For the youngsters out there, the Estonian GM Paul Keres (1916-1975) was in his day considered one of the strongest, if not the strongest, players to never become the World Chess Champion. He took third place in the 1948 Match-Tournament for the title, and came in second in the 1953, 1956, 1959, and 1962 Candidates tournaments while losing by the closest margin of any of Boris Spassky’s opponents in the 1965 Candidates matches. He was a tremendous player (and universally liked and admired as a person), but Mikhail Botvinnik and high pressure situations seemed to be his kryptonite. A documentary on the man, with English subtitles, can be found on this page. (HT: Les Kistler)
A contemporary documentary series examining chess as a cultural phenomenon, can be accessed through this page. I haven’t watched it and don’t know if I will, but if enough of you sing its praises I’ll have a look.
I just devoured all four hours of the chess as a cultural phenomenon video series, and I have to say that it is very good. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but if you're interested in history and science and culture, and are generally inquisitive, and of course, love chess, you'll probably find it quite absorbing. Obviously, it worked for me as four hours later I'm writing this! Thanks for the recommendation.
I cannot find the link to the Keres film anymore. Did it move? Can someone point me to the file?