I can’t really remember how old I was when I learned to play Chess, or who taught me. But I remember that I from a very young age took interest in the game and joined my primary school’s Chess club. I was never a great player, but I have always enjoyed the game. It requires intense skill, concentration, and quick thinking to outwit your opponent and ultimately win. It’s intense in ways that many other board games aren’t, an extremely intimate psychological battle between two opponents.
The Queen’s Gambit was a 1983 novel by Walter Tevis and one I had never heard of until recently when my social media newsfeeds were bombarded with articles about Netflix’s miniseries adaptation of the novel, the critical consensus of which appeared to be exceedingly positive. So, I gave it a look and seven episodes later I’m ready to dust off my Chessboard with a newfound love for the game thanks to what is a serious contender for the best TV series of 2020.
Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) is orphaned at the age of nine when her mother commits suicide. She is sent to an orphanage where the children are given tranquiliser pills to keep them compliant and easier to control. Beth befriends Jolene (Moses Ingram), a fellow orphan, who seems intent to break as many rules and cause as much nuisance as she can due to her understanding that she will likely never be adopted because she is too old, and her skin is too dark. Jolene tells Beth to take the sedation pills just before she goes to bed in order to get the most benefit out of the sedation, enjoying the numbing effects they bring Beth begins to store up pills and take them in multiples to gain a greater high.
At the orphanage she also meets Mr. Shaibel (Bill Camp) the custodian. After discovering him playing Chess and becoming fascinated with the game she is taken under his wing and taught how to play. Through a combination of natural ability and the hallucinatory effects of the sedatives, Beth excels at Chess and Mr. Shaibel encourages her love of the game. Once Beth is adopted, she seeks out Chess clubs and tournaments, only to realise she is significantly better than the people she is playing against. As the prize money starts to roll in her and her adopted mother see an opportunity to get rich and see the world as Beth tours internationally for Chess tournaments. However, her addiction to the sedatives, and later alcohol become dangerous to her health and she must not only rely on those around her to get her clean, but also to ensure her success for the world championships in Russia.
The Queen’s Gambit was a 1983 novel by Walter Tevis and one I had never heard of until recently when my social media newsfeeds were bombarded with articles about Netflix’s miniseries adaptation of the novel, the critical consensus of which appeared to be exceedingly positive. So, I gave it a look and seven episodes later I’m ready to dust off my Chessboard with a newfound love for the game thanks to what is a serious contender for the best TV series of 2020.
Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) is orphaned at the age of nine when her mother commits suicide. She is sent to an orphanage where the children are given tranquiliser pills to keep them compliant and easier to control. Beth befriends Jolene (Moses Ingram), a fellow orphan, who seems intent to break as many rules and cause as much nuisance as she can due to her understanding that she will likely never be adopted because she is too old, and her skin is too dark. Jolene tells Beth to take the sedation pills just before she goes to bed in order to get the most benefit out of the sedation, enjoying the numbing effects they bring Beth begins to store up pills and take them in multiples to gain a greater high.
At the orphanage she also meets Mr. Shaibel (Bill Camp) the custodian. After discovering him playing Chess and becoming fascinated with the game she is taken under his wing and taught how to play. Through a combination of natural ability and the hallucinatory effects of the sedatives, Beth excels at Chess and Mr. Shaibel encourages her love of the game. Once Beth is adopted, she seeks out Chess clubs and tournaments, only to realise she is significantly better than the people she is playing against. As the prize money starts to roll in her and her adopted mother see an opportunity to get rich and see the world as Beth tours internationally for Chess tournaments. However, her addiction to the sedatives, and later alcohol become dangerous to her health and she must not only rely on those around her to get her clean, but also to ensure her success for the world championships in Russia.
The Queen’s Gambit is a thrilling, emotional rollercoaster that explores the notions of femininity in a man’s world, as well as how addiction is both a blessing and a curse for those at the top of their game. Whilst the initial pitch of a show about Chess may not sound particularly interesting to many, I assure you that The Queen’s Gambit is much more than simply a show about Chess.
Despite her obvious addiction problems, I would say the character of Beth is one that girls should look to for inspiration. Her perseverance to continually improve her skills and desire to be the best Chess player she can possibly be is admirable in of itself. But how the film grapples with her being the only female player in the majority of the tournaments and how she is underestimated by almost everyone she comes into contact with goes to prove to young women that you can do anything you set your mind to and to hell with what the men think. It’s also great that she is given the opportunity to explore her femininity as she becomes older, allowing her to become comfortable in her own body and indulge herself in being pretty without sacrificing her intelligence. You often find that many female ‘role model’ characters in entertainment right now are hot chicks that kick ass and ask questions later and use their inherent attractiveness to weaken the men around them to gain the advantage. But Beth is not inherently attractive, at the start she dresses in horrible clothes and has her hair in an ugly style because that’s what the orphanage drummed into her. She gets far on those merits alone and becomes respected because of it. Once she becomes successful and older, she then realises that she can be pretty if she wants to because it’s not going to affect how she plays chess. Her looks don’t have an effect on her opponents, they do have an effect on the press, but those prejudices are swiftly dealt with by her quick wit.
Whilst an alcoholic tranquilizer addict is not exactly what you would expect as a role model for young women, it paints her as an incredibly real person with genuine flaws that she struggles with. Whilst the life she leads may appear glamourous, the repercussions of it are felt in every episode and many of the challenges she faces stem from these problems and how she chooses to deal with them.
My biggest issue with the show does stem from Beth's lack of accountability and the way things just tend to work out in her favour. She faces few actual challenges beyond her addiction, and that addiction repeatedly pushes people away who just come back at the first sign of an apology. There are few lasting effects or lessons learned I feel. But this is a small problem in the grand scheme of things.
Despite her obvious addiction problems, I would say the character of Beth is one that girls should look to for inspiration. Her perseverance to continually improve her skills and desire to be the best Chess player she can possibly be is admirable in of itself. But how the film grapples with her being the only female player in the majority of the tournaments and how she is underestimated by almost everyone she comes into contact with goes to prove to young women that you can do anything you set your mind to and to hell with what the men think. It’s also great that she is given the opportunity to explore her femininity as she becomes older, allowing her to become comfortable in her own body and indulge herself in being pretty without sacrificing her intelligence. You often find that many female ‘role model’ characters in entertainment right now are hot chicks that kick ass and ask questions later and use their inherent attractiveness to weaken the men around them to gain the advantage. But Beth is not inherently attractive, at the start she dresses in horrible clothes and has her hair in an ugly style because that’s what the orphanage drummed into her. She gets far on those merits alone and becomes respected because of it. Once she becomes successful and older, she then realises that she can be pretty if she wants to because it’s not going to affect how she plays chess. Her looks don’t have an effect on her opponents, they do have an effect on the press, but those prejudices are swiftly dealt with by her quick wit.
Whilst an alcoholic tranquilizer addict is not exactly what you would expect as a role model for young women, it paints her as an incredibly real person with genuine flaws that she struggles with. Whilst the life she leads may appear glamourous, the repercussions of it are felt in every episode and many of the challenges she faces stem from these problems and how she chooses to deal with them.
My biggest issue with the show does stem from Beth's lack of accountability and the way things just tend to work out in her favour. She faces few actual challenges beyond her addiction, and that addiction repeatedly pushes people away who just come back at the first sign of an apology. There are few lasting effects or lessons learned I feel. But this is a small problem in the grand scheme of things.
Anya Taylor-Joy is incredible as Beth. We’ve seen her ability to deliver great performances with very little dialogue before in films like The Witch, Split, Glass, and most recently The New Mutants. She uses this talent excellently as Beth. Although she is the central character she doesn’t have as much to say as you would expect, and the show isn’t afraid to dedicate entire scenes with almost no dialogue from Taylor-Joy and simply showing her reactions to what is happening. Her intensity in just a stare, a flick of hair, or moving a chess piece make the chess sequences a delight to watch and kept me on the edge of my seat.
In fact, all of the performances are great. Marielle Heller is excellent as Beth’s adoptive mother. Harry Melling, Dudley Dursley himself, makes a return for the second time this year as one of Beth’s rivals Harry Beltik; and likewise, with Thomas Brodie-Sangster. The whole cast is fantastic, and each add something really important to the story, nobody is wasted.
The set design and costumes are great too, they capture the 1960’s perfectly and make all the garish colours and weird designs of clothes, furniture, and appliances all stylish again…somehow.
If you have a Netflix account, I cannot recommend watching The Queen’s Gambit enough. It’s rare to find a drama that is truly engaging based solely on the merits of great performances and excellent writing anymore. Whether you’re a Chess fan, or not, there’s enough there to please everyone and a gripping story that’ll leave you thrilled even after the credits roll. A belly laugher, a tear jerker, and a get up our of your seat to celebrate kind of series, The Queen’s Gambit is among the best TV I’ve seen all year.
In fact, all of the performances are great. Marielle Heller is excellent as Beth’s adoptive mother. Harry Melling, Dudley Dursley himself, makes a return for the second time this year as one of Beth’s rivals Harry Beltik; and likewise, with Thomas Brodie-Sangster. The whole cast is fantastic, and each add something really important to the story, nobody is wasted.
The set design and costumes are great too, they capture the 1960’s perfectly and make all the garish colours and weird designs of clothes, furniture, and appliances all stylish again…somehow.
If you have a Netflix account, I cannot recommend watching The Queen’s Gambit enough. It’s rare to find a drama that is truly engaging based solely on the merits of great performances and excellent writing anymore. Whether you’re a Chess fan, or not, there’s enough there to please everyone and a gripping story that’ll leave you thrilled even after the credits roll. A belly laugher, a tear jerker, and a get up our of your seat to celebrate kind of series, The Queen’s Gambit is among the best TV I’ve seen all year.