Sitting comfortably astride the genre known only as 'films about chess', this scores rapid mate over other contenders (Fresh, The Luzhin Defence) by not even pretending to have another plot-line. It follows the fortunes of a young prodigy (real-life wünderkind Pomeranc) who receives tuition from prickly instructor Kingsley to maximise his chances in the inevitable final reel tournament/showdown. Pomeranc's wide-eyed concentration makes every move as psychologically thrilling as Russian roulette (well, nearly). You can also see why Conrad Hall was Oscar-nominated for his vivid compositions in a picture which does for the fianchettoed bishop what The Karate Kid did for the roundhouse.

Tim Robey