May contain spoilers
It is surely among the finest series ever produced for TV and also among the most unlikely in a pop cultural landscape littered with superheroes and cheesy reality shows. Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit,” based on a book by Walter Tevis, is about a female chess prodigy. She’s a woman in a man’s world, in a man’s game, who becomes a player; in fact, she becomes THE player. She has much to tell us.
The series and its star have just won a pair of Golden Globes; caused global chess sales and interest among women to skyrocket; and prompted at least one supermodel, Gigi Hadid, to dye her hair red like its protagonist. That “The Queen’s Gambit” has struck a particular chord with women is no surprise. The series is anchored by a stunning central performance by Anya Taylor-Joy, sleekly outfitted like a chess piece herself. She plays Elizabeth Harmon, luminous, brilliant, and complex, moving across the board and her life with her wits and style, her ski
After a tense match lasting several days, Harmon finally outmanuevers Borgov and receives a standing ovation. The president has invited you to the Oval Office, Harmon s bodyguard tells her in the car ride to the airport following her win. It s a big deal, beating the Soviets at their own game.
While Netflix s hit miniseries, adapted from Walter Tevis 1983 novel of the same name, is fictional, it draws parallels to real life.
Just like in The Queen s Gambit, chess became a stage for Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union.
On July 11, 1972, eight-time US chess champion Bobby Fischer faced off against Russian player and reigning World Chess Champion Boris Spassky in what became known as the Match of the Century. For 24 years prior, Russians held the World Championship title.
The Queen s Gambit has inspired a surge of interest in
chess around the globe and draws parallels to real life.
The final episode of the hit series shows fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) facing off against her Soviet rival in 1968.
The scene echoes US chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer s 1972 Match of the Century against the Soviet Union s Boris Spassky.
Both matches highlight
Cold War tensions between the US and Soviet Union.
In the final episode of The Queen s Gambit, chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) realizes her dream of traveling to Moscow to play Soviet rival Vasily Borgov (Marcin Dorociński). The year is 1968.