"Searching for Bobby Fischer" is the true story of a 7-year-old chess prodigy whose father at first can't believe his son is such a remarkable player and then basks in the limelight as the boy begins winning national children's tournaments.

Early in the film, Bonnie Waitzkin (Joan Allen) finds herself repeatedly dragged to New York's Washington Square Park by her son Josh (Max Pomeranc), who wants to watch "speed-chess," a daily ritual of men in the park. There they meet up with Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne), a player who encourages Josh's talent.

That night, Bonnie tells her sportswriter-husband Fred (Joe Mantegna) about the experience, and he decides to test Josh in a game. At first, Josh is reluctant to play sincerely; he doesn't want to embarrass his dad. But then, in a comic sequence, he shows his stuff.

Eventually, Fred hires a passionate chess master, Bruce Pandolfini (Ben Kingsley), to tutor his son, which leads to the tournaments.

A conflict develops as the playoffs get more and more serious, and Bruce tries to persuade Josh to go for the throat when he plays, suggesting that "hating" one's opponent is an important key. But Josh has a good heart, and his mother doesn't want that trait to be quashed.

Ultimately, Josh's parents must decide whether chess will dominate the lad's life or whether he should pursue other childhood activities as well.

The result is an emotional resonance that runs deeper than you might expect. The thoughtful script and direction, by Steven Zaillian (writer of "Awakenings" and the upcoming "Schindler's List"), enables parents to easily identify with the situation - whether or not they understand chess. And a weighty metaphor is provided by interspersed documentary footage about controversial chess champion Bobby Fis-cher.

The performances are first-rate all the way, with Mantegna and Allen (who is unrecognizable from her "Ethan Frome" character) excellent as Josh's parents, and Kingsley and Fishburne giving dimension to the characters in competition for Josh's abilities.

But without a child who could carry off the central role with the necessary emotion and chess-playing ability, the film would probably fall flat. Fortunately, Zaillian found young Max Pomeranc, a high-ranking chess player whose understated performance is a genuine highlight.

"Searching for Bobby Fischer" is rated PG, for one profanity.