You need no particular knowledge or affection for the game of kings to appreciate the whimsy of “Computer Chess.” The genius of this indie is its cleverness in capturing the driest of times and the ...

If you walk into a screening of Computer Chess without any prior knowledge, you’ll likely think two things. First, this is a real documentary about tech nerds from the 1980s. Second, it looks rough.

Since the 18th century, people have been fascinated by the idea of machines that could play chess against humans. With the advent of the digital electronic computer in the mid-20th century, that dream ...