The Queen’s Gambit, a historical drama based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name, was released on October 23rd, and quickly became one of the most popular releases on Netflix. With a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the show is now Netflix’s most-watched scripted miniseries, viewed by 62 million households. The popularity of the show is widespread, making Netflix’s top ten list in 92 countries since its release.
The story begins in the mid-1950s and goes on into the 1960s, following the life of orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon as she attempts to become the world’s greatest chess player. As her career grows, so does her dependency on alcohol and drugs, resulting in an intense cycle of addiction that affects her friendships and performance in tournaments. The fast-paced story spans across seven episodes, each averaging around 55 minutes in length.
Much of the praise for the series has been directed towards Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance as Beth Harmon. Many critics have pointed to her powerful body language, which was essential in conveying the tension of certain scenes, such as the tournaments. “Taylor-Joy excels in the quiet moments, her eyelids narrowing as she decimates an opponent, her whole body physicalizing angry desperation when the game turns against her,” wrote critic Darren Franich from Entertainment Weekly.
Another aspect of the Queen’s Gambit that has been frequently discussed is how the series portrays mental health and substance abuse issues. The series seems to accurately portray the stress of competitive chess and how expectations of women in the field furthered reliance on such substances. Beth’s spatial intelligence is enhanced through the use of drugs, and as she becomes more prominent in the chess-community, her abuse of these substances increases.
However, the series importantly defines Beth’s character as more than just her addiction and instability, showing that they were inessential to her success as a chess player. Beth’s greatest triumph and the climax of the series was not when she faced the Russian champion Vasily Borgov, but when she was able to visualize the chess pieces while sober. It effectively portrays her as a powerful female character, breaking the stereotype of the mystical and unstable female protagonist that was created at the beginning of the series through the perspective of male characters.
Sexism is another prominent theme in the series, as Beth attempts to climb the ranks in a historically male-dominated industry with rarely any female grandmasters. Many distinguished female chess players have since shared their own, similar experiences.
“They talk over the girls. They are very happy to say ‘well, you’re just a girl’. I had a lot of comments like that growing up,” female grandmaster Jovanka Houska told The Guardian. There are hopes that the series will spark interest amongst younger girls in chess and encourage parents to see the game as more than just a hobby for their daughters.
Another consequence of the series was the exponential growth of the chess industry. Many chess companies have reported sales increases of a hundred to over a thousand percent, while Chess.com, a popular chess-game website, has gained 5.2 million users since the first episode of the series was released. These companies cite the overwhelmingly positive reception of the show, the influx of chess streamers on the streaming platform Twitch and the COVID-19 pandemic for the increase in sales.
The Queen’s Gambit has made an unexpected yet lasting impact, both within the chess community and beyond it. Despite the limited seven-episode order from Netflix, the series is able to accurately cover complex issues such as gender-discrimination and substance abuse—providing an in-depth look at the chess subculture.
Article by Vismaya Paul Mohindra of Richard Montgomery High School
Photo Courtesy of Netflix