‘Searching for Bobby Fischer’

With this 1993 story of a typical New York City kid who turns out to have world-class chess potential, writer Steven Zaillian’s directing debut is a model of honestly sentimental filmmaking. Made with delicacy, restraint and unmistakable emotional power, it makes excellent use of actors Joe Mantegna (pictured left), Laurence Fishburne, Joan Allen, Ben Kingsley and newcomer Max Pomeranc (also pictured), as it deals with such provocative questions as the demands of parenthood and the burdens of competition and genius (CMAX Monday at 6 p.m.).