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Jim Berzchak has a gift. His capabilities in the game of chess are remarkable and his brain works at levels most people only dream about. However, a horrific blunder while playing at the high school state tournament costs his Escanaba Eskimos the team championship. Depressed, he slips into a world of solitude. His life stalls and although he studies chess aggressively and enhances his skills, other aspects to his well being become reclusive. 15 years later a group of high school students coax Jim into reopening the defunct chess program. Through the kids, he finds he has an even better gift, the ability to teach the game and make it exciting. "The Eskychess Express is back on track!" or so it seems. Issues abound with their newfound success. Personal problems infect the team. Opponents take notice and hone their skills to incomprehensible levels. The pressure of competition makes Jim feel like collapsing. Can he get his life in order and lead his Eskimos over the second place hump? Or will they end up like him, devastated in life because they pinned too many hopes on winning a state championship title?
Jim Berzchak has a brilliant mind for chess, yet nerves and fatigue stop his playing ambitions. Simply put, hes afraid to lose. However, from coaching his first team, the Escanaba Eskimos, he realizes there is security in numbers. Now employed as a small town high school teacher, he tries coaching again and is pleasantly surprised to have some girls on the chess team, something unheard of in the past. Everything goes great for awhile. Mona Jones, the grandmother of one of the boys decides to take a more active role in the chess team. Her influence creates advantages for the boys. They become much stronger at the game than the girls. A rift develops the boys become bullies the team splits in two. Friends become bitter rivals someone must lose. Jims fatigue is worse than ever. Other school activities and caring for his four year old son who cant speak yet drain his energy. He trains the girls for one last shot against Mona and the boys. Will he prove to everyone that girls really can play chess? Or will Mona and the boys capitalize on Jims fears and knock him out of chess forever?
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Based on the life of Paul Morphy.
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