The Queen’s Gambit

By Ella McLay

The new mini-series on Netflix, The Queen’s Gambit, tells a compelling story about a young woman who masters the game of chess but battles a drug and alcohol addiction. Anya Taylor-Joy, the actress behind chess prodigy Beth Harmon, plays her role with such emotion and passion. She and her partners work so well together to make this slow-paced, logistical, and high strategy game very exciting to watch. This show not only portrays the game of chess, however. Aside from a window into major historical events of the 1950’s and 60’s, the show features major themes like sexism, women’s empowerment, addiction, and religion. Another reason this show keeps us on our toes is that there is a good balance of dark and light. Melancholy moments and uplifting moments. Moments of winning and moments of losing. From a more literary point of view, the game teaches patience and highlights the battle between good and evil. Overall, this show has a current rating of 4.9 and has inspired young girls and women across the world to take part in this intelligent and fascinating game. Since The Queen’s Gambit was released, chess sets online have been regularly selling out! The show is entertaining, yes, but it’s also an inspiration for people to keep this 1500-year-old game alive.