Pawn Sacrifice

---

OVER BLACK:

"Chess holds its master in its bonds, shackling the mind

such that the inner freedom of the very strongest must

suffer." - ALBERT EINSTEIN

1 EXT. GRANITE COUNTRY HOUSE - ICELAND - DAWN 1

In the grey dawn, a formidable house in the Icelandic

wilderness. A single light burns in an upper window.

Caption:
Reykjavik, Iceland 4:15am. July 20th, 1972

In the distance, a POLICE CAR approaches, lights flashing.

2 INT. GRANITE COUNTRY HOUSE - ICELAND 2

CLOSE on a hand gripping the padded arm of an armchair.

index finger of the hand is PICKING at a thread.

The

The HAND belongs to an intense young man with black hair

swept back. He sits motionless, peering at a chess game

which is a few moves old. The man is BOBBY FISCHER.

A SINGLE FLY begins to buzz against the window.

Bobby eyes the fly. The movement of his eyes is immense.

Murderous. The thread he has been picking at suddenly TEARS

with a THUNDEROUS RIPPING SOUND.

The fly is trying to get out the window.

3 BOBBY'S PERCEPTION 3

The BUZZING of the fly is a howling hurricane from hell.

4 BACK TO AN OBJECTIVE VIEW OF THE ROOM 4

Silence.

Bobby stalks the fly -- CRUSHING IT with a coffee cup.

He sits back down in a business-like way and stares at the

board again, his fingernail beginning to work another thread.

HEADLIGHTS sweep the room and we HEAR a car door SLAM.

Bobby's face betrays no reaction -- but his whole hand CLAWS

the arm of the chair like an animal in a trap.

At the SOUND of someone running upstairs, he glances from

the chessboard to the door, as a knock comes on the door:

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5 BOBBY'S PERCEPTION 5

Someone is POUNDING on the door -- it SOUNDS like the Gestapo

in an old war movie.

6 BACK TO AN OBJECTIVE VIEW 6

The knock on the door is polite.

Bobby grips the armchair, can't stand the noise that only he

can hear -- and he gets to his feet, UPENDING a lamp.

Another knock.

Bobby pinballs around like the fly trying to escape --

breaking shutters as he tries to close them, tripping over a

table. ANOTHER KNOCK, even louder.

Then, just as suddenly, his eyes FOCUS on the chess board.

A new light comes into his eyes as he stares at it -- and

his breathing begins to slow.

A7 ALL SOUND BEGINS TO FADE A7

As he moves toward the board -- his fingers reaching out --

in ultra slo-mo -- to make...a...single...move.

B7 BACK TO THE SCENE B7

Bobby closes his eyes. Content. He has solved the puzzle.

CAPTION:
This is the true story of Bobby Fischer.

The door opens. A guy stands there -- mid-40's, pugnacious.

This is MARSHALL. He stares at the debris of the room. And

at Bobby, who appears perfectly calm.

BOBBY:

There was a fly. It's dead now.

A huge agenda between the two men. Marshall composes himself.

MARSHALL:

(quoting)

"Never before in human history has

the outcome of an entire global war

of ideas rested on the shoulders of

one man."

The slightest smile begins to form on Bobby's lips.

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MARSHALL (CONT'D)

I'm quoting the President of the

United States. He was talking about

you. To me. The President of the

United States talking to me. He

called three times. Three.

Marshall lifts the receiver, places a phone back on the hook.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

He's been trying to reach you.

Bobby refuses to be intimidated. If anything, his smile

widens. Marshall rights an upturned chair.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

In Moscow, Brezhnev opened his only

bottle of 1868 Louis Roederer. Left

over from the revolution. You know

why?

(hammering it home)

Because. He. Heard. You Quit.

Bobby walks to the window, looks out at the half-light.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

There are boys your age in Vietnam

giving their lives right now in the

fight against Communism. And all

you have to do is win a game of chess.

(plaintively)

...Say something. Bobby, please...

Bobby?

Bobby doesn't answer. Instead, he stares out into the night,

and we HEAR another voice.

...Bobby?

JOAN (V.O.)

7 OMIT 7

8 IN THE FISCHER APARTMENT - NIGHT - BROOKLYN 8

Bobby, age 8, stands looking out another window.

JOAN, Bobby's sister, 14, comes up beside him.

It is 1952.

JOAN:

Bobby, it's bedtime.

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BOBBY:

That man's out there.

Joan looks out. A SEDAN is parked under a streetlight. A

LIT MATCH briefly illuminates a MAN'S FACE as he lights a

cigarette. Is that a telephoto lens in his hand? She subtly

turns him away from the window.

JOAN:

Have you eaten anything? There's

actually food in the house. Go.

Bobby heads back into a party in full swing. The apartment

is packed with Boho's, Eastern European emigres, NY

intellectuals. A banner reads, "Brooklyn-Bed Sty American

Communist Party PARTY! Coltrane wails on the record player.

BOBBY IS INVISIBLE IN THIS ADULT WORLD

Adults LOOM above him, laughing. A MIXED COUPLE making out,

open-mouthed. A man smoking reefer smiles beatifically. He

pauses to scribble chess notations in his little notebook.

PARTY GUEST #1

Half the witnesses they call are

Communists, the other half are Jews!

PARTY GUEST #3

If you're both, do you testify twice?

PARTY GUEST #1

You can make jokes, Mr. Liberal --

your entire family wasn't gassed in

the camps, alava'shalom.

Regina, meanwhile, is in the middle of of an intense

conversation with a BALDING MAN. They WHISPER harshly.

REGINA:

We agreed he wouldn't know who you

are--!

BALDING MAN:

Fine. But that doesn't mean---

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REGINA:

--So I don't see the point!

BALDING MAN:

The point is--- Christ, just let me

talk to him, then I'll go...

9 IN THE DIRTY KITCHEN 9

Bobby is making a sandwich. The BALDING MAN approaches.

BALDING MAN:

Howdy doody, Bobby...

BOBBY:

Hullo.

BALDING MAN:

Remember me...?

BOBBY:

Sort of.

BALDING MAN:

I'm your Uncle Paul. From Denver.

How's school?

BOBBY:

Okay.

BALDING MAN:

Studying hard?

BOBBY:

I guess.

BALDING MAN:

Ever heard of Physics?

BOBBY:

No.

BALDING MAN:

But you're good in Math?

BOBBY:

I guess.

The man stares at him -- there's something pregnant and

unspoken in his regard -- but also somehow thwarted.

BALDING MAN:

I hear you like chess.

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BOBBY:

Yeah.

He looks around, takes a five dollar bill from his pocket.

BALDING MAN:

Here. Buy a new set. Just don't

tell your mother where it came from...

Bobby's eyes widen as he stares at the bill. The man reaches

out to HUG him, but Bobby shrinks away. Uncle Paul frowns,

settles for patting Bobby on the head and then walks away.

10 IN THE LIVING ROOM 10

A heated discussion of Zionism, the Rosenbergs. Bobby wanders

past, looks out the window. The DARK SEDAN is still there.

Regina is nearby, deep in conversation -- IN RUSSIAN.

BOBBY:

Mama-REGINA

Not now, honey.

BOBBY:

I have to talk to you.

REGINA:

Honey, it's past your bedtime.

BOBBY:

That car's down there again.

Regina's antennae go up.

REGINA:

What car?

BOBBY:

You told me to tell you... A red,

1951 Chevy, NY license plate HI62579.

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