Bobby Fischer is one of the 20th century's most celebrated sportsmen. The brash American chess prodigy became an international superstar, cemented in a Cold War confrontation with Soviet champion Boris Spassky that doubled as a political ploy between the sparring nations. In a new "Pawn Sacrifice" featurette exclusive to The Huffington Post, the upcoming film's stars -- including Tobey Maguire, who portrays Fischer -- and director Edward Zwick ("Legends of the Fall," "Blood Diamond") highlight their approach to the grandmaster's story of arrogance, paranoia and turmoil.
Written by Steven Knight ("Dirty Pretty Things," "The Hundred-Foot Journey"), "Pawn Sacrifice" opens Sept. 16. It also stars Peter Sarsgaard, Liev Schreiber, Lily Rabe and Michael Stuhlbarg.
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"Creation" (2009)
Subject: Charles Darwin Portrayed by: Paul Bettany Period depicted: Adult life, as Darwin's scientific theories clash with his religious wife's beliefs Also starring: Jennifer Connelly, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Jim Carter
"Heart Beat" (1980)
Subject: The Beat Generation Portrayed by: Nick Nolte (Neal Cassady), Sissy Spacek (Carolyn Cassady), John Heard (Jack Kerouac) Period depicted: The period in which the three entered a love triangle in the late 1950s and '60s Also starring: John Larroquette, David Lynch, Ray Sharkey
"James Dean" (2001)
Subject: James Dean Portrayed by: James Franco Period depicted: Age 8 to his death at age 24 Also starring: Michael Moriarty, Enrico Colantoni
"Lust For Life" (1956)
Subject: Vincent van Gogh Portrayed by: Kirk Douglas Period depicted: Adult life, particularly the onset of van Gogh's mental illness Also starring: Anthony Quinn
"Pandaemonium" (2000)
Subject: William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge Portrayed by: John Hannah (Wordsworth) and Linus Roache (Coleridge) Period depicted: The poets' collaboration on "Lyrical Ballads" and Coleridge penning "Kubla Khan" Also starring: Samantha Morton, Samuel West
"Stalin" (1992)
Subject: Joseph Stalin Portrayed by: Robert Duvall Period depicted: Stalin's ruling and the Soviet Union's rise to power Also starring: Julia Ormond, Jim Carter, Kevin McNally
"The Agony and the Ecstasy" (1965)
Subject: Michelangelo Portrayed by: Charlton Heston Period depicted: The painting of the Sistine Chapel, during which time Michelangelo clashed with Pope Julius II Also starring: Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II
"The Gathering Storm" (2002)
Subject: Winston Churchill Portrayed by: Albert Finney Period depicted: The years leading up to World War II Also starring: Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Linus Roache, Lena Headey, Derek Jacobi, Tom Wilkinson
"The Motorcycle Diaries" (2004)
Subject: Ernesto Guevara, who would soon become known as Che Guevara Portrayed by: Gael García Bernal Period depicted: Guevara's 1952 expedition across South America with his friend Alberto Granado, during which he witnessed the injustices that would later prompt his revolution Also starring: Rodrigo de la Serna
"Wilde" (1997)
Subject: Oscar Wilde Portrayed by: Stephen Fry Period depicted: Wilde's marriage to Constance Lloyd, during which he comes to terms with his homosexuality Also starring: Jude Law, Tim Wilkinson, Jennifer Ehle, Gemma Jones, Vanessa Redgrave
"The Babe" (1992)
Subject: Babe Ruth Portrayed by: John Goodman Period depicted: Age 7 through Ruth's decline in the mid-1930s Also starring: Kelly McGillis, James Cromwell
"The Bunker" (1981)
Subject: Adolph Hitler Portrayed by: Anthony Hopkins Period depicted: The last three months of Hitler's life Also starring: Richard Jordan, Piper Laurie, Michael Lonsdale
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