Unquestionably well-meaning, this tale of an ex-con who teaches some inner-city teens about discipline through chess treads incredibly familiar emotional terrain.

Solid performances-especially from star Cuba Gooding Jr.-elevate the film slightly above the familiar trappings of its genre.

An effective, even heartwarming, tale of one man's commitment to teaching that playing by the rules is more important than winning.

All in all this is a good movie.