Movies like The Magic of Chess (2020)
The best movies like The Magic of Chess (2020) are Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Life of a King (2013) and Critical Thinking (2020). If The Magic of Chess hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGeri's Game (1997)7.6/10 from 1,273 votes
- NewestUntold: Chess Mates (2026)Released 2026
Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
A seven-year-old chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLife of a King (2013)
The true story of one man's mission to give inner city kids of Washington DC something he never had - a future. After being incarcerated for eighteen years, Eugene Brown established the Big Chair Chess Club to get kids off the streets and working towards lives they never believed they were capable of. This is his inspirational story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCritical Thinking (2020)
Based on a true story from 1998, five Latino and Black teenagers from the toughest underserved ghetto in Miami fight their way into the National Chess Championship under the guidance of their unconventional but inspirational teacher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisQueen of Chess (2026)
A Hungarian girl dreams of conquering international men’s chess. After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov and her domineering father, Judit Polgár revolutionizes the sport’s patriarchal culture to become one of the greatest chess prodigies in history and the greatest woman chess player of all time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisQueen of Katwe (2016)
A young girl overcomes her disadvantaged upbringing in the slums of Uganda to become a Chess master.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUntold: Chess Mates (2026)
Magnus Carlsen, widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, is challenged by Hans Niemann, a rising star who capitalizes on the meteoric growth of online chess. Niemann’s ascension culminated in an epic, controversy-shrouded victory over Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, which eventually led to allegations and revelations of cheating. Determined to clear his name, Niemann fights his way back to the top of the chess world, setting the stage for a high-stakes rematch with Carlsen in 2024.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGeri's Game (1997)
An aging codger named Geri plays a daylong game of chess in the park against himself. Somehow, he begins losing to his livelier opponent. But just when the game's nearly over, Geri manages to turn the tables.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCreating The Queen's Gambit (2021)
A fascinating character. Exquisite sets. A wig for every era. The stars, creators and crew reveal how the hit series about a chess prodigy came to life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Cat in the Hat (1971)
In a marvelously animated version of one of the most beloved of all Dr. Seuss tales, two youngsters find themselves at home with nothing to do on a rainy afternoon. But when the magical, mischievous Cat in the Hat arrives on the scene, they're all cat-apulted into a day of rousing, romping, outlandish antics they - and you - will never forget!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmateur (2018)
14-year-old basketball phenom Terron Forte has to navigate the under-the-table world of amateur athletics when he is recruited to an elite NCAA prep school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCharlie Brown's All-Stars! (1966)
After their humiliating 999th defeat, Charlie Brown's whole baseball team quits on him. All seems lost...until Charlie Brown learns that his team can join the Little League and become an official team with real uniforms! But as the team's enthusiasm sparks, Charlie Brown learns that neither girls nor Snoopy would be allowed to play. Charlie Brown faces the difficult decision of breaking this horrible news to his excited team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGo Figure (2005)
Katelin Kingsford, an Olympic hopeful figure skater wants to train with a Russian figure skating coach. In order to go to go to the school that Natasha is at, Katelin gets a scholarship playing on the girls hockey team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIt's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (1974)
Charlie Brown, Linus and the entire Peanuts gang are off on a lively Easter egg hunt. They suspect they've spotted the Easter Bunny … but the trouble is, he looks a lot like a certain beagle who's near and dear to Charlie Brown's heart. Is it truly the Easter Bunny, or is it just the irrepressible Snoopy playing a trick on the kids?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLEGO DC: Shazam! Magic and Monsters (2020)
It’s high time the Justice League took notice of Shazam, but joining the world’s greatest team of superheroes is a lot harder when they’ve all been turned into kids.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJungleland (2020)
Stanley manages his boxer brother Lion but when a devastating loss in the ring leaves the pair in debt, an opportunity to recoup the cash leads to a series of misadventures that threaten to break the bond between them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFor the Love of Spock (2016)
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You for the Last Time (1998)
Taped for HBO in August 1998, on the final date of Jerry Seinfeld's tour appearances at New York City's Broadhurst Theater, I'm Telling You for the Last Time presents the standup comedian's so-called "final" standup, or at least his final tour with the standup material that made him famous.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBatman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)
Adam West and Burt Ward return to their iconic roles of Batman and Robin. The film sees the superheroes going up against classic villains like The Joker, The Riddler, The Penguin and Catwoman, both in Gotham City… and in space.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDodgeBall: A True Underdog Story (2004)
When megalomaniacal White Goodman, the owner of a trendy, high-end fitness center, makes a move to take over the struggling local gym run by happy-go-lucky Pete La Fleur, there's only one way for La Fleur to fight back: dodgeball. Aided by a dodgeball guru and Goodman's attorney, La Fleur and his rag-tag team of underdogs launch a knock-down, drag-out battle in which the winner takes all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDavid Blaine: Real or Magic (2013)
David Blaine's signature brand of street magic mystifies the most recognisable celebrities in the world, such as Jamie Foxx, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Ricky Gervais, Katy Perry, Woody Allen, and Robert DeNiro, to name a few. He goes to the homes of Kanye West and Harrison Ford, Will Smith and Olivia Wilde. He pays a visit to Stephen Hawking at his office in Cambridge University. Blaine also travels the world, astonishing people from all walks of life with never-before seen, inconceivable magic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Magic of Chess?
The closest matches to The Magic of Chess are Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Life of a King (2013) and Critical Thinking (2020). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Magic of Chess?
Start with Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), the closest match to The Magic of Chess.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Magic of Chess?
Geri's Game (1997), rated 7.6/10 by 1,273 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Magic of Chess?
Untold: Chess Mates (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Magic of Chess?
Yes: Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), Life of a King (2013) and Critical Thinking (2020).
How are movies similar to The Magic of Chess chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Magic of Chess, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.