Chess with Kubrick

Jeremy Bernstein remembers playing chess with Stanley Kubrick…and witnessing the legendary Fischer/Spassky match.

All during the filming of 2001 we played chess whenever I was in London and every fifth game I did something unusual. Finally we reached the 25th game and it was agreed that this would decide the matter. Well into the game he made a move that I was sure was a loser. He even clutched his stomach to show how upset he was. But it was a trap and I was promptly clobbered. “You didn’t know I could act too,” he remarked.

• chess
• games
• Jeremy Bernstein
• Stanley Kubrick