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.
Trivia: In the scene in the chess club, when the chess coach points out famous chess players to Josh's father, all the players are actually playing themselves (Joel Benjamin, etc).
Trivia: The movie includes cameos by the real-life Bruce Pandolfini, Josh Waitzkin, Vinnie (kibitzers in the park) and Katya Waitzkin (girl ranked 82nd in the national championship).
Answer: "The Vampyre" by John Polidori.