Knights of the South Bronx (2005)

Ted Danson plays Richard Mason, an out-of-work businessman who takes up supply teaching in a tough Bronx school. He finds it hard to motivate his pupils until they discover he's a chess champion. Intrigued, they beg him to teach them the game and as their maths and reading scores rocket thanks to the new discipline, much to the amazement of the school's principal, they also start to trounce richer schools with dedicated chess coaches on their way to the national schools chess tournament. Allen Hughes' movie is based on a real-life story.