Chess in the Movies (Paperback)

~ Bob Basalla (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Nearly 2000 movies and TV shows are detailed for their chessic content, often in a very humorous and entertaining way. The range of genres almost seems endless from Westerns to Romance to Sherlock Holmes (who never played chess in the original stories!). However, many directors and writers get it wrong and give us positions, moves, and comments which bear no reality to the rules of chess as players of today know them! Bob Basalla, the author, also details the directors, languages, and Oscar statuses when known as well as the year(s) of release. The appendices are full of additional information in Guinness-like lists of varying importance such as: "What actors have appeared in the most films with chess content?" There is also a rating system detailing different types of encounters where chess may only be used as a "prop," or one of the main characters is actually doing something with the chess artifacts as seen on the screen or in the background. Entertaining, informative, and a good read for days on end in this letter-sized edition. More than 200 chess diagrams are used for illustrative purposes in this large book.

About the Author

Dr. Bob Basalla in his real life is a dentist but he has been collecting extracts of chess in the movies for several decades and even used some of these "anecdotes" as filler when he was the editor of various chess publications in Ohio (where he still resides). Eventually, the readers made more comments about the "chess in the movies" items than any other aspect of the ches spublication! He also tied for a share of the Ohio State Chess Champinship title in 2003.

Product Details

• Paperback: 422 pages
• Publisher: Thinkers' Press Wonderworks (September 1, 2005)
• ISBN-10: 1888710284
• ISBN-13: 978-1888710281
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,525,945 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Obvious Labor of Love, February 17, 2006

By	David Dial "Knowledgehandler" (Berea, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book reviews about 2,000 films which contain scenes with chess games or chess references. Dr. Basalla, former editor of the <em>Cleveland Chess Bulletin</em>, provides critical reviews of each film, and often offers an insightful commentary on the role chess plays in the film. Where the chessboard could be clearly seen, an illustration of the layout of the position of the pieces is provided, along with analysis of the game as it stands and any insight it provides to the action on the stage.

Any collector of books on chess or cinematography would find this comprehensive, 422 page book invaluable. The entries are arranged by film title, but are cross indexed by actor / actress / director, film genre, and even by location of play. My son, who is not a chessplayer, spent hours with this book reading the film reviews.

One caveat to the prospective buyer: there are no movie stills. The author (a personal friend) says that a goal in publication was to keep the price of this limited-edition book as low as possible. At under $35, the average chess or film enthusiast can afford a copy. As a bonus, inside the book the author has provided personal contact information, so that the purchaser can have a dialog with an expert regarding <em>Chess In The Movies<em>.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth buying, June 12, 2006

By	Mark F. Putnam (Lima, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While admittedly for a narrow audience (readers who are both film buffs and chess players, and are obsessive to boot), if you are in that audience, I would recommend you buy this book. At 400+ pages, it is very extensive and enjoyable to dip into. Longer entries on films like The Seventh Seal and Searching for Bobby Fischer overcome the flaw of not having any photographs from the films discussed (frustrating when he describes a set as looking "unusual").

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars if you like chess, a barrel of fun, August 13, 2008

By	Ronald van Vollenhoven (Sweden) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

You wouldn't believe how many movies Basalla has managed to find where chess is featured, but here they are listed and briefly commented upon (and by the way, I have no idea how he did it - did he actually watch all movies in the world from beginning to end, or what?). If you like chess and assuming you don't completely hate movies then this book is a barrel of fun to browse through (obviously, it's not a cover-to-cover read). You can have it lying somewhere and pick it up every once in a while and you always find something interesting and amusing. Basalla's commentaries are mostly witty and to the point, and there is some interesting analysis. And why are the chess boards in movies placed incorrectly (the left lower corner being a white rather than a black square) much more than half the time??