Pawn Sacrifice Page #10

---

Green Revision 10-14-13 54.

He looks up to see if Boris has heard him. Boris steps

forward, extending his hand. Bobby hesitates and the flicker

of hesitation is caught by Spassky. Finally they shake.

Boris sits down calmly as Bobby drops into his chair.

Bobby is distracted by THE SOUND of a chair scraping.

eyes dart to it.

His

He looks back -- only to realize Boris has been watching him

the whole time. Bobby tries to stare at him. Boris smiles.

He has already won.

73 EXT. SANTA MONICA TOURNAMENT HALL 73

The door SLAMS open and Bobby bursts through. His fury tells

all. He has lost. Lombardy and Marshall hurry to catch up.

LOMBARDY:

Bobby, you beat three Russians. *

MARSHALL:

They're waiting to give you the

runners-up medal.

*

BOBBY:

A medal for losing? *

LOMBARDY:

No one expected you to beat Spassky.

*

*

BOBBY:

She wasn't here, was she?

*

*

Who?

MARSHALL *

*

He doesn't wait for an answer and walks off toward the beach. *

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

At least talk to the TV people.

*

*

74 EXT. SANTA MONICA BEACH - DUSK 74 *

Bobby trudges in the sand. Tears well as he collapses like

a disconsolate child. He has lost. His carefully-cultivated,

illusion of invincibility is shattered, revealed for what it

is, a cloak for the vast, untouchable hole in his heart.

He idly draws a chessboard in the wet sand -- torturing

himself with memories of losing.

Green Revision 10-14-13 55.

A wave rolls in, washing out his drawing.

water pooling around him.

He sits there,

75 INT. SANTA MONICA MOTEL, LOMBARDY'S ROOM - THAT NIGHT 75

Lombardy sits on the bed. Marshall enters. *

MARSHALL:

He's disappeared.

He pours himself a drink. *

LOMBARDY:

He'll be back.

MARSHALL:

How can you be so sure?

LOMBARDY:

It's all that matters to him.

chess, he doesn't exist.

Without

MARSHALL:

You think he can ever beat Spassky?

Lombardy nurses his drink, non-committal.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

Hypothetically, what would it take

to make him world champion?

LOMBARDY:

(stares at him)

The desk clerk asked why we're making

so many calls to DC. I didn't call

DC. Who have you been talking to--?

MARSHALL:

There are people...in high places...

who take an interest in any

confrontation between us and the

Soviet Union.

LOMBARDY:

The state department?

(no answer)

The CIA?

(no answer)

The WHITE HOUSE?

MARSHALL:

Bobby wants limos? He gets limos.

And they'll throw in 'honorariums'

for each victory.

Green Revision 10-14-13

LOMBARDY:

Paid for by who?

Marshall stares back at him.

MARSHALL:

Are you a patriot, father?

LOMBARDY:

Mostly.

MARSHALL:

Bobby may be a little off but he

understands this whole thing better

than you.

(looks at him)

We're at war. Only it's not being

fought by guns and missiles -- not

yet at least -- it's a war of

perception. The poor kid from

Brooklyn taking on the whole Soviet

Empire. The perfect American story.

LOMBARDY:

(starts to laugh)

Which means you're out schnorring

right wing anti-Communist money

people? This wouldn't possibly be

helpful to the Nixon White House?

MARSHALL:

...There's such a thing as doing

well by doing good. And you haven't

answered my question...

Lombardy takes a sip of whiskey.

LOMBARDY:

Bobby Fischer is the second best

chess player I have ever seen. He

also has severe problems in his head.

MARSHALL:

Which need to be understood and

managed.

LOMBARDY:

Managed? Bobby?

(shakes his head)

Ever heard of Paul Morphy? 1855.

(MORE)

56.

*

*

*

*

Green Revision 10-14-13

LOMBARDY (CONT'D)

Greatest player this country ever

had -- before Bobby, that is. By 21

he'd beaten every master in Europe.

Liked to play ten people at a time.

Blindfolded. Then things got a little

weird. Started having "visions,"

became convinced people were trying

to poison him. Quit at 26 and

eventually killed himself in the

bathtub surrounded by twelve pairs

of ladies' shoes.

Lombardy takes another sip.

LOMBARDY (CONT'D)

This game is a rabbit hole. After

only four moves there are more than

three hundred billion options to

consider, more forty-move games than

the number of stars in the galaxy,

more openings, defenses, gambits

than there are atoms in the universe.

(remembering)

It can bring you very close to the

edge. I've been there. When I was

twenty-three, I-

MARSHALL:

(interrupting)

Nice story, father. With respect,

my question was about Bobby. Could

he win?

Lombardy glares at him.

LOMBARDY:

If Bobby went for the title it would

mean traveling around the world

playing interzonals for three years...

That's three years in much worse

places than this one.

(finishes his whiskey)

In my opinion he might not make it

that long.

Marshall stands up, taking the bottle with him.

MARSHALL:

It's your job to see that he does.

If we ever find him.

57.

*

*

Pink Revision 10-01-13 58.

76 EXT. BEACH - DAY 76

Bobby has slept on the beach. His clothes are rumpled and

his hair is wild. As he sits up he sees an odd sight.

A hundred yards down the beach, a big black limo has disgorged

three MEN. Two are KGB. The third is wearing a Beverly Hills

hotel bathrobe. It's Boris Spassky, come for his morning

swim. The KGB men carry his clothes.

Bobby watches, fascinated, as Boris shrugs off his bathrobe

and begins an exercise regime. Bobby gets to his knees as

Boris walks into the ocean and begins to swim. The KGB guys

smoke cigarettes, waiting for Boris to finish.

As Boris steps out of the ocean, a KGB guy holds out a towel

for him. Bobby leaps to his feet and yells...

BOBBY:

Hey!! A**hole!! They're not

bodyguards, they're jailers!! They've

got your brain. They're inside your

mind! They wouldn't even let you

kill yourself if you wanted!!

Boris looks up as Bobby yells, but he is far away and looks

like a bum, so he doesn't immediately recognize him...

KGB GUY:

Just some drunk sleeping it off.

America is full of them.

Bobby, meanwhile, is laughing to himself. He steps into the

ocean, fully clothed, and begins to splash around...

BOBBY:

Look at me man, I'm free!

He jumps into the waves and begins to play. Boris stares and

slowly realizes it's Bobby.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I'm coming for you, man!! Better

get ready -- 'cause I'M...COMING!!

The KGB minders quickly hustle Boris away, but not before he

looks back to see Bobby take a sardonic bow.

We might notice something new in Boris's eyes when he realizes

that Bobby has recovered from the loss. He is unnerved.

A77 EXT. MOSCOW (ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE)- MORNING A77

Lomonosov Moscow University Dormitories, February 1967.

Green Revision 10-14-13 59.

77 INT. MOSCOW APARTMENT - MORNING 77

A man answers the door. A postman hands him a Russian

magazine. The cover features a photograph of Bobby. We might

notice he has large feet inside his ragged tartan slippers.

78 INT. MOSCOW APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM 78

Cyril hands the magazine to Regina. Bobby is on the cover. *

CYRIL:

He is officially entering the race

to become world champion.

*

*

Regina nods, walks away toward the bedroom with the magazine.

79 INT. MOSCOW APARTMENT, SPARE ROOM 79

When she enters, WE SEE walls covered in clippings and

photographs of Bobby: headlines from the NY Times, LA Times,

London Times and Pravda. Covers from Life and Time magazine.

We PAN past articles proclaiming his triumphs.

dominates at Skopje). 70's hard rock kicks in.

(Fischer

80 DOC-STYLE:
WE'RE IN A HALL (70'S ROCK CONT. OVER) 80

Bobby is being interviewed.

BOBBY:

....The Russians are afraid of me,

man. They've avoided me for years.

(a big grin)

They can run but they can't hide!

A scrum of reporters bears down on him.

REPORTER:

Bobby, you're the first American

ever to reach the interzonal semis.

How does it feel? Are you afraid?

Bobby freezes. He stares at all the people yelling at him.

BOBBY:

I have nothing to say to you...

The words his mom taught him years ago.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO YOU!!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes