"Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration" takes us on a ride through time and across many lands with Chess as our filter and our guide. Voluminous art and literature provide the scenery as we go from culture to culture, century to century,
Watching this fascinating four-part series doesn't require a liking of chess or even knowledge of the game but those who do play will gain an insight into the nearly two millennium-old board game that grew and morphed just as did the cultures that embraced it.
The viewers will hear from some of the noted chess personalities including some from the two major chess sites that have greatly benefited from the recent pandemic and "Queen's Gambit" inspired chess growth phenomenon, Bruce Pandolfini (who was portrayed in the film "Searching for Bobby Fischer") and Hou Yifan, the four-time Women's World Chess Champion. You will learn how chess is being used today to benefit children with little else to hope for and to give felons a tool to change their lives by changing their minds.
I think most viewers will come away from this documentary with a new appreciation and different view of chess -- as not just a board game, but, as the title suggests, a mirror, as well as, at times, a cultural catalyst. Considering all the time we tend to frivol away in our lives, watching this documentary will be four hours unregretfully well spent.
