Watch: Tobey Maguire is the Grandmaster in New ‘Pawn Sacrifice’ Trailer

Written by Steven Knight (“Locke,” “Eastern Promises”) and directed by Ed Zwick (“Defiance,” “Blood Diamond”), “Pawn Sacrifice” tells the story of real-life American chess champion Bobby Fischer: the youngest person to ever achieve the Grandmaster status and, at the height of his fame, a U.S. political symbol, as a result of his widely publicized match against Russian champion Boris Spassky. Tobey Maguire stars as Fischer and Liev Schreiber appears in the role of Spassky. Other notable members of the cast include Peter Sarsgaard and Lily Rabe.

Based on the trailer, which you can watch above, Tobey Maguire appears to give a performance that we won’t soon forget. Oscillating between genius and madness is not an easy feat, but Maguire seems to have a glint of both in his eye as he navigates his way through the labyrinth where politics and chess collide.

“Pawn Sacrifice” opens in select theaters on Friday September 18th. 

READ MORE: 10 Filmmaking Tips from ‘Legends of the Fall’ Producer and Director Ed Zwick