Queen's Gambit

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

Random House, 1983; Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2020

Original Netflix Series

Reviewed by: Paul Dansey

The Queen's Gambit, released by Netfix as a mini series in 2020, is based on a book by Walter Tevis first published in 1983 .

This is a gripping fictional read by the author of ‘The Hustler’ who popularised pool as he does again in this story of a chess prodigy, Beth Harmon.

Beth learns to play in an USA orphanage, tutored by the caretaker. The orphanage leaders dispense tranquillisers to the children which results in her addiction. This then leads to the teenager's misuse of alcohol. When she is adopted, despite it being a dysfunctional family, the mother aids her playing in chess tournaments leading to monetary gain.

The games are well described without the aid of diagrams or much notation so it becomes an enjoyable read for both chess and non-chess players. The author’s talent for describing relationships and the background to the story give weight to reading the book as well as watching the film.

The psychology behind the players is gripping. Beth's aim is to reach the standard of the Soviet grandmasters. To find out if she achieves this ambition is a thrilling read. Once started it is a book you may not want to put down and it is an ideal read for the holiday season.