Documentary Review: ‘Grandmasters’

by | Oct 9, 2026 | Featured Post, Movie Reviews, Movies | 0 comments


Greetings again from the darkness. As one of the most popular TV mini-series of the past few years, “The Queen’s Gambit” taught most of us what we know about competitive chess, including the decorum of tournaments and the mutual respect between players. Documentarian Liza Mandelup (JAWLINE, 2019) steps up to set the record straight by taking us inside the real world.

Competitive chess is filled with egos and characters you’d be better off not inviting to your house. It’s a cut-throat world where reputation is almost as important as winning. The film’s title refers to the highest level awarded in chess, and it’s a massive understatement to say these folks are experts. Much of the focus is deservedly on Magnus Carlsen, a Norwegian known as the Mozart of Chess. He competes all over the world, and has won too many championships to list here. The other key players here are Hans Niemann, referred to as ‘the bad boy of chess’, and Wesley So from the Philippines (the most interesting personal story). Other than the remarkable ability to play chess, the three couldn’t be much different.

The three players focused on are all in their thirties, and it’s somewhat surprising that older players aren’t given more attention. Of course, the reasoning could be that it’s Carlsen who is driving the evolution of chess … pushing for changes that interest him. Now, if you are like me, you are curious as to what those changes might entail. Well, how about “Free Style” chess, where the back row pieces are set up randomly. This is done to minimize the advantage of those who have memorized the thousands of possible moves and scenarios on the board. And yes, these players are all in on ‘speed chess’, which moves so quickly, we neophyte viewers can hardly keep up.

FIDE is the International Chess Federation (formally known by its French acronym) fighting hard to maintain its status as the sole chess organization awarding the “World Championship” title, despite all the changes occurring. Most of us had no idea that there was this much dissension within the chess world, or that the tournament dress code strictly prohibits jeans (not unlike professional golf). It’s not surprising that the marketing efforts within the industry are geared towards new generations … you know those kids playing high-tech video games. IMDb lists this as three episodes, which explains why I thought, at almost 3 hours, it was a bit long for a documentary feature. The theatrical release will include all three chapters.

In select theaters on October 11 and 14, 2026

David Ferguson
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