***Spoilers ahead***

The Queen’s Gambit has been one of Netflix’s most popular series of the year. It is estimated that sixty-two million people watched it in the first month of its release. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a quiet red-head who was orphaned at a young age. At the beginning of the series, a recently orphaned Beth is sent to Methuen Home, an orphanage for girls in Lexington, Kentucky. There, she takes up a fascination with chess, having the janitor teach her, and she notices she has a real talent for it. When she is fifteen, she is adopted by the Wheatleys and continues to play chess. She enters the local tournament and wins, even though she has no experience playing against seasoned players. Over the next couple of years, she enters many national competitions and develops the persona of a prodigy, developing friendships with famous players including Benny Watts, Harry Beltik, and writer D.L. Holmes. She has many pieces written about her in magazines as she climbs up the ranks in the chess community. However, Beth cannot control her reliance on substances and falls into a state of depression. Nevertheless, at the end of the series, Beth is able to beat Grandmaster Vasily Borgov and takes the title of World Champion, despite[ being only twenty years old. 

The series as a whole is extremely intriguing. Even though I am not a fan of shows with dark aesthetics, the show’s artistry goes along with the storyline and the premise of the show. The series also brings light to issues such as substance abuse and sexism, issues that are still present throughout the world today. The show goes inside of the world of Beth’s mind in the most explainable way possible. She uses the game of chess as sort of a coping mechanism, and in the show, it is described as a feeling of hope and comfort and a place where “she feels safe.” Another enjoyable aspect of the series is its audience. My friends, grandparents, parents, friends of my parents, and I all enjoyed the show, highlighting the diverse audience it attracts. The show has also proved to be extremely profitable for the chess industry. Director of Marketing at Goliath Games, Mary Higbe, reported that October chess set sales went up 178% compared to the previous year. The Queen’s Gambit has proved to be a successful series in more ways than one.