While the story is interesting, the acting is a bit amateurish and the script and dialog is quite childish! These are all actors plucked from obscurity so it is understandable if they sometimes don't go above the level of a high school drama project. Lines are delivered by some as if they are reading from a teleprompter. I guess for those who are into chess, that part of the story will be riveting. To others, it's just boring!

This is a theme that has been done countless times before i.e a prodigy/celebrity who achieves early fame, is always out of step with the world, and who has their life consumed by just one thing to the exclusion of all else. Following the trajectory of these stories to their predictable conclusions is however, always an interesting journey that viewers like to take. It fulfills our need to be Voyeurs on the outside looking in! The characters all usually self-destruct but I guess we are always fascinated by the method and journey they take to get there!