Searching for Bobby Fischer Essay

Bruce Pandolfini was the character that stood out to me in the movie. His mirror, Sir Alex Ferguson, a legendary football manager and coach, was similar to him in several different ways. Both of them were wise teachers, studied the game relentlessly for experience, and loved to coach young players that could become the next generation’s stars.

First of all, both Bruce Pandolfini and Sir Alex Ferguson are both wise teachers. Both of them were calm when teaching, yet they were extremely expressive when they watched games. When Bruce was teaching Josh Waitzkin at Josh’s home, he did not seem angry, even if Josh made silly mistakes. However, he was usually really strict and fiery in his heart, but he did not want to show his anger, so that Josh would not be scared of him. Sir Alex did the same during his training sessions. He just stood there and looked at the players, and told his assistants to give instructions. Most of the time, he was just looking and collecting information about every player, so that he could generalize and tell the team about his game plan. However, during the final game between Josh and Jonathan, Bruce was furious when Josh moved his queen earlier than expected. He felt angry, because it did not seem as he had tamed Josh well enough to hold his queen back. Sir Alex was also stern during important matches. When clear fouls were not given by the referee, he complained to the fourth official of the match, as if it was a serious issue that could change the outcome of the match. They both had instincts that told them what was wrong and what was the best solution, which made them wise teachers of their respective fields.

Second, both wise teachers had large amounts of experience through studying games. Bruce, as described as one of the most experienced Chess teachers, studied Bobby Fischer’s games, and analyzed them so he could teach Josh every single move. He also studied other Chess players’ games in local tournaments, which gave him extra knowledge to teach Josh. Maybe Bruce was just attentive and knew a lot of tactics, but because of this, he had become one of the most experienced teachers in the country. On the other hand, Sir Alex studied football since he was a player, in the early Sixties. He continued to study games for approximately fifty years, and taught his players the best playing style against different opponents. With his experience, he knew what was going on during matches and had a superior instinct that made him one of the best coaches. Both of their experience led to giving the best to their pupils, which ultimately made success.

Third, both coaches loved to develop young players, and were exceptional at knowing the players’ strengths and weaknesses. Bruce developed Josh when he was around seven years old, knowing his potential to be one of the top players of his age. He knew Josh’s strengths, such as maneuvering pawns to combine for an attack, as described in the movie. He also knew his weaknesses, like bringing out the queen early, and told him not to do that. By taming them early, they would know what to do during games when they are on their own, such as the National and Local competitions Josh participated in. Sir Alex also knew his players well, but instead of one-on-one tutoring, he taught the youth players as a group. He developed some of the world’s best modern footballers, such as the Class of 92, including David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes. He knew when to use which player, like Scholes for control in midfield, and knew when players were not playing well. Both of them taught young players as if they were his children.

In their respective positions, Bruce Pandolfini and Sir Alex Ferguson were wise, had huge amounts of experience from studying games, and loved to develop young players. Their successes as coaches could be compared side by side, as they were among the best teachers of their respective field in their generations, who brought wisdom and knowledge to their pupils.

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