Deliberate mistake: Towards the end of the film, Josh is playing a game in the park with Vinnie, and Vinnie asks "What's that?", to which Josh replies "Schliemann Attack." However, this dialogue occurs while the game is still in standard opening theory and before Josh has played the move that introduces the Schliemann Attack (pawn to f5).
Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993)
Ending / spoiler
Directed by: Steven Zaillian
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Joan Allen, Joe Mantegna, Max Pomeranc
Josh makes it to the national finals, and goes up against Jonathan Poe in the final game. As his parents, Vinnie, and Bruce watch from a monitor, Josh brings his queen out too early and loses it, much to Bruce's dismay. Vinnie seems confident that Josh is simply setting him up, and sure enough he ends up forking Poe with a knight to get it back. As the endgame nears, Bruce spots a winning tactic. Josh tries to will himself to see it, and using what Bruce taught him he eventually does. Instead of moving, he offers Jonathan a draw. Jonathan declines and the game continues with both players promoting their last pawns into queens. However Josh's queen immediately skewers Jonathan's king and queen, winning the game. Jonathan resigns and Josh tells him "Good game." Everyone congratulates Josh on winning. He tells his father that he tried to give Poe a way out."I know you did." Afterwards he talks to his friend Morgan who lost because he brought his queen out too early."Yeah I did that too," says Josh."But you're a much better player than I was at your age."
matthew
More mistakes in Searching For Bobby Fischer
Josh Waitzkin: You've lost, you just don't know it yet.
Trivia: Max Pomeranc, who plays Josh, is himself a strong chess player. At the time this film was made, he was ranked among the top 100 in the nation for his age group.
Question: When Josh's father is reading a book to Josh, the passage we hear goes something like "And when he saw that the cottage was completely destroyed, the monster fled and took shelter in the woods." Does anyone have any idea what book they were reading?
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Answer: "The Vampyre" by John Polidori.