I had to google the definition of gambit because I have never seen that word in my life. It looks like it means a game and a gamble, but either way, I was down to watch the show. There are seven episodes, and the story is based on Walter Tevis’s novel, “The Queen’s Gambit.” The show was released in 2020 through Netflix, and Anya Taylor-Joy is the main character of the show. The genre of the show is drama. There is a little bit of romance, but that is not the main focus.

The basic storyline is that a young female orphan becomes a chess champion of the world. The background of the show is around the 1950s, so women were significantly undervalued, especially in the chess business, where middle-aged men were dominant. However, the main character, Beth, broke that prejudice of being young and female and beat her opponents. She had struggles, but she overcame those challenges to become who she is in the end.

I read somewhere that since this show was released on Netflix, there has been a drastic increase in the search for chess sets. I was also one of many people who googled chess. Even though this series is about chess, the chess game itself is not the main focus. There are some parts when they talk about chess moves and rules, but my impression is that the producers focused on the character development more than the game itself. However, if you have some chess background knowledge, the show would be more interesting for you.

Rotten Tomato Rating: 97%

Rotten Tomato Audience Rating: 85%

IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

*The ratings are based on 1/27/2021.