Rating of:
The Queen’s Gambit
A Brief Review & Summary (No Spoilers)
Firstly, this review and short summary won’t do The Queen’s Gambit TV show adaptation justice, you just have to watch it. The show is based on the novel The Queen’s Gambit by American writer Walter Tevis. If you haven’t read it yet, we highly recommend it.
The first question many people ask before watching the exceptional show, The Queen’s Gambit available on Netflix, is if they should know how to play chess? The answer is no; you don’t have to. However, why not give it a try? Chess is an extraordinary board-game, and historically speaking, chess is a game of war. You should learn how with this how to play chess book. Or you can try no stress chest board game.
The character, Beth Harmon, the chess savant, portrayed by British actress Anya Taylor-Joy, is in a war herself, metaphorically speaking, a mental war of sorts. The show opens with the child Beth Harmon, played by actress Isla Johnston, going through very difficult times. Soon after, life only gets more complicated as she becomes addicted to pharmaceuticals, which lasts for years and for the show’s entirety…mostly.
Moreover, she learns chess from an older gentleman, Mr. Shaibel, and she gets good, and fast. In addition, Beth isn’t only addicted to pharmaceuticals, but she also starts to get addicted to chess and all of its nuances and complexities. She begins reading strategy chess books which only enhances and strengthens her natural and innate chess playing abilities.
Furthermore, after beating Mr. Shaibel, her chess mentor, at chess to the point of boredom, she starts to play other young students at the local school. Soon after, and as she gets a bit older, played by actress Anya Taylor-Joy, she begins playing chess tournaments. To not say more, she wins many of them. The professional chess timers used in the tournaments sure were nifty.
The Queen’s Gambit, however, is more than just about the board-game chess. On top of her drug, alcohol, and chess addictions, she experiences grief, love, and loss. Therefore, she must learn to balance life’s ebbs and flows, find strength within herself to keep moving forward despite the obstacles, build relationships, and attempt to crown herself as the queen.
In conclusion, it is a captivating, incredible, and riveting show, but as a warning, it’s a ‘Limited Series.’ It is unlikely that there will be another season of The Queen’s Gambit. Enjoy it for all it is worth, which in our opinion, it’s worth a lot. We give it 4.8 stars out of 5.
See Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit kindle eBook preview for free below.
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