‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is a six-part film series about the life of Elizabeth Harmon, an orphan chess prodigy from the 1950s to 1960s. The story begins when Elizabeth’s father dies and she gets placed in a foster home, where she meets her first chess opponent. As the series progresses, we see her training and competing successfully in tournaments until she becomes a grandmaster.
Elizabeth was born in Virginia, USA to a family that was quite poor. Her father died shortly after she was born, and it fell upon her mother to support the family. Despite being very intelligent, she also struggled with drug dependency problems and alcoholism. As a result, she lost custody of Elizabeth as an infant and placed her in an orphanage. However, after her mother got hit by a car and died shortly afterwards, she gained custody of Elizabeth again.
Storyline of the Series
Elizabeth is an orphan chess prodigy living with a foster family in Lexington, Kentucky. Her first encounters with chess are through Mr. Shaibel, a paraplegic man who decides to teach her the game of chess and also helps her to cope with the loss of her mother by teaching her how to see things from another perspective. She then became a strong competitor in numerous chess tournaments, even beating other young and promising players such as Bobby Fischer and Anatoly Karpov at the age of 14. It was not until she turned 15 that she got noticed by Alekhine, who then took her to Moscow and made her his assistant.
In 1950s Lexington, Kentucky, a childless couple Alma and Karen are looking for their first child and algo recommend the orphanage where Elizabeth was placed. They adopt her as their daughter and then bring her up as their own daughter, who they name Beth.
After being adopted by the couple, Beth meets Mr. Shaibel, who is her first chess opponent. She then becomes acquainted with his son, Sebastian. The series shows how Beth’s relationship with the family develops as she grows.
Beth starts becoming interested in chess and this would eventually lead to her competing in many tournaments until she became a grandmaster.
Cast and Character of the Series
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon
- Bill Camp as Mr. William Shaibel
- Moses Ingram as Jolene
- Christiane Seidel as Helen Deardorff
- Rebecca Root as Miss Lonsdale
- Chloe Pirrie as Alice Harmon
- Akemnji Ndifornyen as Mr. Fergusson
- Marielle Heller as Alma Wheatley
- Harry Melling as Harry Beltik
What is ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ ?
Queen’s Gambit Defense is a chess opening that enjoyed a popularity among certain masters, but was not widely played over the centuries because it requires more skill and preparation than most openings. The moves in this opening have been highly regarded as a strategic masterpiece.
It is said to represent the queen on her move from one side of the board to the other – and takes risks against opposition forces that are superior in numbers. It is considered one of three main openings in chess, along with Sicilian Defense and Ruy Lopez.
Where do you watch this Series ?
This is a Netflix Original Series. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ was released on October 23, 2020. This movie was produced by Red Rock Entertainment and Critical Content. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ has been renewed for a second season by Netflix.
‘The Queen’s Gambit’ full episodes: 7 episodes and the series length is 1 hour and 41 minutes per episode.
