Kathmandu, January 17. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is a web series based on a book from writer and novelist Walter Tevis, under the same name. The seven-part series is directed by Scott Frank and consists of Anya Taylor Roy in the titular role of Beth Harmon.

The series starts off in the 1950s, starting with Beth’s childhood. Beth is forced to join an orphanage as she becomes an orphan after her mother’s death in a car accident. In the orphanage she meets Mr Shaibel (Bill Camp), a janitor at the orphanage who teaches her how to play chess. At the young age of 8, she masters the game and quickly learns all the techniques and strategies used in the game.

The next few years in her life shows her transition into her teens where she has to deal with her addiction to pills, menstruation and growing attraction to the opposite sex. She also gets adopted from the orphanage by a couple, where the husband abandons the wife and Beth. Beth then forms a strong relationship with her new mother, Alma(Marielle Heller).

Alma realizes that chess could garner a lot of money, therefore, she and Beth travel around the world and participate in a lot of chess competitions spreading across cities in the US. Beth manages to win almost every game and soon makes a lot of money. She is able to play speed chess with multiple players and manages to make each move smoothly.

Beth’s transition from a learner to a trained chess player is portrayed efficiently by Anya. The world of chess was mainly dominated by men, especially in the 60s. Even while people were taking interviews for Beth’s win, she has to face sexist remarks for especially being a woman. The series keeps the viewer intact with the plot and happenings in Beth’s life.

With her dependency on her pills, she is able to see a chess board in the ceiling, which helps to play the game in her mind and help her to strategize her next move. But in her last game with a Russian champion, she is able to visualize the chess board in the ceiling without her pills and win the game as well. The scene during the last episode where her friends reunite and help her strategize her game with the Russian chess champion win your hearts.

The interactions with the men in her life, the ups and downs she face while her mother Alma dies, the flashbacks which shows her biological mother’s teachings all sum up to make ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ an interesting watch.

Overall, this limited series keeps you glued on your screens. Each episode is so intriguing and leaves you wondering what will happen next. ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ is a must watch for both who love chess and those who don’t.

What’s more interesting is US has recorded a 125% increase in sales of chess sets since the release of the series.