The Queen's Gambit-Miniseries Review

Image Source: Google

Name: The Queen's Gambit

Year: 2020

Genre: Coming-of-age period drama

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling, Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Episodes: 7

Streaming Platform-Netflix

"Anger Is A Potent Spice. A Pinch Wakes You Up. Too Much Dulls Your Senses"

Do you remember seeing moves of chess in your sleep when you play it excessively during the summer holidays? We did. Playing chess was part of history now. Not that we were great players of anything. We grew up in the era where Vishwanath Anand and Garry Kasparov were the talk of the town. The Queen's Gambit brought back though memories.

Beth Harmon orphaned at the age of 9 is brought into an orphanage where she is taught to play chess by Janitor, Mr. Shaibel. She becomes addicted to tranquilizer pills that were given to all girls in the orphanage, which was a common practice in the 1950s. She becomes exceptional chess player due to her visualization skill enhanced by pills. She gets adopted by Alma and her husband, and develops a special bond with her mother who eventually becomes her manager. she enters into various chess tournaments without proper experience yet winning most of them. She befriends with other chess players. She becomes successful financially. At the same time she is addicted to drugs and alcohol.

WeReflect: It is a given that Beth overcomes all hurdles to becomes the first female grand-master. As it happens with many miniseries "Gambit" is based on the novel of same name by Walter Tevis. We weren't sure whether we would be able to keep up with the theme based on a game, that too chess. The movies/shows based on sports/game usually have predictable story line and ending, mostly variations of rags to rich. What stands out in Gambit is Beth. All through her growing up years she is haunted by the memory of her mother's suicide and father's abandonment. Despite that she is focused to fault when it comes to her game. She was on steady dose of alcohol and pills and few emotionless sexual encounters. Chess is known to be an antisocial game, so is Beth. Yet, her relationship with others, especially her opponents is endearing, something of new. You can binge watch the series without understanding the rules and moves of pawns.

One of the best miniseries of 2020