Top 10 Best Chess Movies & Series — Vote for Your Favorite!

This Netflix series changed the chess world forever. Anya Taylor-Joy is phenomenal as Beth Harmon, an orphan fighting addiction and loneliness while storming the world's elite. The production is polished to perfection. It's a masterful epic about trauma, friendship, and the power of the mind. The visual depiction of chess pieces on the ceiling makes the game cinematically captivating for everyone. The series sparked an unprecedented global chess boom during the lockdowns. It's simply the best chess content ever made.

An intelligent film about a young chess prodigy and the pressure from those around him. Should a child become a ruthless winner like Fischer, or should he still get to just be a kid? The battle between the disciplined teacher and the creative street player is the heart of the story. Steven Zaillian's restrained direction lets the viewer draw their own conclusions about the moral dilemmas. The message that winning isn't everything still holds up today.

Tobey Maguire steps into the shoes of legendary Bobby Fischer. The film centers on the 1972 match against Boris Spassky. The Cold War is fought out here across 64 squares in Iceland. The film focuses on Fischer's descent into paranoia and conspiracy theories.

Disney adapted the true story of Phiona Mutesi from the slums of Uganda. Lupita Nyong'o shines as the mother fighting for her talented daughter's future. The film avoids the standard cliches and portrays poverty in an honest way.

This documentary about Magnus Carlsen offers an intimate look at the modern king of chess. We see how a shy boy from Norway grows into a global phenomenon. The film doesn't hide the downsides -- the immense pressure and his sometimes difficult temperament under stress. It's a fascinating portrait of a genius trying to lead a normal life. The access to Carlsen's private world makes this a must-watch for any fan, and even for non-chess players the psychological warfare at the top is gripping to watch.

Cuba Gooding Jr. portrays Eugene Brown, an ex-convict who learned chess in prison. After his release, he starts a club for at-risk youth in Washington DC. His motto: think before you move. The film uses the board game as a direct metaphor for the choices we make in everyday life.

This documentary proves that chess in schools changes lives. We follow students from Brooklyn who win more championships than the wealthiest private schools. The film shows the immense pressure of competition. It's an account of perseverance without false sentiment -- the real students are the stars of the story, and their passion for the game paints a hopeful picture of what good education can achieve.

This raw portrait from New Zealand tells the story of Genesis Potini, a Maori chess master with bipolar disorder. Cliff Curtis delivers an intense performance as a man fighting his own demons while keeping kids out of the clutches of gangs. The film is dark and unflinchingly honest.

Ted Danson plays a teacher who uses chess to give kids in a struggling neighborhood a sense of perspective. The story follows the familiar underdog-fights-to-the-top path, yet the film still works thanks to the authentic chemistry between the teacher and his students. Chess functions here as the great equalizer where background doesn't matter, teaching the kids that every decision has consequences.

This Dutch classic got an entire generation into chess back in the nineties. Esmé Lammers blends fantasy with the reality of a broken family. The chess pieces come to life in the imagination of young Sara. The film succeeds in playfully explaining the rules of the game. For the youngest viewers, it's a magical experience that lowers the barrier to joining a chess club.