(www.germanvideo.com)
B&W. Based on Stefan Zweig's novel “The Royal Game,” this fascinating psychological drama stars Curd Juergens as Werner von Basil, an Austrian aristocrat and chess world champion captured by the Nazis during their takeover and thrown into solitary confinement. Once there, he is manipulated and interrogated in an effort to force him to reveal secret military information vital to his captors. Struggling to keep his sanity, he fights back with the only means available to him - a book on chess hidden in his cell. This stylish and visually stunning movie also stars Claire Bloom and is directed by Gerd Oswald. German language with English subtitles.

Chess Fever (Shakhmatnaya goryachka) (1925) Not Rated

In Vsevolod Pudovkin's silent film comedy from the 1920s Soviet Union, a young man becomes completely obsessed with the game. This movie was shocking then and still thought-provoking now as it details the inner workings of a chess tournament and one man's obsessive passion for the game.

Chess: In Concert (2008) Not Rated

The grand 1980s chess-themed musical -- with music by ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and lyrics by Tim Rice -- makes a move on London's Royal Albert Hall in this stirring 2008 concert performance. The all-star cast features famed vocalist Josh Groban as Anatoly, Idina Menzel as Florence, Adam Pascal as Freddie, Clarke Peters as Walter, Marti Pellow as Arbiter, Kerry Ellis as Svetlana and David Bedella as Molokov.

The Chess Player (Le Joueur D'échecs) (1927) Not Rated

In this silent film set in 1776, an entire country's fate depends on the outcome of a chess game. After being wounded in battle, a nobleman is challenged to a game of chess by an evil baron; the game's winner will decide the fate and, ultimately, the future independence of Poland.

The Chess Players (1977) Not Rated

Helmed by renowned director Satyajit Ray, this genial allegorical tale set in 1856 colonial India is peppered with deft comical touches. Remarkably oblivious and indifferent to the political tumult that surrounds them as a result of British expansionism, chess-obsessed noblemen Mirza Sajjad Ali (Sanjeev Kumar) and Mir Roshan Ali (Saeed Jaffrey) engage in their passion day and night. The sterling cast includes Richard Attenborough and Amjad Khan.

Fresh (1994) Rated R

Clever 12-year-old Fresh (Sean Nelson) runs drugs for local dealers to survive and support himself and his sister in this moving drama. Motherless and living with an alcoholic father (Samuel L. Jackson) who spends his days playing chess in the park, Fresh has to depend on himself. But when he witnesses a murder and finds his life on the line, Fresh develops a plan to survive and bring down the neighborhood dealers. Giancarlo Esposito co-stars.

King of Chess (Kei Wong) (1991) Not Rated

Television producer Ching (Tony Leung) attempts to revive his waning career with the introduction of his latest discovery: a young chess prodigy (Wong Sing Fong) who excites the fascination of the Taiwanese public. Set during the rise and fall of China's Cultural Revolution, the film juxtaposes past and present: The stirring battle of the new whiz kid evokes Ching's memories of a 1960s competition in a Chinese labor camp.

Knight Moves (1992) Rated R

Peter Sanderson (Christopher Lambert), a tormented but brilliant chess player, comes out of retirement to compete in a tournament. But when a beautiful woman he meets through a one-night stand turns up dead, Sanderson finds himself in check mate. Now, as a pawn in an all-too-real -- and deadly -- game of chess with a deranged psychopath, his only hope is to figure out the killer's next move with help from psychologist Kathy Sheppard (Diane Lane).

Knights of the South Bronx (2005) Rated PG

Ted Danson stars as Richard Mason, who turns to teaching after getting the ax for blowing the whistle on his corporate employer. Assigned to a class of fourth graders at a tough urban school, Mason finds himself struggling to connect with his cynical students -- until he hits on the idea of teaching them the game of chess. Kate Vernon plays Mason's wife in this inspiring made-for-TV drama based on a true story.

The Luzhin Defence (2001) Rated PG-13

Vladimir Nabokov's story of the improbable relationship between a tortured chess master and a society beauty finally comes to the screen. In Europe's heady days following World War I, Alexander Luzhin (John Turturro) teeters on the brink of madness, consumed with the World Chess Championship -- and is also drawn to the radiant Natalia (Emily Watson). Will their love match be a case of checkmate, or will Luzhin be … rooked?

Searching for Bobby Fischer (AKA Innocent Moves) (1993) Rated PG

After watching speed chess in Washington Square Park, 7-year-old Josh Waitzken (Max Pomeranc) gets hooked on the game. Josh's father (solidly played by Joe Mantegna) learns that his son is a chess whiz and decides to hire an implacable chess master (Ben Kingsley) to coach the boy. When Josh is entered into high-stress competitions, what was once a pleasant hobby turns into a source of anxiety and indignation, forcing dad to reassess his decision.

The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet) (1957) Not Rated

Exhausted and disillusioned, a medieval knight (Max von Sydow) makes the journey home after years of combat in the Crusades. When the black-robed figure of Death confronts him, the knight challenges him to a game of chess. A powerful meditation on the existence of God and the meaning of life, this drama is considered one of Ingmar Bergman's best and took the Cannes Film Festival Prize in 1957.