes a proxy battle in the Cold War in the upcoming drama Pawn Sacrifice. Based on the true story of American prodigy Bobby Fischer (played by Tobey Maguire), Sacrifice delves into Fischer’s rivalry with Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber), the World Chess Champion from the Soviet Union. In 1972, the two faced off in the so-called Match of the Century in Reykjavík, Iceland, capturing more attention than any chess game before or since.

In exclusive clip from the film above, we see just how high the international stakes have become. The Brooklyn-born Fischer is courted by attorney Paul Marshall (A Serious Man’s Michael Stuhlbarg), who sees Fischer’s upcoming match as an excellent opportunity to strike a psychological blow against America’s No. 1 enemy. “You’re the one man in this country who can put up a fight,” says Marshall.

Pawn Sacrifice opens in select theaters Sept. 16.

Watch the trailer here:

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