A visit from an old friend forces Beth to reckon with her past and rethink her priorities, just in time for the biggest match of her life.
Suddenly plunged into a confusing new life in suburbia, teenage Beth studies her high school classmates and hatches a plan to enter a chess tournament.
After training with Benny in New York, Beth heads to Paris for her rematch with Borgov. But a wild night sends her into a self-destructive spiral.
Take a look back at the TV series that took home Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series in the categories of Drama and Comedy.
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Title: The Queen's Gambit (2020)
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Nine year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is, until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of sixteen, she's competing for the U.S. Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting. Based on the book by Walter Tevis.
Top to bottom, scenic design, wardrobe, direction and casting, this is a top notch production. The acting is seamless and the characters embody their roles perfectly.
One couldn't hope for a more original or more compelling story. As you might expect from the title, Chess plays a central role, and the author's use of the game as an extended metaphor shifts in ways both nuanced and explosive. For any thinking person, this series is sure to delight.
In my opinion, strong characterization always provides the best entertainment. The producers of "The Queen's Gambit" tackle the tough task of creating a compelling story from the inner lives of the characters. Granted, they are working from an excellent novel, but oftentimes, attempts to bring works that center around the mental, rather than the physical journey of the central character fail miserably. In this case, the producers deserve the highest praise. If you like thoughtful stories that expose the inner lives of the characters, don't miss this one.
The show, while generally acceptable for children, contains several adult themes, so parental guidance is recommended.