If we think of documentary in terms of being either info or character based, there is much scope for both in chess. Liz Garbus gave us a character based account of the great Bobby by ignoring his chess and showing us how vulnerable he was. Given that chess was Bobby’s life and that he himself foretold how inseparable they are, I found that doc to be stunningly mediocre. Inadvertently, she showed exactly why those not involved with chess should either embrace or reject it instead trying to find some middle path which we all can walk along.
When I returned to chess I found a number of documentaries on You Tube, though not what I consider to be the best documentary made on chess, the BBC production on the 1988 Olympiad, ‘GrandMaster Clash’. Should I come across it once more I will post details. Recently, however, I stumbled across a documentary I once saw on Channel 4 in the UK, that being ‘American Gambit’. Part 1 can be found here:
In sum Kasparov flies to New York to take on 6 of America’s top young players in a simul. Given that it’s Kasparov we are talking about here, you can rest assured controversy ensues. I won’t spoil the fun and go into details, all I will say is that the world champion’s manners leave a lot to be desired.
Enjoy.
McCreadyandChess 
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