@ 2024 Advocate Channel.
All Rights reserved

Netflix’s ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Is Making Chess Everyone's New Obsession

The Queen's Gambit is a Netflix Original quickly gaining popularity.

The Queen's Gambit was released on October 23, 2020, and has quickly gained a fanbase.


The Netflix Original is based on Walter Tevis' 1983 novel by the same name, and follows the story of a young chess prodigy named Beth Harmon. Beth is orphaned at the age of eight and learns to play chess with the orphanage's janitor Mr. Shaibel; she exhibits intelligence and is quick to pick up the game, eventually showcasing incredible abilities. Beth eventually begins to enter chess tournaments and slowly gains recognition. She performs remarkably, and people take notice to her winning, especially impressed by her young age and gender. All the while, Beth begins to struggle with addiction because the orphanage uses tranquilizers to keep the girls calm.

Watch the official trailer below!

The miniseries consists of seven episodes and stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Harry Melling, Thomas Brody-Sangster, Moses Ingram, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd. Despite relative few Americans knowing the game of chess exceptionally well, the show has gained popularity among audiences in addition to critical acclaim. It has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and an audience score of 97%. The show is also currently #1 on Netflix.

Audiences have joked about their understanding of chess when professing their love for the show

Others simply lauded the show's story, acting, and overall execution.

Watch The Queen's Gambit on Netflix now!

From our sponsors

From our partners

Top Stories

Ainsley Roh