Chess Piece Movies Trivia Quiz

The chess piece concerned is called either a rook or a castle; in this case it is a castle. Robert Redford portrays the highly-decorated general Eugene Irwin in the 2001 American drama "The Last Castle". He is court-martialed for insubordination and sent to a maximum security military prison for the duration. He soon falls on the wrong side of the prison commandant and unites his fellow prisoners against the regime.

Naomi Watts is the struggling actress Ann Darrow in this Peter Jackson-directed 2005 version of the adventure film "King Kong". Lured to act in a film, she is unaware that the director has the mysterious Skull Island in mind for some of the scenes. The island turns out to have some unfriendly natives and unusual wildlife. Ann gets kidnapped at one point and the crew mount a rescue.

Madina Nalwanga is the Ugandan actress who portrays Phiona Mutesi, a young Ugandan chess player from the Kampala slum of Katwe in the 2016 American biopic sports drama "Queen of Katwe". The actress was born in the same slum and, surprisingly perhaps, chess is a sport according to the International Olympic Committee. Phiona first encounters chess at a missionary programme and the film follows her ups and downs through tournaments including a Chess Olympiad.

Christian Bale reprises his role as Bruce Wayne and, when suitably attired, Batman in the 2008 superhero film "The Dark Knight". This is the second in a trilogy and follows "Batman Begins" (2005). Batman allies with Gotham City's police lieutenant Jim Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent to eliminate organised crime in the city.

Their plans are disrupted by the arrival of the Joker (Heath Ledger).

Rod Steiger portrays Sol Nazerman in the 1964 American drama "The Pawnbroker". It is a film adaptation of the 1961 novel of the same name by Edward Lewis Wallant. Nazerman has been emotionally numbed by his experiences of the Holocaust. Some 25 years later he is running a pawnshop in Harlem, while suffering flashbacks.

Another chess-based film, the 2014 biopic psychological drama "Pawn Sacrifice" is a Cold War-era film portraying a political time for chess. The Soviets have come to dominate the game, which is promoted as showcasing the communist system. US chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer (Toby Maguire) challenges and beats various Soviet chess grandmasters, culminating in the 1972 match between Fischer and Boris Spassky, the then World Chess Champion, in Iceland. Fischer is not helped by his paranoia.

Richard Gere portrays Lancelot in the 1995 mediaeval historical drama "First Knight" set in a time when the legendary King Arthur rules. Lancelot is smitten with Lady Guinevere who is promised to King Arthur (Sean Connery) in marriage. The film follows the challenges to the kingdom which Lancelot has a major role in meeting.

Helen Mirren portrays Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 drama "The Queen". The film covers the period from the 1997 election of the Labour Party with the death of Diana, Princess of Wales coming four months later. Having been divorced from Prince Charles, a strong contrast arises between the public's outpouring of grief and how the royal family officially reacts. Mirren received an Oscar for her performance.

In the 2010 historical drama "The King's Speech", Colin Firth portrays the stammering King George VI. An Australian speech therapist is called in to help. This is Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) and the film shows how they work together and the friendship that develops during the late 1930s. Notes taken by Logue at the time were uncovered shortly before filming was due to start and used to refine the script.

Nominated for five Oscars and winning one, the 1947 fantasy rom-com "The Bishop's Wife" sees Cary Grant portray the angel Dudley answering the prayerful call of Bishop Henry Broughton (David Niven). It is based on the 1928 novel of the same name by Robert Nathan and was remade in 1996 as "The Preacher's Wife". The Bishop is trying to solve a cathedral funding shortfall and looks to Dudley to solve this. Dudley however has other ideas.