Bobby Fischer's remarkable life is the subject of the film 'Pawn Sacrifice', starring Tobey Maguire as the chess champion.

What happened?

The film chronicles Fischer's troubled childhood and his rise to fame in the 1960s and '70s.

Fischer's win in the 1972 World Chess Championship against Boris Spassky made him an unlikely American hero.

Why it matters for Bobby Fischer

The film explores Fischer's toxic legacy, including his anti-Semitic views and his exile from the US.

Tobey Maguire spent a decade developing the project, and found that the deeper he delved into Fischer's character, the more complex it became.

What comes next?

The film, directed by Ed Zwick, opens in limited release in Los Angeles, and features Liev Schreiber as Spassky and Peter Sarsgaard as Fischer's coach.

Fischer's story has been told in various media, including the 2011 documentary 'Bobby Fischer Against the World'.

The $25-million film aims to capture the essence of Fischer's life, including his troubled psyche and his paranoia.

Fischer joined the apocalyptic cult Worldwide Church of God for a time, and ended up in Pasadena, living under a pseudonym.

In 1992, he replayed Spassky in war-torn Yugoslavia, violating U.N. sanctions and earning a U.S. arrest warrant.

The film features documentary footage and chess-playing dialogue-free scenes to shift between Fischer's private hell and the media circus he lived in.

And the result is a fragmented portrait that captures the complexity of Fischer's life.

But the film also shows how Fischer's fragile psyche came spectacularly undone after his win.

So the film is a psychological thriller that explores the labyrinthine and troubling character of Bobby Fischer.

The film's screenwriter, Steven Knight, said that Fischer chose chess over sanity.

Fischer's coach, played by Peter Sarsgaard, tries to guide him through the tension-building match against Spassky.

The film features beautiful Russian spoken by Liev Schreiber, who plays Spassky with elegance and humanity.

And the result is a film that works as a sports drama and a psychological thriller.

The film opens on Wednesday in Los Angeles, and is a must-see for fans of Bobby Fischer and chess.