This time, he's analyzing a weird-looking position where Black is down a bishop and a pawn.īeth insists on playing a game against the janitor, and he uses a well-known trick that most of us have fallen for when first learning to play chess. Interestingly, the first position ever showed is the Queen's Gambit Declined-perhaps a metaphor indicating that Beth's not yet ready to take the throne as a chess queen.īeth later returns to the basement and sees Mr. She also develops an addiction to tranquilizers the orphanage staff gave to all the kids.īeth's first contact with chess comes after she sees Mr.

She gets obsessed with chess after seeing the janitor, Mr. And if you are curious about the chess positions used in the show, I have great news for you! In this article, I've compiled a list of (almost) every chess position featured in 'The Queen's Gambit.'Įight-year-old Beth Harmon goes to an orphanage after her mother dies. The show's producers did a fantastic job of painting a detailed picture of this beautiful game we all love so much. I got very excited when the actors played opening moves accurately, and I almost fell out of my chair when I saw Beth impersonating Paul Morphy and replaying the Opera Game! Photo: The Queen's Gambit/Netflix. However, as a chess enthusiast myself, I have to admit I do think chess players enjoy the show on a higher level. With 68 million households watching the show in the first 28 days after its release, it's obvious you don't need to be a chess player to love it. With incredible performances by the actors, beautiful sets, and a well-constructed plot, it's no wonder the miniseries is so successful. There's no doubt about it: ' The Queen's Gambit' is a huge hit.

How to play queen's gambit