Chess is one of the oldest games in history. A part of every major civilization, it can be whatever you want it to be. The sport transcends language, age, race, religion, politics, gender, and socioeconomic background. Its ability to surpass time and international boundaries has once again been proven by Netflix’s latest show which has taken the world by storm.
The Queen’s Gambit is based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis. Interestingly, it was almost turned into a movie before this TV show a decade ago when Heath Ledger was set to make his directorial debut on the project before his death in 2008. Written and directed by Scott Frank, the Netflix adaptation of the novel has set the record as the most-watched scripted limited series to date on the platform. The alluring journey about a chess prodigy has ignited interest around the sport unheard in the past. Since the show became a hit, inquiries for “chess sets’ ‘ have gone up by 250% on eBay and subsequent search queries on Google have hit an all-time high. Concurrently, the number of players on chess.com grew by five times and Walter Tevis’s original novel is now a New York Times bestseller, four decades after its release.
The show is centred around an orphaned child prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) who discovers herself in the sixty-four square checkered world, a reality she could control. Abandoned and entrusted to a Kentucky orphanage, Harmon discovers her talent for chess while simultaneously developing an addiction to tranquilizers provided by the state (apparently legally) as a sedative for the children. Chess soon became the focal point of her life in the orphanage, the essence of her identity and the gateway to the outside world.
From the first game played with the janitor (Bill Camp) in the orphanage’s basement, through victories in local tournaments, Harmon obliterates her opponents with ease and it appears her supremacy in the game is inevitable. The drama of their matches, and Beth’s battles with other lesser opponents, are driven by Taylor-Joy’s evocative performance. However, the weight of expectations and deepening addiction to drugs were beginning to take its toll as Harmon faced Benny Watts (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) for the US Championship. As she prepares to face Russian Grandmaster Borgov (Marcin Dorocinski) for the World Title, her deepening drinking problem, poor financial management and pain of losing her adoptive mother Mrs Alma (Marielle Heller) begins to snowball.
It is the perfect sports thriller having an adequate combination of anguish and elation. The protagonist of the story experiences ups and downs, the burden on her shoulders and painful wounds from the past that cannot heal. Harmon is a fascinating character who overcomes personal struggles in her pursuit of greatness. The story also portrays the importance of hard work and consistency. Despite being asserted as a child prodigy in chess, Harmon never ceased to pursue excellence, often spending hours researching her every move on her bedroom ceiling.
Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance is, in short, a thing worth a Golden Globe. Beth’s creation is rendered with such power that when in one of the final scenes her heroine finally settles accounts with the past, and long-held emotions finally break through the wall of professional indifference.
The Queen’s Gambit is arguably the best show that Netflix has to offer. If you’ve ever wondered why binge-watching became so popular, this story will answer that for you.