I like that when Borgov realises he’s lost, he doesn’t seem angry or even disappointed. He’s smiling, because he knows he put up a great fight in a brilliant game against an excellent opponent, and in the end all he cared about was playing the game he loves, so he could smile and applaud Beth’s victory.
Don't forget Borgov was also an orphan. That is why he was actually proud of her achievement and disappointed in Paris when he saw her in that hung-over state.
Yep! Director has stated the antagonist was always Beth herself. The opponents for her chess matches can easily be written as characters you root against, especially Borgov. But he’s displayed nothing but class towards Beth, and it’s only the fact he is number 1, and has beaten Beth on two occasions, that you naturally want him to fall. But he’s proven gracious in defeat, and displayed several scenes where he low key has much respect for her...review the elevator scene.
Asides from the orphan thing and the fact he is actually proud of her, I think it also illustrates that the beauty of chess is such that it goes far beyond any rivalry or feuds. The show does an astounding decoy by initially portraying Borgov as a cold person, in the Cold War context, to finally show us that all of that is absolutely pointless. The game unifies us no matter matter where we're from, as seen in the very last scene, and the true purpose is to get better and to encounter always better opponents rather than simply beating them. You could extend what applies to chess to other competitive disciplines or science, that have more often than not unified humanity instead of dividing it.
@Petek Demircioğlu Çelebi I think alot of it is due to the fact the Soviets were one of the first people to legally give women equal rights compared to the conservatism in the US
@@kevinh.1624 absolutely! This is definitely what I took from this show and I don’t even know how to play chess. I will say this show definitely gave me a new admiration for chess, it’s fascinating. But yes, it’s not about winning, it’s about progress. Not a national achievement but an international and human achievement! And it also shows how we can only really make progress when we work together, not working together skews progress.
I think that scene was based on the 1972 Spassky Fischer match. No hugs but Spassky did stand up and applaud Fischer after his amazing sixth round game.
What makes me sad is that Mr Shaibel didn’t get to see her win this game as he loved and admired her so much. But this made me cry. Such an awesome and powerful series
I agree with the comment above - the final scene of the old man challenging her to a game @ the end made it feel like a ‘full circle’ moment. Her mentor challenged her in the beginning, now the he’s passed & she’s won… she is challenged by someone with the same spark as her mentor. I love the final scenes & this series so much 🥲
It’s so cool that every single of the men that intimidated her at the start ended up supporting her and not trying to tear her down or something like that
@@ShreeNation it should be like that, but movies so rarely show it! And here it was executed perfectly. All the amazing chess players, who very early understood she was much better than them and wanted to give her whatever they already knew just for the sake of helping her become the best she could. It was really, really refreshing to see it in this series.
She didn't cry for her real mother or her adopted mother when they died but she did broke down when Mr. Shaibel died.. I couldn't hold my tears as well.
Because he was the only father figure she had. She didnt appreciate him enough when he was still living. She later on realize his importance after he died.
And that's the reason why it's important for a child to be raised by a father. Doesn't matter if the father is an a**hole, a father naturally love his kids and will do his best to teach them the way
Love how they didn't portray the Russians as the "evil and oppressive" Soviets as they usually do in movies. They just depicted them as people living in a different country who had a profound passion for chess. Especially Borgov. He was never a "bad guy". He was just a very talented chess player who had a lot of respect for the game and for those who played it well. Hence why he was genuinely happy when Beth won. He'd been beautifully outplayed and by an orphan no less (Which he himself was). And he respected her for it.
this doesn't change the fact how they accurately portrayed the harsh condition of Russian chess players under the Soviet regime which mirrors the day to day conditions of ordinary citizens back then the bureaucracy the secret service the pressure the intimidation and silence tactics etc ...
Yeah, I loved it! And I also loved how the showed México City: beautiful and marvelous, and not with the usual dirty filter they use to put whenever Latinoamérica appears...
@@a.f9578 and they accurately portrayed the shady imperialist interests of America in trying to use Beth for their agenda, visible in the CIA dude and the crusaders people. You’re right, but the point is that this is an incredibly refreshing take on the USSR. The Americans have to learn to work together like Borgov and co. and the people of russia embrace Beth because of their mutual love for the game. It’s good.
That scene was powerful. Because those old folks there reminded Beth about Mr. Sheibel. And the fact that she took the time to shake all of their hands is very heartwarming; she finally made amendments with Mr Sheibel who is probably watching her from heaven :)
@@_RoseDawson_ I cried on that scene when she was back in the basement and found their picture. I wish she shared with him some of her success. :'( That last scene was so wonderful and touching. And how she mentioned Mr. Sheibel to the newspaper, but if only he lived to see that. :(:(
@@colinmaynard2879 I believe it was done on purpose. The point of that scene is to bring the story full circle, she's paying homage to Mr. Shaibel, at the orphanage the addiction was thrust upon her, beating Borgov sober was her exit, buttoning up her white coat concealing her black garment is a metaphor for her graduating to the white queen. At the orphanage she was a pawn and before she attained proficiency, Mr. Shaibel always made her play black. That being said, I haven't yet hit upon why the unsteady cam was utilized, but given how meticulously every other metaphor in this series was set up, I can't imagine that it was an accident.
I love how she always refused to be a US govt puppet in the show. Instead, she reached out and was friendly to the Russian people, who also responded in kind.
I thought how it would have been a very ordinary day for everyone if Beth had just continued on to the airport. She would have boarded the flight back home, and the chess players at the park would have played their games and gone home as well. Instead, she chose to get out of the car and walk to where they were so she could honor their love of the game, making it such a special day for them - and for her too.
The look of disbelief on her face when she wins... And Borgov's smile. He's proud of her. He's seen her at her worst, and now he's seen her at her best.
I think that's more about the move he made. His last move, queen to e4 was a last trap. If she moved the king to f1 she would have been mated. That's why she slowly drags the king to d2, showing that she didn't fell in that trap.
It’s silly to think that a chess world champion would react like this after being beaten. He offered a draw in a lost position instead of resigning, which is just disrespectful. And the hug was just over the top funny. No one is going to hug someone that beats them. Also in the book, every time Beth plays Borgov she was at her best. The whole Paris scene where she woke up in the bathtub hung over was fabricated for the show. She studied and got like 8 hours of sleep and woke up well rested in the book. He never saw her at her “worst.”
@Samm Salvey I believe you’re missing the beauty in the writing. This isn’t a wish wash strong female character trope, this is the story of a character who’s been flawed from the start- but with the friends she’s made and the lessons she’s learned along the way helped her to overcome the flaws and addictions. What makes a character a strong example is being human, not perfect, going through problems such as her drinking and self loathing. You need to look at her development throughout the story, in the end she becomes a strong female character and not the rude or boasting child in the orphanage. It’s portrayed in the symbolism too, she started off as a pawn (with her clothing.) and ended the show in queens clothing. I DO however agree that you’d never see hugging in chess matches, too unrealistic.
All she wanted Was the win which he He accepted Her rare smile on the hug was beautiful. Once she sat sat down with the amatuers and said "lets Play", you know she made bliss.
@Samm Salvey What the fuck is this paragraph you're talking about? The only one writing paragraphs here about nonsense is you dumbass. You're being so offended with people having different thoughts like an idiot. "You are the one bitching for nothing" says the one writing entire essays ranting about people having different thoughts over a fictional character. You're such a fucking hypocrite that no one can even compare you to anything lmfao.
I love the final scene of Beth Harmon walking through a park and up to the old men playing chess. And how the old guys were incredibly respectful of her and how classy Harmon was in accepting their congratulations, to the point of even accepting an invitation to play a game with a smile on her face. I can't imagine a better ending.
@foot bru Her full first name is Elizabeth, and the much more natural way to shorten it in Slavic languages is Liza or Lisa. Beth is a little rougher on the tongue (since 'th' would be pronounced mostly harder on the 't' than a 'th' sound you'd expect in plain English-- also 'th' isn't really a sound in any Slavic languages to my knowledge), while Liza or Lisa would come off the tongue sounding much warmer. A lot of nicknames end in vowels in Slavic languages, and tend to be very endearing towards the person it's meant towards Source: Yeah I'm one of 'em Slavs lol
I love that as well. Of course she wanted to win, but not when for bragging rights or for fame. She wanted to win to prove to herself that she had perfected her craft and that she was a better player than she was in the past. And once she won, she still had the love of the game not the love of the fame. She went to the park to be around other people of like minds who are there JUST to play because they love it
I loved the fact that russians were not displayed as evil antagonists like many american shows and movies do. Instead, they were shown to be kind and respectful.
In complete agreement with you here. Save the propaganda for politics. Through marrying a Russian I’ve become aware that her people have a kindness and regard for others that I have not always observed elsewhere.
@@peterlever8013 It’s sad that the idea of Russians being inherently arrogant and cruel has been spread so much through American pop culture, specially when the tension between the two countries was at its peak. Even in Western Europe some people have this wrong idea due to how popular American culture is.
I love it how this show emphasizes the importance of the right friends in one's life. If it wasn't for joelene's money she wouldn't have gone to Russia, and the way Benny and others supported her was so beautiful. People today have forgotten what wonders true friendship can do. Thankyou Netflix.
It was amazing, even though they had their differences where they were in life, they were still there to support her. Something she realized, when they called her room in Russia.
@@kaspafischer I was just saying that because many shows would make him out to be a villain, instead of simply being respectful when he lost and being happy for her.
There's brilliant sybolism in this show. She faced Borgov twice already, and lost both times. This third time she faced him as the US-champion, on 'his own turf': the prestigious and elegenant Moscow World-Championship! Borgov played his game, with his strong exchagnings, pressure-play, blocks and assaults. She lured him into a trap in his own game: Making him go forward, 1 step too much(that second pawn in the center) when she 'lost hér Queen', making Borgov thínk he held the advantage. Yet when SHE promoted her Pawn to a Queen, it didnt only resemble that she was still fully fighting in the game and never lost that upper hand, it mostly ment that SHE wasn nobody's Pawn in any game! She was the Queen herself! On the board, Borgov immediately saw, she had pushed hím into the corner he always puts his opponents in; Borgov could force a draw still, perhaps, íf she made a crucial mistake(which was unlikely! She knew to plan her moves, as proven with her Pawn-check), his last gambit was trying to push Beth into another Draw offer. When he planted his queen in front of his two Pawns, it was locked from the rest of the board, where her Rook could simply advance over the free lane across the board, and aid her promoted Queen, to Checkmate his King! Borgov didnt let it come to such a humiliation, as he knew as a Grandmaster and World Champion; She had him! 'Hook, Line, and Sinker": It was HER game! The way she played it out, earned her so much respect from Borgov, the 'unintimidable Dreadnought amongst Grandmasters', that he gallantly offered her his King-piece, took her hand, gentlemanly helped her stand from her chair, and embraced her as a true genius of a player! He loved it! But the best part: Borgov was an opponent! Never an enemy! Though his stoic and 'brutish' posture and playstyle gave that idea, Borgov showed his true nature, right after he lost to her: He showed his great love for the game, and his massive appreciation for Beth's intelligence as a Chess-grandmaster, and the new World Champion with a wárm embracing! Who'd a thought the 'cold and hard Russian' was such a warm and gentle man after all?
The subtlety of the symbolism in this was incredible. In the first episode, young Beth was wearing a white dress, showing her as a white pawn, still unprepared, untrained. But slowly throughout the series she becomes a better player, she understands more. The final scene, with her in the white coat, white pants, white hat, represented her as finally being the White Queen, the most powerful player on the board. Incredible.
Even better, there are 7 episodes in the series and it takes 7 moves for a pawn to get to the end of the board. It symbolises that Beth's story is that of a pawn promotion.
@@madisondeechao5728 Thank you for this. I also realized the 7 episodes / 7 moves correlation soon after finishing the show, and pointed it out to just a few. It's such an important insight; more should know. I'd like to add that while some say Beth reached the 8th rank when she decided to get out of the car (hard to argue), to me the point is that Beth was a Queen all along. It wasn't until she got to Russia and was treated like a Queen by the Russians that she realized that she was. And when Mr. Booth from the State Department tried to give her the "talking points" (implying her new role as a pawn of the U.S. government) the contrast between the two roles was too great to bear, and made the choice to defect obvious. Her sense of freedom and relief as she walks from the car, smiling as she buttons her coat, is beautiful to behold. You are a Queen. Move like a Queen.
@@madisondeechao5728 You are probably right about the symbolism thing, I think creators of this movie thought of that like it. But it takes 6 moves to get to the end of the board or 5 if you go 2 forward in first pawn move. Closest you can get to 7 is 6.
I know this is an older comment but I thought you would enjoy the fact that that familiarity is supposed to be there!! That older gentleman is also casted to look similar to mr schaibel so that we end where we begin!
The best part for me was she refused to get into the Cold War politics. At the end, she walked among the average Russian people and they showed her such kindness. Makes you realize there are great people all over the world. 💯
Note the symbolism; 7 episodes resembling the seven squares it takes from a Pawn's starting point, to the end of the Board and promote to Queen. Her development through every episode, and she actually promotes her Pawn, in the final match against Vasily Borgov, to a Queen! But also the counter-symbolism; As she's 'promoted to a Queen, and not some Pawn', so does Borgov pick up hís Kingpiece, hands it to her with great dignity and respect, helps her from her chair as a true gentleman, and embraces her! He's no pawn either! Small detail but it proves that Borgov wasnt the 'badguy'. The 'badguys' were the 2 KGB-agents that accompanied Borgov in earlyer episodes and the (CIA?)operative that guided Beth in Moscow!
Fact that she didn’t take the pills, and that she had her friends helping her for the final game was so great. It’s such an improvement for Beth and the series. Still, at the final part she was on her own and won by playing in her mind. Brilliant show!
It also was brilliant that she couldnt defeated Borgov taking the pills. When she realize that the reason of her sucess is her talent and not the pills just give me chills.
This was probably one of my favourite moments of the series. Especially with the part (not shown in this video) where she’s able to look up and still see the board and play the game in her mind. It shows an incredibly ignored truth about addiction. People think that drugs like marijuana can boost the mind, but really, it’s their reliance on the drugs that gives them this so called “mind boost”. When the mind is truly free of addiction then is it no longer clouded and shackled, unable to reach it’s full potential, but free to achieve limitless wonders. Such a powerful scene for me, a recovering addict. I loved it so much.
@@wiremuwiniata1216 WOW..well said. Good for you for Recovering. I have this theory about addiction. The brain chemical serratonin is the one reponsible for happiness and therefore the ability to cope with life's problems. Serratonin needs Vitamin D to be made in the brain and with 42% of Americans deficient in Vitamin D the ability to cope with life's problems is nearly 0 for much of the world's problems. Google ---Vitamin D and serratonin and THEN google -------Vit D and coronavirus. Vitamin D in combination with Vit K2 reduces Covid 19 severity and death. Do the research!
I love how both Borgov and Luchenko were so graceful about losing, like really... no ego whatsoever, they were just aknowledging Beth's talent, I love that with all my heart
It's a Soviet-Latvian chess set, which can't be found for sale online anymore thanks to this series...and yes, Anya is stunning. Sad to know that when she was younger she got bullied for her eyes. I think her eyes are beautiful.
@@dilanpatel6868 Nope, but I think Jumping Ship's explanation on why Harmon decided to go back to that specific area where elderly were playing chess was spot on.
You know it's funny thinking on it... she really had no external enemies. Everyone could see her greatness and wanted her to succeed. Even Vasily, her biggest challenge, turns out to be a quiet, kind man. All of her struggles are within and everyone around her supported her, even her competitors.
Right!?! And then how it ended with her playing with people in a park, it means that the game is now just fun, instead of it being about competition or proving herself.
That's the reality of chess in Russia they don't see your nationality they admire your talent that's their love for the game they loved Vishy also after Vishy beat Kramnik
@@AnujKumar-vb2sp You are all right! Dont care if you are Woman or Gentleman. The important its love the game, and be appasionate, Like Beth Harmon. She is the "Best Player" And dont care the Nationality If you are NorthAmerican, England, Mexican, Russo, etc.
it so great to watch her grow and come so far!! btw i made a video on this EPIC scene of ‘The Queens Gambit’ and explain why it’s sooo impactful! I hope you can check it out! 💜
Its the friend she finally made on the inside which makes everything possible - no longer confined by 64 squares, the smiling queen, sacrificed (by her Mother) then reborn (by a pawn), is freed and immediately encircled. Wonderful tale fully told.
About why everyone in Russia called her Liza and not Beth. Liza is a common Russian way to shorten the name Elizaveta, also if you try to say 'Beth' in Russian you will most likely end with 'Bes' which means 'imp'. So it was a nice little touch with Russians calling her Liza.
If u watch this series in Russian language, her name is pronounced as "Bet", not Liza. I don’t understand why they decided she should be called as Liza by Soviet guys in eng version of Queen’s gambit.
@@kukchek как по мне все логично. Мы часто иностранные имена под свои подстраиваем. Английскую королеву тоже у нас называют Елизавета, а не Элизабет. Есть и другие случаи, может это только у меня, но Артаса из Варика 3, все называли Артёмом.
Also, while she does use Beth for her friends, strangers can't know that so they only see her full name and take tve nickname that is the most common in their language.
Loved the fact that she looked like the queen piece in the end. An absolute masterpiece and a stellar job from everyone who worked on this series. A small gem in a crappy year.
i have to agree 200%. A rare gem where the positives really come through and this ending to me is like no other - just so nice (an overused word but for me it captures this series as it really warms the heart)
There is no season two...this was a 'one off" series. Its a masterpiece..leave it as it is...I hope the powers that be dont get caught up in the dollar signs and FORCING a sequel.
I loved the closing sequence where she walks among the old chess players in the park. So full of heart - and human connection - I teared up a little myself.
She stopped wanting to win. I wish they’d acknowledged that more. She began to love chess. And that’s why she was able to win. The fear wasn’t there anymore.
No? Sorry but 0:55 she moves her King away from the rook, and you can see the 'scare' in her eyes yelling out: "Did i just WIN by that move?" Borgov made a mistake earlyer when he had to re-place his queen, blocking the Pawn she promoted(awesome symbolism!!!) again. That one cóst him a move, and Beth was ahead of him from that on! Borgov only could halt her, and force a draw: He hoped she would hide her King behind the Rook there, so he could check her a few times and offer a Draw again. By moving the King away, Borgov locked up his Queen there in the 2-pawn wall in the center. With Beth's Rook free to move across the free lane over the board, her promoted Queen on the opposite side, keeping hís King in a locked position: Harmon was about 2 moves away from check-mating him! Borgov knew that. With his King locked, and his Queen in a 'stalemate'. She had won the game! His honesty and integrity as a world-champion and Grandmaster, he admitted defeat, took his King off the board, and offered it to her as a symbol of her victory, and becoming the new World Champion! But she was a tad scared there when she made the move. She looked over the board, analysed any possibilitys left for Borgov, which there were not anymore, and the realisation struck her there: She did it!! She actually did it!! Personally, i loved Borgov's 'coming out'there: No longer the stoic and unintimidable 'dreadnought of a Grandmaster', admitting his defeat, and embracing her as the young lady who was able to best him in an absolute stunning Finale-match! It had everything it needed: Brutal exchanges, forced errors, and making Borgov 'choke' on his own tactic: That double-pawn blockade in the center, caused HIS queen to be locked up, giving her the victory!
@@adrianmeerman6493 She followed the advice: Played her ówn game! Didnt go into Borgov's tactic, but turned it around? Not as easy as it seems perhaps, but you do see at one point "She's got him'; The moment that Borgov moves his Queen back to block her almost-promoting Pawn! He has to sacrifice a move, to do that. From that point, Harmon is 1 step ahead of him and its Borgov who has to go after hér again: Force her into such a mistake to 'level the playing field again'. It adds up magnificently to the symbolism of the Pawn, becoming a Queen: Thats where shé became the Queen who made her own moves, not a pawn that followed orders.
@@thegreenreaper6660 She was winning from the beginning of the video. I have seen analysis by Magnus. In the beginning of the video it is said pawn becomes a queen. Magnus said she was winning before this. You can see her smiling. So she was not scared with the last move(reply to your first comment)
I see the climax of the movie as her realization that she’s not alone - that the support of her friends could take the place drugs once played in her life.
I’m not even going to lie this was genuinely the best series I’ve ever watched in my entire life. The show isn’t just about chess, it’s about addiction and mental health and growing up and life problems and the cinematography is amazing, the soundtrack is fucking on point and the acting is 10/10. I’ve already watched it twice and I plan on watching it more. Honestly it’s just one of them shows that motivate you to improve your own intelligence, which isn’t a bad message to spread to people
I thought I was the only one. People keep saying it’s ONE of the best shows they watched or the best they’ve seen THIS year, but for me it’s 100 percent the best show I’ve ever fucking watched.
@@avantikaroy5146 Totally opposite style of show so it's hard to compare. Both are two of my favorite series I've seen. But if you look at every aspect of the show, down to the acting, cinematography, writing, music, etc, I would actually give the edge to The Queen's Gambit, even if I would personally choose The Haunting of Hill House since horror is my favorite genre.
I don’t care what anyone says, Jolene’s reaction hits the hardest. Grew up with her as an orphan. Stuck by her through everything. That’s everything. That’s what a real friend is. She didn’t give a shit about chess. She cared about her friend that she grew up with as a little girl. She just wanted to see her succeed. Because she came from that same walk of life and knew the pain that she felt. And it’s just like “fuck yes finally we got a break”
The very last scene with her in the park is just perfect. Countries have their own culture, countries have their own government but that should never define a person as an individual. Those men could care less that she's an American and she could care less that they are Russian in this scene. Just people being people.
What I like is that when she reached fame and success, she didnt get distracted by all the glamorous stuff and decide to still focus on her true purpose which is playing the game and enjoying it. Respect.
..... as opposed to the Kardashian's ? People, this is about people (women's) BRAINS. Exercising brains, in competition (but also enjoying the beauty of the game). Not too many real people Grandmastering at chess are in it for the fame. Like maybe none.
Dont forget the entire perspective: Every tournament thus far, even the one in 'poshy Paris', was NOTHING, compared to the immense stage in Moscow! The enormous respect the Russians have for the Game, and the exciting press and crowd were following évery single move. Not even all the other tourneys combined, came even close to that! Nice 'nod' to it; In the US and in Paris, the tourneys were held at a highschool, and a hotel. In Russia: an ancient Monastery! What a decor, and what a difference!
One thing I haven't seen mentioned: the musical score was so well done. The whole orchestra coming in when she sees the pieces on the ceiling, wow! I could listen to it over and over. I hope the composer gets an award as well.
Yes both the piano and orchestra scores were so well done. I learned the piano parts that were so effective and simple. As a beginner, I just loved learning them.
THIS is how you write a strong female lead! So many movies and shows think she has to be invincible, but Beth has genuine and intense struggles that she is eventually able to overcome with hard work! There is a difference between real feminism and feminist pandering. This show undoubtedly falls into the former category.
What's that supposed to mean? There should be bad female leads just as many bad male leads. It mustn't be a requirement for the female lead to be brilliantly written in order for it to not be tagged as "feminist pandering".
@@sena3561 I think willy was referring to the trope of female characters being written as invincible demigods who never fail. though that's not as common as many people might think, it does stick out like a sore thumb whenever you see it
@@dracu9833 Exactly. It’s just as bad when male protagonists are written as invincible demigods, but there’s usually no underlying agenda in those cases. It’s just bad writing. If there were a mainstream pro-male movement like there is for females (feminism), then I would accuse invincible male protagonists of doing the same thing.
When she envisioned the chess set on the ceiling and finished off the game, it was so satisfying to watch and applaud and cheer, so incredibly well-earned. I couldn't help contrast that scene (edit: almost immediately) to Rey's power level up scenes from the recent Star Wars trilogy, esp. when she lifted the rocks. It looked cool, but her entire story is just insanely unearned. Legit there was no ascent to greatness, just GREATNESS from start to finish. And the thinly veiled agenda behind the greatness of such heroines makes it a little hard to watch. When it comes with Supergirl's attitude, the show becomes unbearable!!
Also how she accepts help from her male peers, especially during the final game. Some feminist writers would seeth at Beth getting help from her 'inferior' male friends. Ofcourse she is better, but getting help from multiple people who spent hours analysing is obviously the right thing to do and also shows how she respects her friends.
ever evolving 2000 year old sport- and there is no right or wrong, no best or worst.. the worst person can beat the best person in the world with 3 moves chess is pure
I loved this game, but I still think my favorite was the previous game against the eldest Soviet master. He was so genuinely happy to have played her, and you can even see her fangirling a little! So weird getting to play against someone you've studied since childhood!
Yes me too. That was the best match. He called her a marvel and was very grateful for the match. It's an amazing feeling when you get praised by one of your idols you grew up.
This has happened to me, one of the first chess masters I found out about when starting out in 2001 was GM Luke McShane from England. I read about him in my first ever chess book, and then it was such an honour to play against him in London 2015 during a simul.
It’s your game, take it I get that Borgov was her biggest rival and strongest competitor, but I love him and I love how the show didn’t made him a villain, the man just loved chess and he recognized Beth’s talent On a sidenote, I’m gonna need proof of Beth paying Jolene her money back, still haven’t forgotten about the money she owned Mr. Shaibel
Don't forget this was in the time of Cold War and Sovyets still congratulated Beth. As a Slav I am glad they aren't potrayed in negative way, and the scene with old people gathering around her shows the russian mentality.
@@sergejpetkovic2414 I was anxious to see some Soviets dirty nature in Mexico episode but the Russian kid and the character of Borgov and the people of Russia being portrayed in this way made me had a short and quiet sigh of relief. Russians are not bad. The US and its media constant scrutiny and Russian military history made them look bad.
Absolutely agree. I was ready for them to portray him as some sort of villian and I was relieved when they didn't. Such a fantastic show I'm not ready to move on from.
I also like how her gender was barely mentioned after episode 2-3. At that point she was recognized as so good, the other players didn’t even consider her gender, only her technique.
Well it was the point of the series. Beth mom (Alice) said : "Men are gonna come along and wanna teach you things. You just let them blow-by, and you go on ahead and do just what the hell you feel like." Implying that this world is run by men that want to control things and keep women in "check". But women don't have to listen to those men, or fear them.
@@FabledGentleman I didn't really agree with that line, in fact it's totally backwards. Sure some men can be patronising but ultimately if they are teaching you they are trying to help. It's when they DON'T teach you they are keeping you in check. This whole story would have ended if Mr Shaibel just told Beth to get out of his basement - he almost did right at the start but she persisted.
russians are caring loving ppl unlike us woke destructive BLM ANTIFA ppl here- we want to blame Putin for everyhitng but dont talk about the ppl tha tlive there. the US government are the terrorists of this world and noone seems to address this we have started wars with everyoe for 150 years now for our on interestes and commodoties saying its for "democracy" yet you ppl vote these war mongers in that destroys the rest of the world while hike up our cost of living day to day in the name of "freedome"? this is not freedom this is tacxation slavery to expand your military to take over us when when we had enough to say NO
I loved how after her first win there was a smattering of women fans to greet her. Then as she continued to defeat each player, the crowd swelled with adoring and admiring fans. She felt at home, was at home in a land that loved and repected their chess players.
I mean ... that's kind of the point LOL. Getting back to the love of the game purely for love of the game. Not trying to win. Not trying to oust anyone. Just playing to play.
Even in death Mr shaibel was the one who helped her. His death brought her back from the hole she dug herself. Mr. Shaibel might not have been recognised when he was alive but he was the true hero.
Right: Except that in order to have a female chess character (chess as a sport is also gender segregated, but men and women are equal right?) compete with men they had to invent one and pretend that she was real. Why cannot we have a society that celebrates the success of men as a gender which includes dominating chess?
@@TheBelrick I don’t see how this show is the antithesis of celebrating the successes of men’s domination in chess. It’s just a fictional chess show with a female character in lead. There are plenty of movies celebrating male chess champions and so on. Just because they chose to make the lead a female, it doesn’t mean they are actively going against males…
@@TheBelrick bruh, it's not that deep. Gender wasn't even pushed in the series or in the book, and even Beth herself said it shouldn't be that important. It's not a plot device anywhere here. Why would you even bring up gender here? Are you a menenist?
@@TheBelrick this comment is so stupid 😭 men are already successful in most fields because of thousands of years of patriarchal society allowed them to actually have a chance in those fields for years instead of homemaking, and there's countless movies that show this too
@@99txgh Beth is a fictional character because real women chess champions dont exist. Because men are smarter and more focused and determined and more prepared to invest time and training. All this due to evolution.
I love that she had multiple mother figures in her life (her mother, foster mother and motherly friend) but Mr. Shaibel was the only real father figure she had in her life. The importance of both roles in a child’s development can’t be overstated...
They made this show perfectly. Every single second had my attention and I’d personally have to say it’s 10/10. As much as I want another season, they can’t do it, they will ruin it.
for half a second I actually thought she had made and error or missed something and maybe it wasnt going to end with her winning (which would have been fine in its own way). I thought the moment was going to reference her learning about the touch-move rule she learnt at her first tournament. So for me the moment was also one of suspense :P
@@CountryCowboy008 It gets even better when you see the stoic and unintimidable Borgov, fínally give her a smile and sais 'Its your game", picks up his King-piece, hands it to her with the words' Take it', then tightly grabs her hand, and helps her up from her seat and the table as a classy gentleman would, embraces her, and gives her the applause she deserved!
Starting at 0:40, black queen checks white king, white rook blocks check, black queen moves diagonally to check, white king moves left and out of check... how does white win??? White checkmates if white queen is moved diagonally next to white rook, after removing self from the check mentioned before, presumably blocking with bishop
@@esal1575 from what I could see after she moved her king he doesn’t have any more checks he can make without losing his queen. Beth has her rook on an open file and the queen is very close to his king so she can start attacking
Most don't understand that the Russian government has made themselves our enemy, not the people. They are like us, just like us, can be good to each other, despite political differences.
I like how the old people called her Liza. It symbolises that she's entering a new chapter in her life and becoming a new person (not Beth anymore) after defeating the one and only chess player she feared. The director is so spot on!
Liza is the nickname version of Elizabeth in slavic languages instead of Beth or Lizzie or whatever (Beth doesn't have an equivalent there AFAIK). So it is more of pure authenticity in my opinion, but you do you :)
It’s a powerful scene with an astonishing sountrack. From the moment she gets out the car and starts walking to the end. It couldn’t have had a better ending.
@@akoszahorsky1071 Yeah, that's true. The closest to Elizabeth is probably Elizaveta but I'm not sure. There is a character in,, Crime and Punishment'' who is called Elizavieta and a famous figure skater Elizaveta Tuktamyshewa. The latter is called Liza by many fans and commentators.
I watched Garry Kasparov's interview, and it was his advice to call her Liza by Russians as more natural. We use an informal version of the most names when we want to make it more softer. I am very curious was Beth called Lizzie by her mom in a book or those scenes were added to create her revival in the final? Can't wait to read it!.
There are many re-watchable scenes from that series but the one at the end of this clip is my absolute favorite. When she is mobbed, joyfully and respectfully, by people that truly understood her achievement. It's just... Great!
Dorociński's acting in this series was phenomenal. Every time there was a closeup on his face, his well thought out slight muscle movements gave me chills. He conveyed every emotion (while still maintaining the portrayal of a distant and cold character) with incredible precision. World class level of skill. This man deserves recognition!
Not at all. The game of chess was almost the side story here. It was her personal growth that took center stage in the movie. Without it, this could just have been a documentary on chess. I'm still trying to convince some of my friends to watch it because they think the whole thing is only about chess. I'm like "No, there's so much more. I promise."
The fact that she didn't only win with Borgov but with herself too and that, that in one of the most important moments of her life she finally wasn't alone like she was most of her life, makes me so proud of her
It’s so heartwarming to see how throughout the series, she was so intimidated by and scared of him. But at the very last moment when she finally did win, he embraced her with kindness and proudness. She finally got the recognition from someone she feared and looked up to.
I had hoped she'd give a short speech at his funeral, starting something like 'what did Mr Shaibel mean to me? Well, 10 dollars to be fair..."... and then the story behind those 10 dollars: How he taught her the game as a young orphan, to the point she got adopted, and wanted to sign in for her first Tourney, it was William Shaibel who 'gave' her the 5 dollars entry-fee, she promised him to double in return if she'd won any prize. The scene in 'Shaibel's Basement', with the board where he kept évery article and picture of his 'pupil', including her very first note where she asked him for those 5 dollars was an impact though. He never wanted those 5 or 10 dollars back! To be fair: it was probably the best 5 dollars the man spent in his entire life! Perhaps she should have told the Press a bit sooner of her old Mentor, who taught her, only to rub it in to that cold ms Deardorff. imagine chess-admires, or press coming to that orphanage, and ms Deardorf was only 'the doorknob' towards her concierge, who in fact was a brilliant chess-teacher!! And that 'tart' had such a mastermind, right under her nose and never saw him for who he truly was!
@@thegreenreaper6660 Well, as far as i remember she did tell the press who was her teacher fairly early, i think it was after her 2nd state tournament(?). The press ignored it tho and she got very irritated by that, hence her question by the end "will you please promise to include that?" when asked about who was her teacher or something like that
@@meiz1795 Yes that one female interviewer who was smoking on her room. When her mom was reading the article about her, Beth mentioned that all of what is written is just her being a woman and never included what she said about Mr. Shaibel.
Would have helped if he hadn't refused to say goodbye to her at the orphanage. In her mind she was probably like, oh, I fucked up irreparably. Best to "move on" like with everything else...
Yes- there was very transparent propaganda from the leftist point of view in this series. The pro-communist rhetoric as well as the anti-Christian rhetoric as well as the "women can do anything better than a man" rhetoric. Funny how people routinely fail to see their own propaganda in their own eye, eh??? This was a refined copy of "Black Panther" which patronized african Americans in a similar vein with their "Wakanda" fantasy-land.
LOL. We are not in the 1950s anymore (when all Russians were "bad guys") or in the 1920s (when women were in the kitchen) or in the 1820s (when all African Americans were enslaved). Keep up with the times! Interestingly, it is the so-called "left" wing party of today (which is really yet another flavor of right-wing) that portrays all Russians as "evil". Strange times indeed!
I absolutely loved Borgov in this series. He seemed so intimidating in the earlier episodes which made me think that he had the personality of an arrogant asshole. But, he clearly proved me otherwise and took that defeat with class and grace. I have nothing but respect for this man. Also, this whole series made my year a little bit better. Thank you for this gem, Netflix.
@@gabaghoul23 Of course moving the king was not a checkmate but that leaves Borgov with no good moves since he can't check Harmon's king anymore. Borgov's position was terrible and he's about to get mated, he resigned which means he lose. With your logic, it's like saying Japan didn't lose against America after being bombarded by nuclear bombs lmao.
@@pr3ttyb0yfl4cko i know now and wasnt thinking at the time i watched it when someone stated the obvious which as an avid chess player I should have been more aware they think several moves ahead at that level. alcohol hell uva drug
@@gabaghoul23 You are wrong, Borgov with those checks was looking for a draw with repeated checks, did you know that? Since he could no longer check him due to the move of Beth's king, he could no longer check and any move he had made would have been lost since Beth had to checkmate him on the next move. You have to observe the game carefully.
I love how it feels at the end that Borgov always knew she would beat him someday and he was waiting for this moment, instead of being disappointed, he looked like a proud father🥺
I liked the idea of that but I don’t think it was realistic at all. I think she could still win the game without the pills but being able to see the board on the ceiling and force her mind to be foggy when she is actually sober didn’t make sense. In real life she would have needed to come up with a different method to get her mind like that
I was shocked that she thought that she needed the pills because in the beginning when she played as child she never used them, it's only after the convincing of her friends that the drugs are magic at night that she started taking them.
@@sydneydileo it absolutely is realistic, Naka and many other chess GMs are known to look at the ceiling to visualize the game. Nothing stopping her from learning to do it sober
This series really showed the true colors of sportsmanship and respect of chess players, simply because it is a game of pure skill, when you are beaten its by someone better than you and they respect this so much, its just so wholesome you cant help but shed a tear.
I take it beyond the game. I feel like it’s a true testament of sportsmanship across the board. Notice how there was a moment where they said that the Russians helped each other where people in America play against each other. She eventually got support from her friends even though she was the better player. That goes to show that even if you are the best you can still have humility and listen to people who might have one or two helpful tips. It also shows that teamwork and support can push you above and beyond. It also shows that being a great player does it mean you are not good when someone else beats you. Remember when the old man with the white hair congratulated her for winning, and she responded that she read all of his books. That was two people who had a tremendous amount of respect for each other instead of saying ha ha I’m better than you.
@@amberlyn28 completely agree lol like i say there just so much respect whether you win or lose, its just really refreshing to see that as its very rare nowadays, this is just on a whole other level and thats why i not only love the game but started to get into it myself
There are so many examples of this in real life: Capablanca and Alekhine hated each other, but Capablanca still sent a congratulatory letter to Alekhine when he won the world championship. Korchnoi and Spassky almost came to a fistfight during their 1978 match. Two years later, they were sitting together (playing in the same tournament) at a celebratory dinner and between them sat Mikhail Tal, who was drunk as a skunk. At one point, Tal’s head fell to the table and he started snoring. “Shall we carry him out”? , Korchnoi asked. “Yup”-came the answer from Spassky. And so two sworn enemies together carried out their fallen comrade to his hotel room. When the hotel doorman saw the three of them and asked what the hell was going on, Spassky casually answered that grandmaster Tal had been thinking so much in his game and that he was very tired. - You cannot imagine two more different men than Karpov and Kasparov. Karpov a positional player, Kasparov a tactician. Karpov always close to the establishment, Kasparov always the rebel. Karpov a calm, a little bit cold and calculated person, Kasparov a bundle of nerves. Karpov, an ardent communist and later a Putin supporter, Kasparov a staunch anti-communist and later the leader of Russian opposition to Putin. And of course, both of them well aware for more than 20 years that each one can only be beaten by the other one. The result-they hated each other’s guts. Still, when Putin’s regime arrested Kasparov, Karpov went to prison to visit him, brought him food, books and a chessboard, and publicly supported him.
Best part of the entire series was all the old men at the end being so surprised and happy at seeing Harmon visiting their chess games. Something about this scene warmed my heart. Seeing the young visit the old showing them that they are not forgotten, which tends to happen in our time all too often.
The music was perfect too and the old man who first shook her hand had the warmest smile calling her Lisa Harmon, it was so epic I have watched it like 10 times now.
If you reach a certain level in chess, you start to realise just how much action happens among the boring pieces on a chessboard. Constant threats being created, heroic defensive maneuvers and every once in a while, a thing of pure beauty happens which is forever a part of history. For example, a game between two gentlemen named Edward Lasker and George Alan Thomas nicknamed Fatal Attraction.
Dont forget Marcin Dorocinski as Vasily Borgov btw! He was a perfect 'antagonist' in the series, who proved to be not her enemy, but a great admired of the game! he didnt 'boost off in a rage of anger, for losing to a little girl', he took her hand like a gentleman, when he handed her his King, and helped her up from her chair, and embraced her! A ráre thing to only see in the most respecful and greatest of players! Rival in the Game, but a great friend out of that! Dorocinsky was pérfectly cast for this role, but he outdid it with his 'unintimidable' performance too!
Huge props to Dorociński - he barely moves his face, yet he shows so many emotions going on behind a mask. And Anya Taylor-Joy was beautiful and mesmerising in her role. Beth is incredibly beautiful and intelligent, yet she is a really damaged and she has to work hard over her flaws. Wonderful series.
Best Supporting Actor in a TV-series on the next Emmy Awards imho! He deserves it as much as Anya Taylor-Joy deserves an Emmy for this! The show was a masterpiece! The book was said to be this good already but the casting, and more importantly the splendid acting from these 2, made the show a stunner! I was skeptical at first to see 'yet another show with yet another Strong Female Protagonist'...etc. yet The Queen's Gambit was a very bright and pleasant surprise! Marcin Dorocinski is a véry good actor! Its rare to see an actor show such dominance and intimidation. I'd compare it to the masterclass that Charles Dance showed as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones, for example. Not many actors can actually pull that off!
The beautiful bit is what comes last imo. I hate that even in a series supposed to underline female intelligence and individuality, the beautiful is still put first.
@@thearbitrarynerd1667 I'm pretty sure that was the whole point of Beths pretty clothes, hairstyles and makeup. You don't need to go to the another end of the spectrum and abandon your womanhood (in this case I mean pretty looks) to show your individuality. Quite the opposite - Beth is making more and more conscious fashion choices and embraces her feminity (in a classical sense) while still remaining strongly independent and breaking a lot of stereotypes. I would say it emphasizes the point even more, cause when people try to put her in the box because of her gender/looks/age, the more shocked they are by her intelligence and strong character. Sorry if my reply is not clearly written but English is not my first language, and I'm dead tired after this week, so maybe I'm not making any sense rn 😉
@@danielgadomski5129 I completely agree with you, but my message still stands. Her intelligence is much more important and she also learns to embrace her femininity and adapt and act a bit more like “a woman” because society implies this is a bit compulsory (same thing happens to me) so intelligence is more important anyway
There needs to be a series on Borgov. My favourite scene is when he's in the elevator and Beth is listening to his convo with his gang. He's such a boss.
Aye! Borgov was trying to get a measure on HER, where the two KGB-agents were trying to politically manipulate him: He didnt give two SH*TS about those 2 goons, he was there for the chessmatch against a very potential player: Beth Harmon! As a youngling, Beth was quickly intimidated by Borgov's posture and playstyle, and lost. Ps, it was wonderful to see in the ending, that BEth did the exact same: She wasnt a political Pawn in a cold war-propaganda. Just loke Borgov wasnt. She just exited the taxi, and went straight to the park, to play with the old men gathered there, to do what she loved: play the game!
@@thegreenreaper6660 yeah I liked the ending a lot. Honestly, it seems like one of the few Western media pieces that doesn't show the Russians as bad guys. I also liked how Borgov turned out to be one of the few decent human beings ( when he hugged her ).
@@mja4353 They wrote this extremely well imo: During the episodes, you get the idea that Borgov ís the bad-guy, but in that elevator-scene with the 2 KGB-agents, you're getting a bit of a doubt. In this finale, where he warmly and respectfully admits his defeat to the young Elizabeth Harmon, offers her his King, and firmly grabs her hand to help her stand up for an embrace, shows he never wás a badguy at all! He was the greatest of them all! Dibs to Marcin Doroceski, how he can sáy so much with a personage that has so féw lines in a show! Facial expressions, composure, body language! Extremely well acted!
Beth also refused the offer from the church guys paying her tickets in exchange of supporting their political views, like Borgov did in the elevator scene. I kind of think that they are similar in some ways.
Oh, that’s why he speaks Russian so well but with the slightest hint of an accent. I really thought this guy was American but naturally gifted in Russian language
I love how, Borgov is such a kind hearted antagonist, seriously, you could tell he knew what she was going through, he im sure was hoping she could finally defeat him, when they hugged. that was brilliant almost made me cry.
i love how this series is like a journey of Beth collecting her true family members jolene is her big sister mrs wheatley is her mom mr shaibel is her dad harry, benny and the twins are her brothers really show how sometimes family doesnt have to be blood-related
Yess.. Bcause the game on the series inspired by some real amazing game that happaned in the chess history, especially for the final game. The actual game was actually ended with tie. But the writer made a good conclusion for the game.. So it became more dramatic
@@fatimamayvalleramos8519 because bogove have nothing to do anymore but check, if he couldnt check anymore, Beth gonna start to attack and 100% would win the game in a few moves if there is no mistaken (absolutely borgov knew she wouldnt). You can see borgov's king is actually under presure.
@@sdrmctchr1039 oh yeahh! I saw it now! You’re right. She would 100% win the game after Borgov can no longer check her King. That’s the time she’ll attack his king with her queen and rook. Thanks! (Chess beginner here)
@@cuivre2004 no. She didnt win by the move itself, she Just made a great decision that would lead to her Victory in about 5-6 moves. What she did was genius, I recommend u some vid where they alanyzed the entire match.
wasnt a winning move- just a move on netflix to show she won- 2e king 5 to queen is not a winngin move there was no checkmate there when she was white- just bullshit netflix wanted you to see
@@gabaghoul23 well, I think you might not get the depth of the game :D Yes - you are right the move she did was not 'yet' the winning move. But the move she made secured her win in anout 6 more moves cuz there was literally no other outcome of the game at that point. Thats why he forfeited.
What I love about this series was the portrayal of the characters in a realistic way. There were no entirely evil characters and no entirely good characters. Her biological mother, her biological father, her foster mother, her foster father, Harry Beltik, Jolene, Cleo(not sure about this bitch but imma include her), Benny, and in this clip, Borgov. And not the cheesy type of like he changed because of realization or something but just the sense that these people, they were all as dark and light as ever, just that we see them in different shades. Maybe like the chess pieces even, there are no protagonists and antagonists, just pieces trying to win the game. Also, the lack of closure with Mr. Shaibel was quite an angering thought, but I guess it shows that closures don't always happen.
I thought Cleo was cool until she basically ruined Beth's chance at succeeding with that game in Paris by pressuring her to drink the night before the game. Plus we never hear from her after that point at all after they hooked up. She could've waited until after Beth's game to hang out and drink with her. Her foster father was the worst though of course. Most of the characters from the show were, although imperfect and flawed, pretty likable.
I've always thought netflix is capable of producing good shows but never have I imagined they would create such a master-piece. Absolutely one of the best shows of all time. The plot, the directing, the cinematography, soundtrack, wardrobe, anya-taylor joy, just everything. It's perfection. It sets a precedent to upcoming netflix shows in the future.
Dont forget Marcin Dorocinski as Vasily Borgov! He played the part márvellous!! I'd never heard of that actor before.... Until now! Wow! What a stunner! He was dominant and intimidating in a matter, comparable to the masterclass of Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister in GoT! Few actors can actually pull that off with such skill and magnificence! I hope Dorocinski atleast gets 'Best Supporting Actor in a TV series', at the next Emmy's. (Anya Taylor-Joy for Lead-actress... I dont know who of the two earns it more!)
Kinda shows that the class and respect of these Russian Grandmasters is on a whole different level than the US or anywhere else in the world. The entire scenery around the Moscow Tournament is magnificent to start with: a beautiful ancient Abbey, with the lighting setup mainly on the Chess-tables. Outside an enthousiastic crowd, patiently waiting. Large press-hoardes, and even a Live-Broadcast on television(which was a pretty big thing in the mid-60's?) on the matches! The great respect these two Grandmasters show to her is the finishing touch! The whole show, you think that Borgov is the Main-antagonist and the badguy, but in the finale, he proves to néver have been the badguy. That 'despicable' title goes to the 2 KGB-agents who accompanied Borgov in the earlter episodes, and that (CIA?)operative that guided Harmon in Moscow: those were the propaganda-influences. Borgov didnt give 2 sh*ts about those Agents. And neither did Harmon in the end when she walked out the taxi.
Something I thought was great about this scene was Borgov's reaction to Beth's victory. Throughout the series he was portrayed as the antagonist, he looked evil and almost bloodthirsty in a way. He was portrayed as if Chess was his life and that he valued nothing else, only because he was "the best in the world". When Beth finally beat him, I can imagine we were all expecting a big climax and him expressing rage or madness. Only for him to humbly accept his defeat and congratulate Beth on how she worked her way up to this moment from their first match. He isn't evil, he's just another player who loves the game. I imagine he was no longer as passionate about chess as he once was, since he had forgotten what it was like to lose. Beth Harmon was the only person who posed an actual challenge to him after so long, and definitely rekindled that love he had for chess. This was such a great climax to a brilliant series.
Nowhere is he portrayed as evil or that he would rage or that he is anything other than a gentleman and an intellectual. You're watching the wrong sort of show if that's what you're after.
I think it’s subtly implied that Borgov wanted out. He was being held hostage by the Soviet Union to play chess and win against Americans for life. This loss kind of broke that. Not to mention he was very professional throughout the series and he shared the same struggles of being an orphan with Beth.
I get the feeling that he's in some way disappointed that no one can beat him. When Beth finally beats him, it's like he's relieved to be free from that pressure.
I cry every time I watch the old men greeting Beth with such admiration. I see Mr. Shalbel in every one of them. Really heartwarming ending scene for such a great show.
I like that when Borgov realises he’s lost, he doesn’t seem angry or even disappointed. He’s smiling, because he knows he put up a great fight in a brilliant game against an excellent opponent, and in the end all he cared about was playing the game he loves, so he could smile and applaud Beth’s victory.
This is very normal in chess.
@@GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser not that normal especially in blitz they rage all the time
@@GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser It wasn't the case with Fischer-Spassky, nor Karpov-Kasparov. But whatever
Successful and intelligent people never act immature,the way most of the people imagine themselves to be like in such a situation
@@bolshoefeodor6536 Citizen, those chess players shake hands at the end of matches faster than they move pieces in blitz tournaments
Don't forget Borgov was also an orphan. That is why he was actually proud of her achievement and disappointed in Paris when he saw her in that hung-over state.
Yep! Director has stated the antagonist was always Beth herself. The opponents for her chess matches can easily be written as characters you root against, especially Borgov. But he’s displayed nothing but class towards Beth, and it’s only the fact he is number 1, and has beaten Beth on two occasions, that you naturally want him to fall. But he’s proven gracious in defeat, and displayed several scenes where he low key has much respect for her...review the elevator scene.
Asides from the orphan thing and the fact he is actually proud of her, I think it also illustrates that the beauty of chess is such that it goes far beyond any rivalry or feuds. The show does an astounding decoy by initially portraying Borgov as a cold person, in the Cold War context, to finally show us that all of that is absolutely pointless. The game unifies us no matter matter where we're from, as seen in the very last scene, and the true purpose is to get better and to encounter always better opponents rather than simply beating them. You could extend what applies to chess to other competitive disciplines or science, that have more often than not unified humanity instead of dividing it.
@Petek Demircioğlu Çelebi I think alot of it is due to the fact the Soviets were one of the first people to legally give women equal rights compared to the conservatism in the US
@@kevinh.1624 absolutely! This is definitely what I took from this show and I don’t even know how to play chess. I will say this show definitely gave me a new admiration for chess, it’s fascinating.
But yes, it’s not about winning, it’s about progress. Not a national achievement but an international and human achievement! And it also shows how we can only really make progress when we work together, not working together skews progress.
absolute chills!! btw i made a video on this EPIC scene of ‘The Queens Gambit’ and explain why it’s sooo impactful! I hope you can check it out! 💜
Borgov looks intimidating but is the only person who hugged her after a match.
I think that scene was based on the 1972 Spassky Fischer match. No hugs but Spassky did stand up and applaud Fischer after his amazing sixth round game.
Sexual abuse
@@franchocou what lmao
@@franchocou Wtf are u talkin about
@@iamgarbage8956 Jajaja esta bien loco.
What makes me sad is that Mr Shaibel didn’t get to see her win this game as he loved and admired her so much. But this made me cry. Such an awesome and powerful series
I agree. But the way the show ends, with her playing for fun with an old man, reminds us of him.
I agree with the comment above - the final scene of the old man challenging her to a game @ the end made it feel like a ‘full circle’ moment. Her mentor challenged her in the beginning, now the he’s passed & she’s won… she is challenged by someone with the same spark as her mentor. I love the final scenes & this series so much 🥲
@@xz3024 Yes, I think the idea is that the old man is supposed to be redolent of Shaibel. So, in a way, the story comes full-circle.
Mr. Shaibel was so proud of her, and she honored him making sure they told the story of how he taught her.
The price she paid to win was too great.
It’s so cool that every single of the men that intimidated her at the start ended up supporting her and not trying to tear her down or something like that
That's how it should always be, men and women working together, not against each other.
@@ShreeNation y e s
@@ShreeNation it should be like that, but movies so rarely show it! And here it was executed perfectly. All the amazing chess players, who very early understood she was much better than them and wanted to give her whatever they already knew just for the sake of helping her become the best she could. It was really, really refreshing to see it in this series.
In real life they would try to tear her down as mush as possible
It’s more realistic
She didn't cry for her real mother or her adopted mother when they died but she did broke down when Mr. Shaibel died.. I couldn't hold my tears as well.
Because he was the only father figure she had. She didnt appreciate him enough when he was still living. She later on realize his importance after he died.
She cried for her adoptive mother tho not just as hard as she cried for Mr. Shaibel
well yeah i was crying like a little girl at that scene too
She did cry for Alma (her adoptive mother) on the plane when she was giving the empty seat beside her a toast
And that's the reason why it's important for a child to be raised by a father. Doesn't matter if the father is an a**hole, a father naturally love his kids and will do his best to teach them the way
Love how they didn't portray the Russians as the "evil and oppressive" Soviets as they usually do in movies. They just depicted them as people living in a different country who had a profound passion for chess. Especially Borgov. He was never a "bad guy". He was just a very talented chess player who had a lot of respect for the game and for those who played it well. Hence why he was genuinely happy when Beth won. He'd been beautifully outplayed and by an orphan no less (Which he himself was). And he respected her for it.
На самом деле, такие Русские в целом, Русские это монета двух сторон, с одной они такие мрачные и серьезные, но с другой добрые и улыбающиеся
this doesn't change the fact how they accurately portrayed the harsh condition of Russian chess players under the Soviet regime which mirrors the day to day conditions of ordinary citizens back then the bureaucracy the secret service the pressure the intimidation and silence tactics etc ...
Yeah, I loved it! And I also loved how the showed México City: beautiful and marvelous, and not with the usual dirty filter they use to put whenever Latinoamérica appears...
@@a.f9578 and they accurately portrayed the shady imperialist interests of America in trying to use Beth for their agenda, visible in the CIA dude and the crusaders people. You’re right, but the point is that this is an incredibly refreshing take on the USSR. The Americans have to learn to work together like Borgov and co. and the people of russia embrace Beth because of their mutual love for the game. It’s good.
Omg yes! I really liked that they showed everyone as respectful and well rounded and not some shallow stereotype!!
It’s so adorable the way those old Russian men were just ecstatic to see her. She was everyone’s hero.
That scene was powerful.
Because those old folks there reminded Beth about Mr. Sheibel.
And the fact that she took the time to shake all of their hands is very heartwarming; she finally made amendments with Mr Sheibel who is probably watching her from heaven :)
@@_RoseDawson_ I cried on that scene when she was back in the basement and found their picture. I wish she shared with him some of her success. :'( That last scene was so wonderful and touching. And how she mentioned Mr. Sheibel to the newspaper, but if only he lived to see that. :(:(
It was a sweet moment because she originally learned from an old man. I think they reminded her of the janitor
The unsteady cam made the her approach walk unwatchable
@@colinmaynard2879 I believe it was done on purpose. The point of that scene is to bring the story full circle, she's paying homage to Mr. Shaibel, at the orphanage the addiction was thrust upon her, beating Borgov sober was her exit, buttoning up her white coat concealing her black garment is a metaphor for her graduating to the white queen. At the orphanage she was a pawn and before she attained proficiency, Mr. Shaibel always made her play black. That being said, I haven't yet hit upon why the unsteady cam was utilized, but given how meticulously every other metaphor in this series was set up, I can't imagine that it was an accident.
I love how she always refused to be a US govt puppet in the show. Instead, she reached out and was friendly to the Russian people, who also responded in kind.
Stayed true to her roots rather get her head up in the sky like most of the successful people do
I thought how it would have been a very ordinary day for everyone if Beth had just continued on to the airport. She would have boarded the flight back home, and the chess players at the park would have played their games and gone home as well. Instead, she chose to get out of the car and walk to where they were so she could honor their love of the game, making it such a special day for them - and for her too.
That part of the plot follows in Bobby Fischer's footsteps.
even took the time to learn the language 🥺
@@xoliyah6553 . That was also modeled after Bobby Fischer.
The look of disbelief on her face when she wins... And Borgov's smile. He's proud of her. He's seen her at her worst, and now he's seen her at her best.
Yes like a father.
I think that's more about the move he made. His last move, queen to e4 was a last trap. If she moved the king to f1 she would have been mated. That's why she slowly drags the king to d2, showing that she didn't fell in that trap.
@@jumpingship3001, more like a friend.
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😭😭
It’s silly to think that a chess world champion would react like this after being beaten. He offered a draw in a lost position instead of resigning, which is just disrespectful. And the hug was just over the top funny. No one is going to hug someone that beats them.
Also in the book, every time Beth plays Borgov she was at her best. The whole Paris scene where she woke up in the bathtub hung over was fabricated for the show. She studied and got like 8 hours of sleep and woke up well rested in the book. He never saw her at her “worst.”
I absolutely ADORE Borgov smiling and hugging her, then remembering he has to look cool and intimidating, and then smiling proudly again.
@Samm Salvey I believe you’re missing the beauty in the writing. This isn’t a wish wash strong female character trope, this is the story of a character who’s been flawed from the start- but with the friends she’s made and the lessons she’s learned along the way helped her to overcome the flaws and addictions. What makes a character a strong example is being human, not perfect, going through problems such as her drinking and self loathing. You need to look at her development throughout the story, in the end she becomes a strong female character and not the rude or boasting child in the orphanage. It’s portrayed in the symbolism too, she started off as a pawn (with her clothing.) and ended the show in queens clothing.
I DO however agree that you’d never see hugging in chess matches, too unrealistic.
All she wanted Was the win which he He accepted Her rare smile on the hug was beautiful. Once she sat sat down with the amatuers and said "lets Play", you know she made bliss.
@Samm Salvey Why are you even ranting about a friggin fictional character lmfao
@Samm Salvey nobody fucking cares lol. Let people have their own opinions.
@Samm Salvey What the fuck is this paragraph you're talking about? The only one writing paragraphs here about nonsense is you dumbass. You're being so offended with people having different thoughts like an idiot. "You are the one bitching for nothing" says the one writing entire essays ranting about people having different thoughts over a fictional character. You're such a fucking hypocrite that no one can even compare you to anything lmfao.
I love the final scene of Beth Harmon walking through a park and up to the old men playing chess. And how the old guys were incredibly respectful of her and how classy Harmon was in accepting their congratulations, to the point of even accepting an invitation to play a game with a smile on her face. I can't imagine a better ending.
Me either. Perfection.
@foot bru Her full first name is Elizabeth, and the much more natural way to shorten it in Slavic languages is Liza or Lisa. Beth is a little rougher on the tongue (since 'th' would be pronounced mostly harder on the 't' than a 'th' sound you'd expect in plain English-- also 'th' isn't really a sound in any Slavic languages to my knowledge), while Liza or Lisa would come off the tongue sounding much warmer. A lot of nicknames end in vowels in Slavic languages, and tend to be very endearing towards the person it's meant towards
Source: Yeah I'm one of 'em Slavs lol
because the regular people are the real people, the ones who matter, not the governments and the bs they perpetrate!
pure class on both sides.. chess has no face, race, religion, or politics- the game speaks for itself worldwide
I love that as well. Of course she wanted to win, but not when for bragging rights or for fame. She wanted to win to prove to herself that she had perfected her craft and that she was a better player than she was in the past. And once she won, she still had the love of the game not the love of the fame. She went to the park to be around other people of like minds who are there JUST to play because they love it
I loved the fact that russians were not displayed as evil antagonists like many american shows and movies do. Instead, they were shown to be kind and respectful.
In complete agreement with you here. Save the propaganda for politics. Through marrying a Russian I’ve become aware that her people have a kindness and regard for others that I have not always observed elsewhere.
@@peterlever8013 It’s sad that the idea of Russians being inherently arrogant and cruel has been spread so much through American pop culture, specially when the tension between the two countries was at its peak. Even in Western Europe some people have this wrong idea due to how popular American culture is.
@Cyril It’s not a matter of political ideologies, it’s a matter of fact. One of those examples is Rocky. And I am neither American nor Liberal.
I heard Garry Kasparov worked on the series. Probably couldn't do it cuz their chess guy was Russian.
@@tiagonozelos And I'm saying it's probably because Kasparov worked on the series.
Perfect ending: it has the right amount of emotion, without being cheesy.
it's too chessy
@@CroissantKindly Was gonna say that 😂
@@CroissantKindly I was waiting for someone to write it! 😂
It is chessy instead.
Me at the end 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 🤣
I love it how this show emphasizes the importance of the right friends in one's life. If it wasn't for joelene's money she wouldn't have gone to Russia, and the way Benny and others supported her was so beautiful. People today have forgotten what wonders true friendship can do. Thankyou Netflix.
True
or you just have horrible friends
@@nealmiles9070 Like you.
The Power of Homieship
@@situated4 lol why are you so salty? you have shitty friends too? or are you the shitty friend?
"She WON!" These are people who saw her at her begining and are so proud of where she ended up. I tear up at this scene every time.
It was amazing, even though they had their differences where they were in life, they were still there to support her. Something she realized, when they called her room in Russia.
I really adore how he hugged her. So humble.
Something you won’t see in any Hollywood film rn it’s the ultimate sign of respect
He was shown as cold and hard up right until the moment that he conceded. I was happy to see him concede gracefully. It's how it should be done.
I feel Borgov was rooting for her the whole time...but he made her earn the victory.
that's respect...
@@kaspafischer I was just saying that because many shows would make him out to be a villain, instead of simply being respectful when he lost and being happy for her.
I love how her clothing changes from being a pawn (a child in Methuen) to a queen reflected in her outfit.
There's brilliant sybolism in this show.
She faced Borgov twice already, and lost both times. This third time she faced him as the US-champion, on 'his own turf': the prestigious and elegenant Moscow World-Championship!
Borgov played his game, with his strong exchagnings, pressure-play, blocks and assaults. She lured him into a trap in his own game: Making him go forward, 1 step too much(that second pawn in the center) when she 'lost hér Queen', making Borgov thínk he held the advantage. Yet when SHE promoted her Pawn to a Queen, it didnt only resemble that she was still fully fighting in the game and never lost that upper hand, it mostly ment that SHE wasn nobody's Pawn in any game! She was the Queen herself!
On the board, Borgov immediately saw, she had pushed hím into the corner he always puts his opponents in; Borgov could force a draw still, perhaps, íf she made a crucial mistake(which was unlikely! She knew to plan her moves, as proven with her Pawn-check), his last gambit was trying to push Beth into another Draw offer. When he planted his queen in front of his two Pawns, it was locked from the rest of the board, where her Rook could simply advance over the free lane across the board, and aid her promoted Queen, to Checkmate his King!
Borgov didnt let it come to such a humiliation, as he knew as a Grandmaster and World Champion; She had him! 'Hook, Line, and Sinker": It was HER game!
The way she played it out, earned her so much respect from Borgov, the 'unintimidable Dreadnought amongst Grandmasters', that he gallantly offered her his King-piece, took her hand, gentlemanly helped her stand from her chair, and embraced her as a true genius of a player!
He loved it!
But the best part: Borgov was an opponent! Never an enemy! Though his stoic and 'brutish' posture and playstyle gave that idea, Borgov showed his true nature, right after he lost to her: He showed his great love for the game, and his massive appreciation for Beth's intelligence as a Chess-grandmaster, and the new World Champion with a wárm embracing!
Who'd a thought the 'cold and hard Russian' was such a warm and gentle man after all?
@@thegreenreaper6660 Great acting from Dorociński (Borgov).
@@thegreenreaper6660 your comment was really fun to read. You nailed it on everything.
@@thegreenreaper6660 you should become a movie reviewer
As cited in several early reviews of the series.
The subtlety of the symbolism in this was incredible. In the first episode, young Beth was wearing a white dress, showing her as a white pawn, still unprepared, untrained. But slowly throughout the series she becomes a better player, she understands more. The final scene, with her in the white coat, white pants, white hat, represented her as finally being the White Queen, the most powerful player on the board. Incredible.
Even better, there are 7 episodes in the series and it takes 7 moves for a pawn to get to the end of the board. It symbolises that Beth's story is that of a pawn promotion.
@@madisondeechao5728 OH wow I haven't thought of that that's so cool!!
Wawww
@@madisondeechao5728 Thank you for this. I also realized the 7 episodes / 7 moves correlation soon after finishing the show, and pointed it out to just a few. It's such an important insight; more should know.
I'd like to add that while some say Beth reached the 8th rank when she decided to get out of the car (hard to argue), to me the point is that Beth was a Queen all along. It wasn't until she got to Russia and was treated like a Queen by the Russians that she realized that she was. And when Mr. Booth from the State Department tried to give her the "talking points" (implying her new role as a pawn of the U.S. government) the contrast between the two roles was too great to bear, and made the choice to defect obvious.
Her sense of freedom and relief as she walks from the car, smiling as she buttons her coat, is beautiful to behold. You are a Queen. Move like a Queen.
@@madisondeechao5728 You are probably right about the symbolism thing, I think creators of this movie thought of that like it. But it takes 6 moves to get to the end of the board or 5 if you go 2 forward in first pawn move. Closest you can get to 7 is 6.
The way the old man says “Harmon :D” always gets me because he sounds like someone who just met a long lost friend and it’s so beautiful
I know this is an older comment but I thought you would enjoy the fact that that familiarity is supposed to be there!! That older gentleman is also casted to look similar to mr schaibel so that we end where we begin!
@@twiseart you’re right, that’s beautiful
I creid during that part and I'm not ashamed
The best part for me was she refused to get into the Cold War politics. At the end, she walked among the average Russian people and they showed her such kindness. Makes you realize there are great people all over the world. 💯
💯
Only the elites politics spoils the fun.
Note the symbolism; 7 episodes resembling the seven squares it takes from a Pawn's starting point, to the end of the Board and promote to Queen. Her development through every episode, and she actually promotes her Pawn, in the final match against Vasily Borgov, to a Queen!
But also the counter-symbolism; As she's 'promoted to a Queen, and not some Pawn', so does Borgov pick up hís Kingpiece, hands it to her with great dignity and respect, helps her from her chair as a true gentleman, and embraces her! He's no pawn either! Small detail but it proves that Borgov wasnt the 'badguy'.
The 'badguys' were the 2 KGB-agents that accompanied Borgov in earlyer episodes and the (CIA?)operative that guided Beth in Moscow!
Like YOU❤
Cia: its a big deal to win soviets in their own game
Beth: I am the Soviet.
Fact that she didn’t take the pills, and that she had her friends helping her for the final game was so great. It’s such an improvement for Beth and the series. Still, at the final part she was on her own and won by playing in her mind. Brilliant show!
It also was brilliant that she couldnt defeated Borgov taking the pills.
When she realize that the reason of her sucess is her talent and not the pills just give me chills.
This was probably one of my favourite moments of the series. Especially with the part (not shown in this video) where she’s able to look up and still see the board and play the game in her mind. It shows an incredibly ignored truth about addiction. People think that drugs like marijuana can boost the mind, but really, it’s their reliance on the drugs that gives them this so called “mind boost”. When the mind is truly free of addiction then is it no longer clouded and shackled, unable to reach it’s full potential, but free to achieve limitless wonders. Such a powerful scene for me, a recovering addict. I loved it so much.
@@wiremuwiniata1216 WOW..well said. Good for you for Recovering. I have this theory about addiction. The brain chemical serratonin is the one reponsible for happiness and therefore the ability to cope with life's problems. Serratonin needs Vitamin D to be made in the brain and with 42% of Americans deficient in Vitamin D the ability to cope with life's problems is nearly 0 for much of the world's problems. Google ---Vitamin D and serratonin and THEN google -------Vit D and coronavirus. Vitamin D in combination with Vit K2 reduces Covid 19 severity and death. Do the research!
@@wiremuwiniata1216 stay strong and please recover!
"Some day you're going to be all alone"
I like how the camera gets more loose and shaky as she walks down the street like the tension is over and she can finally relax.
Hey Jam ! Just made a piano cover of this song! I hope you can check it out🙏
@@ClaudieRey hard pass, maybe I’ll listen to it in about 104 years time?
@@DanS044 love the pfp
Great observation!
I love how both Borgov and Luchenko were so graceful about losing, like really... no ego whatsoever, they were just aknowledging Beth's talent, I love that with all my heart
if you are really that good and you lose... you lose with respect
If you lose, admit it. Nothing to be ashamed of it even if a person a big ego
Luchenko amuses me as he is one of the producers of TQG and got a Primetime emmy for it. He also worked on V for Vendetta.
One a side note:
- that chess set is gorgeous
- anna taylor-joy has the most unique eyes I've ever seen
I don't know about the chess set but her EYES are STUNNING!
Her eyes are so big.. like real life anime character
I think the tears are running down her back when she's crying.
It's a Soviet-Latvian chess set, which can't be found for sale online anymore thanks to this series...and yes, Anya is stunning. Sad to know that when she was younger she got bullied for her eyes. I think her eyes are beautiful.
@@madeofstarlight22 do you have an exact name for the chess set
Maybe I’m being a prisoner of the moment but this was honestly one of the best series I’ve ever watched, gonna have to go back and rewatch it 👏
Agree, watched 3 times within a week
I watched it all yesterday and I think it was remarkable. Possibly the best thing I've watched all year.
fiction is excellent entertainment
I thought the same right now.
I agree, definitely going to watch this again
By playing the old man, she honored Mr Shaibell. She went to her roots, she went home again. She found her family in chess.
Not only to Mr. Shaibell to all people that love play Chess around the world, she was very humble.
@@dilanpatel6868 Nope, but I think Jumping Ship's explanation on why Harmon decided to go back to that specific area where elderly were playing chess was spot on.
@@dilanpatel6868 oh it is?? wow
@@dilanpatel6868 It's not the same actor. They don't even look remotely similar.
Great comment
You know it's funny thinking on it... she really had no external enemies. Everyone could see her greatness and wanted her to succeed. Even Vasily, her biggest challenge, turns out to be a quiet, kind man. All of her struggles are within and everyone around her supported her, even her competitors.
Right!?! And then how it ended with her playing with people in a park, it means that the game is now just fun, instead of it being about competition or proving herself.
D
For some their greatest enemy truly is within
Man vs Self is the most compelling conflict in storytelling.
Sounds just like Bobby Fischer.
She's respected and admired in Russia, and she has friends in America.......I think this is the first time she's been genuinely happy
Es muy bonito la verdad!
Si fuese real sería una admiración para todos!
That's the reality of chess in Russia they don't see your nationality they admire your talent that's their love for the game
they loved Vishy also after Vishy beat Kramnik
@@AnujKumar-vb2sp You are all right!
Dont care if you are Woman or Gentleman. The important its love the game, and be appasionate, Like Beth Harmon.
She is the "Best Player"
And dont care the Nationality
If you are NorthAmerican, England, Mexican, Russo, etc.
it so great to watch her grow and come so far!! btw i made a video on this EPIC scene of ‘The Queens Gambit’ and explain why it’s sooo impactful! I hope you can check it out! 💜
Its the friend she finally made on the inside which makes everything possible - no longer confined by 64 squares, the smiling queen, sacrificed (by her Mother) then reborn (by a pawn), is freed and immediately encircled. Wonderful tale fully told.
About why everyone in Russia called her Liza and not Beth. Liza is a common Russian way to shorten the name Elizaveta, also if you try to say 'Beth' in Russian you will most likely end with 'Bes' which means 'imp'. So it was a nice little touch with Russians calling her Liza.
If u watch this series in Russian language, her name is pronounced as "Bet", not Liza. I don’t understand why they decided she should be called as Liza by Soviet guys in eng version of Queen’s gambit.
@@kukchek как по мне все логично. Мы часто иностранные имена под свои подстраиваем. Английскую королеву тоже у нас называют Елизавета, а не Элизабет. Есть и другие случаи, может это только у меня, но Артаса из Варика 3, все называли Артёмом.
holy fuck dude, you've posted that WRONG about her name comment under every singe video of this scene
Also, while she does use Beth for her friends, strangers can't know that so they only see her full name and take tve nickname that is the most common in their language.
And to think I was the only one to catch that ... silly me.
Loved the fact that she looked like the queen piece in the end. An absolute masterpiece and a stellar job from everyone who worked on this series. A small gem in a crappy year.
She looked more like a pawn to me xD
@@Bitter_Biscuit If her hat didn't have the little fluffy ball on top perhaps xD
not just a queen piece but a white queen piece.
THE BEST THING THAT CAME OUT OF NETFLIX EVER PERIOD
THE BEST THING THAT CAME OUT OF NETFLIX EVER PERIOD
this will forever be my PERFECT netflix show. there is no villain, only resilience and love for a game and each other.
There is a villain. Beth is her own villain and the one she ultimately has to overcome.
There is a villain. The Christian women. Typical Hollywood.
i have to agree 200%. A rare gem where the positives really come through and this ending to me is like no other - just so nice (an overused word but for me it captures this series as it really warms the heart)
Brilliant game.
hmm yes indeed
no shit
4d chess
you're here?
Oh sh** this is the legit channel
For me, the scene where the boys leap in happiness “SHE WON!!!” is everything
Oh my god yes! I’ve watched that scene so many times and I always burst out in tears (of joy) !
the power of homieship
It is my favourite shot of the whole series. It just feels so earned, after so much suffering, to have her friends genuinely happy for Beth.
Yeah cuz beth fckd them all
@@b_lloydranjith_coronel9513 hey sometimes that's how you make friends
Please. Please don't make season 2 . Because the end is more than perfect
I hope The second season would be about bridge players
I’d like to see a different chess champion’s story.
The producers already said, there would be no season 2, as this ending is already outstanding.
There is no season two...this was a 'one off" series. Its a masterpiece..leave it as it is...I hope the powers that be dont get caught up in the dollar signs and FORCING a sequel.
Watching this season again and again would be better than watching season 2
I loved the closing sequence where she walks among the old chess players in the park. So full of heart - and human connection - I teared up a little myself.
Very emotional scene indeed.
he the old man offered her a chair and she puts her hands together and speaks in russian LETS PLAY got me the most
The scene itself is lovely but why on earth did they use shaky cam for that 😭
She stopped wanting to win. I wish they’d acknowledged that more. She began to love chess. And that’s why she was able to win. The fear wasn’t there anymore.
No? Sorry but 0:55 she moves her King away from the rook, and you can see the 'scare' in her eyes yelling out: "Did i just WIN by that move?"
Borgov made a mistake earlyer when he had to re-place his queen, blocking the Pawn she promoted(awesome symbolism!!!) again. That one cóst him a move, and Beth was ahead of him from that on! Borgov only could halt her, and force a draw: He hoped she would hide her King behind the Rook there, so he could check her a few times and offer a Draw again. By moving the King away, Borgov locked up his Queen there in the 2-pawn wall in the center. With Beth's Rook free to move across the free lane over the board, her promoted Queen on the opposite side, keeping hís King in a locked position: Harmon was about 2 moves away from check-mating him! Borgov knew that. With his King locked, and his Queen in a 'stalemate'. She had won the game! His honesty and integrity as a world-champion and Grandmaster, he admitted defeat, took his King off the board, and offered it to her as a symbol of her victory, and becoming the new World Champion!
But she was a tad scared there when she made the move. She looked over the board, analysed any possibilitys left for Borgov, which there were not anymore, and the realisation struck her there: She did it!! She actually did it!!
Personally, i loved Borgov's 'coming out'there: No longer the stoic and unintimidable 'dreadnought of a Grandmaster', admitting his defeat, and embracing her as the young lady who was able to best him in an absolute stunning Finale-match!
It had everything it needed: Brutal exchanges, forced errors, and making Borgov 'choke' on his own tactic: That double-pawn blockade in the center, caused HIS queen to be locked up, giving her the victory!
@@adrianmeerman6493 She followed the advice: Played her ówn game! Didnt go into Borgov's tactic, but turned it around?
Not as easy as it seems perhaps, but you do see at one point "She's got him'; The moment that Borgov moves his Queen back to block her almost-promoting Pawn! He has to sacrifice a move, to do that. From that point, Harmon is 1 step ahead of him and its Borgov who has to go after hér again: Force her into such a mistake to 'level the playing field again'.
It adds up magnificently to the symbolism of the Pawn, becoming a Queen: Thats where shé became the Queen who made her own moves, not a pawn that followed orders.
@@thegreenreaper6660 She was winning from the beginning of the video. I have seen analysis by Magnus. In the beginning of the video it is said pawn becomes a queen. Magnus said she was winning before this. You can see her smiling. So she was not scared with the last move(reply to your first comment)
On my channel I have a quiz about Queen’s gambit. You can check if you want))
I see the climax of the movie as her realization that she’s not alone - that the support of her friends could take the place drugs once played in her life.
The scene where Jolene smiles after hearing Beth won the game never fails to make me tear up.
Same here- my favourite moment of the show
the boys shouting "SHE WON!!" was more emotional for me
Same. More emotional than the boys one 😭
Same and I don’t know why
sameee, she prolly was like fuckin called that shit. IT'S MF BETH
I’m not even going to lie this was genuinely the best series I’ve ever watched in my entire life. The show isn’t just about chess, it’s about addiction and mental health and growing up and life problems and the cinematography is amazing, the soundtrack is fucking on point and the acting is 10/10. I’ve already watched it twice and I plan on watching it more. Honestly it’s just one of them shows that motivate you to improve your own intelligence, which isn’t a bad message to spread to people
Watch haunting of hill house it's better. But this was phenominal as well.
One of the greatest and the ending is not only diserved but it’s earned in such a respectful way
Loved it too and agree about the message of intelligence, sadly too little focus on that today
I thought I was the only one. People keep saying it’s ONE of the best shows they watched or the best they’ve seen THIS year, but for me it’s 100 percent the best show I’ve ever fucking watched.
@@avantikaroy5146 Totally opposite style of show so it's hard to compare. Both are two of my favorite series I've seen. But if you look at every aspect of the show, down to the acting, cinematography, writing, music, etc, I would actually give the edge to The Queen's Gambit, even if I would personally choose The Haunting of Hill House since horror is my favorite genre.
I don’t care what anyone says, Jolene’s reaction hits the hardest. Grew up with her as an orphan. Stuck by her through everything. That’s everything. That’s what a real friend is. She didn’t give a shit about chess. She cared about her friend that she grew up with as a little girl. She just wanted to see her succeed. Because she came from that same walk of life and knew the pain that she felt. And it’s just like “fuck yes finally we got a break”
The very last scene with her in the park is just perfect. Countries have their own culture, countries have their own government but that should never define a person as an individual. Those men could care less that she's an American and she could care less that they are Russian in this scene. Just people being people.
Sadly, USRR was doing everything it could to erase individualism using violence and fear...
What I like is that when she reached fame and success, she didnt get distracted by all the glamorous stuff and decide to still focus on her true purpose which is playing the game and enjoying it. Respect.
..... as opposed to the Kardashian's ?
People, this is about people (women's) BRAINS. Exercising brains, in competition (but also enjoying the beauty of the game). Not too many real people Grandmastering at chess are in it for the fame. Like maybe none.
@@innismor11 what the kardashians have to do with any of this
Yeah but she did spiral into drug and alcohol addiction. So there's that....
Did you even watch the show? there's an entire episode about her doing exactly that
Dont forget the entire perspective: Every tournament thus far, even the one in 'poshy Paris', was NOTHING, compared to the immense stage in Moscow! The enormous respect the Russians have for the Game, and the exciting press and crowd were following évery single move. Not even all the other tourneys combined, came even close to that!
Nice 'nod' to it; In the US and in Paris, the tourneys were held at a highschool, and a hotel. In Russia: an ancient Monastery! What a decor, and what a difference!
She beat Borgov because she took control of her demons. Master yourself before conquering the world.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Great comment! 👌🏼👏🏼
I was here when this comment had 666 likes. Coincidence? I think yes
@@RinDemon5
Off with you, Satan!!
@Miro Reverby this is so true.
She doesn't smile much in the series, but her smile when Borgov embraces her is heartwarming. Like she finally met her dad.
no she conquered her demons. That is the true victory.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned: the musical score was so well done. The whole orchestra coming in when she sees the pieces on the ceiling, wow! I could listen to it over and over. I hope the composer gets an award as well.
Agree. This is simply a masterpiece. I have watched this ending time and time again simply because of the brilliantly composed score!
Absolutely
Yes both the piano and orchestra scores were so well done. I learned the piano parts that were so effective and simple. As a beginner, I just loved learning them.
it won a Grammy Award 2022 for 'Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media'
💯
THIS is how you write a strong female lead! So many movies and shows think she has to be invincible, but Beth has genuine and intense struggles that she is eventually able to overcome with hard work! There is a difference between real feminism and feminist pandering. This show undoubtedly falls into the former category.
What's that supposed to mean? There should be bad female leads just as many bad male leads. It mustn't be a requirement for the female lead to be brilliantly written in order for it to not be tagged as "feminist pandering".
@@sena3561 I think willy was referring to the trope of female characters being written as invincible demigods who never fail. though that's not as common as many people might think, it does stick out like a sore thumb whenever you see it
@@dracu9833 Exactly. It’s just as bad when male protagonists are written as invincible demigods, but there’s usually no underlying agenda in those cases. It’s just bad writing. If there were a mainstream pro-male movement like there is for females (feminism), then I would accuse invincible male protagonists of doing the same thing.
When she envisioned the chess set on the ceiling and finished off the game, it was so satisfying to watch and applaud and cheer, so incredibly well-earned. I couldn't help contrast that scene (edit: almost immediately) to Rey's power level up scenes from the recent Star Wars trilogy, esp. when she lifted the rocks. It looked cool, but her entire story is just insanely unearned. Legit there was no ascent to greatness, just GREATNESS from start to finish. And the thinly veiled agenda behind the greatness of such heroines makes it a little hard to watch. When it comes with Supergirl's attitude, the show becomes unbearable!!
Also how she accepts help from her male peers, especially during the final game. Some feminist writers would seeth at Beth getting help from her 'inferior' male friends. Ofcourse she is better, but getting help from multiple people who spent hours analysing is obviously the right thing to do and also shows how she respects her friends.
Jolene is a real one. I loved the way their relationship was portrayed.
If only we could all have a friend in life like Jolene.
@@bhamacukDon't ask for a Jolene. Be the Jolene.
@@Eruerucamicaminono you got a point, man.
@@Eruerucamicaminono what if you don't know how to be a Jolene? Talk like a Jolene? Fail awkwardly then lol
She's the one that encouraged her to go to Russia. She's amazing. I loved her.
I love how the series so nicely captured and delivered the true sportsmanship of chess. When you play chess, there is no place for the ego.
Well this wasnt a championship or anything so why would borgov be angry about losing 1 game against her
ever evolving 2000 year old sport- and there is no right or wrong, no best or worst.. the worst person can beat the best person in the world with 3 moves chess is pure
I loved this game, but I still think my favorite was the previous game against the eldest Soviet master. He was so genuinely happy to have played her, and you can even see her fangirling a little! So weird getting to play against someone you've studied since childhood!
He paid her the most wonderful compliment. Such respect. Tennis can be like that, when you can end up playing against your former idol.
Yes me too. That was the best match. He called her a marvel and was very grateful for the match. It's an amazing feeling when you get praised by one of your idols you grew up.
This has happened to me, one of the first chess masters I found out about when starting out in 2001 was GM Luke McShane from England. I read about him in my first ever chess book, and then it was such an honour to play against him in London 2015 during a simul.
@@stefan4159 did you win?
@@stefan4159 tell us more
Take note Hollywood. This is how endings are done. What a great finish ✅
They are all should learn from Frank Scott
You're right, Hollywood has been producing crap for the last 10 years at least, with only few exceptions.
@@andreagrazianodibenedetto1464 well this is one of those exception
I would argue that not ALL movies/shows should end this way, but this one is very satisfying.
that is hollywood bruh
It’s your game, take it
I get that Borgov was her biggest rival and strongest competitor, but I love him and I love how the show didn’t made him a villain, the man just loved chess and he recognized Beth’s talent
On a sidenote, I’m gonna need proof of Beth paying Jolene her money back, still haven’t forgotten about the money she owned Mr. Shaibel
Exactly!!!
Don't forget this was in the time of Cold War and Sovyets still congratulated Beth. As a Slav I am glad they aren't potrayed in negative way, and the scene with old people gathering around her shows the russian mentality.
Made sad to hear she didn't pay the 10 dollars to Mr shaibel
@@sergejpetkovic2414 I was anxious to see some Soviets dirty nature in Mexico episode but the Russian kid and the character of Borgov and the people of Russia being portrayed in this way made me had a short and quiet sigh of relief. Russians are not bad. The US and its media constant scrutiny and Russian military history made them look bad.
Absolutely agree. I was ready for them to portray him as some sort of villian and I was relieved when they didn't. Such a fantastic show I'm not ready to move on from.
I've been struggling with my thesis and this show is helping me. The sheer dedication of Beth, despite her flaws and mishaps, utterly inspiring.
I love how Beth is always surrounded by men in this show, but she's still the most powerful. Just like a Queen on a chess board.
OMG YES
damn bruh you got it
I also like how her gender was barely mentioned after episode 2-3. At that point she was recognized as so good, the other players didn’t even consider her gender, only her technique.
Well it was the point of the series.
Beth mom (Alice) said : "Men are gonna come along and wanna teach you things. You just let them blow-by, and you go on ahead and do just what the hell you feel like." Implying that this world is run by men that want to control things and keep women in "check". But women don't have to listen to those men, or fear them.
@@FabledGentleman I didn't really agree with that line, in fact it's totally backwards. Sure some men can be patronising but ultimately if they are teaching you they are trying to help. It's when they DON'T teach you they are keeping you in check. This whole story would have ended if Mr Shaibel just told Beth to get out of his basement - he almost did right at the start but she persisted.
I wish Mr. Shaibel was alive to see this. He would've been very proud of her.
:(
He already was
@@Midori22222 He saw it...
he already knew it was supposed to happen some day
Why did he die, whyyyyy 😭
Love how Beth is dressed as the White Queen; the most powerful piece in chess.
For some reason its called 'Black Queen' in finnish though.
And it’s also the dress she was wearing when she lost so much against Benny when they played speed chess
@@geraldposey1496 omg it’s all coming together i love this series
@@geraldposey1496 but pawn can queen in 5 or 6 moves. How 7? Lol
@@sany678 Ikr🤣
The Russians showed her more love and respect than her own country. They respected her brilliance as the best chess player in the world ❤❤
And that’s my favorite part. Was the park where all the old Russians were playing chess and respecting Beth.
@@termlesshalo agreed the whole series was brilliant. One of the best I've seen in a long time.
russians are caring loving ppl unlike us woke destructive BLM ANTIFA ppl here- we want to blame Putin for everyhitng but dont talk about the ppl tha tlive there. the US government are the terrorists of this world and noone seems to address this we have started wars with everyoe for 150 years now for our on interestes and commodoties saying its for "democracy" yet you ppl vote these war mongers in that destroys the rest of the world while hike up our cost of living day to day in the name of "freedome"? this is not freedom this is tacxation slavery to expand your military to take over us when when we had enough to say NO
I loved how after her first win there was a smattering of women fans to greet her. Then as she continued to defeat each player, the crowd swelled with adoring and admiring fans. She felt at home, was at home in a land that loved and repected their chess players.
The final scene of her playing with the Russian man reminded me of when she used to play with Mr. Shaibel
I mean ... that's kind of the point LOL. Getting back to the love of the game purely for love of the game. Not trying to win. Not trying to oust anyone. Just playing to play.
@@paulwillard81 i know that’s the point lmao I just wanted to point it out because it's my favorite scene
Even in death Mr shaibel was the one who helped her. His death brought her back from the hole she dug herself. Mr. Shaibel might not have been recognised when he was alive but he was the true hero.
Yes, exactly. The last chess scene was a reminder of the first
I think it was the same actor that played Mr. Shaibel in that scene.
Netflix does not always get it right when they do their own shows but on this one, they nailed it.
Right: Except that in order to have a female chess character (chess as a sport is also gender segregated, but men and women are equal right?) compete with men they had to invent one and pretend that she was real. Why cannot we have a society that celebrates the success of men as a gender which includes dominating chess?
@@TheBelrick I don’t see how this show is the antithesis of celebrating the successes of men’s domination in chess. It’s just a fictional chess show with a female character in lead. There are plenty of movies celebrating male chess champions and so on. Just because they chose to make the lead a female, it doesn’t mean they are actively going against males…
@@TheBelrick bruh, it's not that deep. Gender wasn't even pushed in the series or in the book, and even Beth herself said it shouldn't be that important. It's not a plot device anywhere here. Why would you even bring up gender here? Are you a menenist?
@@TheBelrick this comment is so stupid 😭 men are already successful in most fields because of thousands of years of patriarchal society allowed them to actually have a chance in those fields for years instead of homemaking, and there's countless movies that show this too
@@99txgh Beth is a fictional character because real women chess champions dont exist. Because men are smarter and more focused and determined and more prepared to invest time and training. All this due to evolution.
Let's take a moment and pay respect to the real master, Mr. Shaibel.
Edit: corrected his name.
Edit: I hope I got the name right this time.
Oh man, when she finds the picture of the two of them - it crushed me.
Yes. You respecting him but spelling his name wrong.
When i saw The frame at the end i saw shaibel
brilliant!
I wish they met before he died, which make some even more sad because it was just recent
shaibel*
This show was an absolute masterpiece. Every aspect of it, the acting, sets, costumes and music, was perfection.
Am I the only one who almost cried when she sees the photograph with Mr Shaibel? Brilliant story and performance
Nope
Nah i'm not "almost" i legit cry hard
I love that she had multiple mother figures in her life (her mother, foster mother and motherly friend) but Mr. Shaibel was the only real father figure she had in her life. The importance of both roles in a child’s development can’t be overstated...
best moment in the show
Bruh...
They made this show perfectly. Every single second had my attention and I’d personally have to say it’s 10/10. As much as I want another season, they can’t do it, they will ruin it.
It has a perfect ending, can't see how to start a second season
Agree........shootings, car chases, sex & violence in movies puts me to sleep.......but this whole show had me on the edge of my seat
It’s based off a book lol there won’t be a season 2
That moment when Beth realized that she won while playing that last move was chilling. Great work from Anya.
for half a second I actually thought she had made and error or missed something and maybe it wasnt going to end with her winning (which would have been fine in its own way). I thought the moment was going to reference her learning about the touch-move rule she learnt at her first tournament. So for me the moment was also one of suspense :P
The look that she gave Borgov says a lot, like "Is this happening? Did I really just beat you?" Wow.
@@CountryCowboy008 It gets even better when you see the stoic and unintimidable Borgov, fínally give her a smile and sais 'Its your game", picks up his King-piece, hands it to her with the words' Take it', then tightly grabs her hand, and helps her up from her seat and the table as a classy gentleman would, embraces her, and gives her the applause she deserved!
Starting at 0:40, black queen checks white king, white rook blocks check, black queen moves diagonally to check, white king moves left and out of check... how does white win???
White checkmates if white queen is moved diagonally next to white rook, after removing self from the check mentioned before, presumably blocking with bishop
@@esal1575 from what I could see after she moved her king he doesn’t have any more checks he can make without losing his queen. Beth has her rook on an open file and the queen is very close to his king so she can start attacking
Does anyone burst into tears when they see the last scene of the elderly shouting "Harmon". It always makes me so emotional 🥺
YES his excitment literally made me tear up
I love how they didn’t portray the Soviets as disrespectful and horrible men. They were honourable and acted well in defeat.
And now its march 2022.
Wow its almost as if russians are normal people?
Don't confuse Russians with Soviets. The Russian people are just people. The Soviets were the Communist government.
Most don't understand that the Russian government has made themselves our enemy, not the people. They are like us, just like us, can be good to each other, despite political differences.
@@maryanneboblin4345 i hate that people treat russians badly its not their fault jist cause they are russian
Everybody gangsta till borgov speaks English
At the middle of the series, i was thinking, he must speaks English, his wife is a translator, :-)
FR I WAS WAIT YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT 😂
Jojiiiiii
jojii
And Beth speaks Russian
I like how the old people called her Liza. It symbolises that she's entering a new chapter in her life and becoming a new person (not Beth anymore) after defeating the one and only chess player she feared. The director is so spot on!
Liza is the nickname version of Elizabeth in slavic languages instead of Beth or Lizzie or whatever (Beth doesn't have an equivalent there AFAIK). So it is more of pure authenticity in my opinion, but you do you :)
It’s a powerful scene with an astonishing sountrack. From the moment she gets out the car and starts walking to the end. It couldn’t have had a better ending.
@@akoszahorsky1071 Yeah, that's true. The closest to Elizabeth is probably Elizaveta but I'm not sure. There is a character in,, Crime and Punishment'' who is called Elizavieta and a famous figure skater Elizaveta Tuktamyshewa. The latter is called Liza by many fans and commentators.
I watched Garry Kasparov's interview, and it was his advice to call her Liza by Russians as more natural. We use an informal version of the most names when we want to make it more softer. I am very curious was Beth called Lizzie by her mom in a book or those scenes were added to create her revival in the final? Can't wait to read it!.
на самом деле в России тоже есть имена как «Элизабетта» и мы просто сокращаем это до Лиза
это обычное явление на самом деле)
There are many re-watchable scenes from that series but the one at the end of this clip is my absolute favorite. When she is mobbed, joyfully and respectfully, by people that truly understood her achievement. It's just... Great!
Dorociński's acting in this series was phenomenal. Every time there was a closeup on his face, his well thought out slight muscle movements gave me chills. He conveyed every emotion (while still maintaining the portrayal of a distant and cold character) with incredible precision. World class level of skill. This man deserves recognition!
He is very talented polish actor,very modest, down to earth and also very hansome:)
Dokładnie tak👍
is it weird that i enjoyed watching this series without even knowing a single thing about chess?
Same
not at all! because imo this series is more about the character development
Not at all. The game of chess was almost the side story here. It was her personal growth that took center stage in the movie. Without it, this could just have been a documentary on chess. I'm still trying to convince some of my friends to watch it because they think the whole thing is only about chess. I'm like "No, there's so much more. I promise."
Like most of the people watching :D
Even though knowing about is makes it more enjoyable it's totally normal otherwise as well.
Nope, I did too. It was a lot about the characters and their development as well as chess I think.
The fact that she didn't only win with Borgov but with herself too and that, that in one of the most important moments of her life she finally wasn't alone like she was most of her life, makes me so proud of her
You didnt even know her
It’s so heartwarming to see how throughout the series, she was so intimidated by and scared of him. But at the very last moment when she finally did win, he embraced her with kindness and proudness. She finally got the recognition from someone she feared and looked up to.
The entire series I was like “Why wont she visit Shabiel?.?” But the ending sure did my emotions tingle
I had hoped she'd give a short speech at his funeral, starting something like 'what did Mr Shaibel mean to me? Well, 10 dollars to be fair..."... and then the story behind those 10 dollars: How he taught her the game as a young orphan, to the point she got adopted, and wanted to sign in for her first Tourney, it was William Shaibel who 'gave' her the 5 dollars entry-fee, she promised him to double in return if she'd won any prize.
The scene in 'Shaibel's Basement', with the board where he kept évery article and picture of his 'pupil', including her very first note where she asked him for those 5 dollars was an impact though. He never wanted those 5 or 10 dollars back! To be fair: it was probably the best 5 dollars the man spent in his entire life!
Perhaps she should have told the Press a bit sooner of her old Mentor, who taught her, only to rub it in to that cold ms Deardorff. imagine chess-admires, or press coming to that orphanage, and ms Deardorf was only 'the doorknob' towards her concierge, who in fact was a brilliant chess-teacher!! And that 'tart' had such a mastermind, right under her nose and never saw him for who he truly was!
@@thegreenreaper6660 Well, as far as i remember she did tell the press who was her teacher fairly early, i think it was after her 2nd state tournament(?). The press ignored it tho and she got very irritated by that, hence her question by the end "will you please promise to include that?" when asked about who was her teacher or something like that
you know lots of grown men and women cried at that
@@meiz1795 Yes that one female interviewer who was smoking on her room. When her mom was reading the article about her, Beth mentioned that all of what is written is just her being a woman and never included what she said about Mr. Shaibel.
Would have helped if he hadn't refused to say goodbye to her at the orphanage. In her mind she was probably like, oh, I fucked up irreparably. Best to "move on" like with everything else...
She refused to be a pawn of the government and walked out like a queen!
She opened her sails of freedom. Salute to anyone who struggles and finds their way and appreciate those who helped them.
Awesome
Even her winter outfit resembles the white Queen chess piece.
Yes- there was very transparent propaganda from the leftist point of view in this series. The pro-communist rhetoric as well as the anti-Christian rhetoric as well as the "women can do anything better than a man" rhetoric. Funny how people routinely fail to see their own propaganda in their own eye, eh??? This was a refined copy of "Black Panther" which patronized african Americans in a similar vein with their "Wakanda" fantasy-land.
LOL. We are not in the 1950s anymore (when all Russians were "bad guys") or in the 1920s (when women were in the kitchen) or in the 1820s (when all African Americans were enslaved). Keep up with the times!
Interestingly, it is the so-called "left" wing party of today (which is really yet another flavor of right-wing) that portrays all Russians as "evil". Strange times indeed!
I absolutely loved Borgov in this series. He seemed so intimidating in the earlier episodes which made me think that he had the personality of an arrogant asshole. But, he clearly proved me otherwise and took that defeat with class and grace. I have nothing but respect for this man.
Also, this whole series made my year a little bit better. Thank you for this gem, Netflix.
well he technically didnt lose cuz that was not a winning checkmate moving that king over at the end.. netflix is just that ignorant
@@gabaghoul23 Of course moving the king was not a checkmate but that leaves Borgov with no good moves since he can't check Harmon's king anymore. Borgov's position was terrible and he's about to get mated, he resigned which means he lose. With your logic, it's like saying Japan didn't lose against America after being bombarded by nuclear bombs lmao.
@@pr3ttyb0yfl4cko i know now and wasnt thinking at the time i watched it when someone stated the obvious which as an avid chess player I should have been more aware they think several moves ahead at that level. alcohol hell uva drug
@@gabaghoul23 Lmao it's fine bro, we've all been there. You good. 😁
@@gabaghoul23 You are wrong, Borgov with those checks was looking for a draw with repeated checks, did you know that? Since he could no longer check him due to the move of Beth's king, he could no longer check and any move he had made would have been lost since Beth had to checkmate him on the next move. You have to observe the game carefully.
I love how it feels at the end that Borgov always knew she would beat him someday and he was waiting for this moment, instead of being disappointed, he looked like a proud father🥺
Just like she hid she spoke Russian, he hid he spoke English.
ohh I missed this bit. you're right!
Ohhh good catch!
He just said take it...
@@JairoOrtizT its ur game
Well one doesn't need to be fluent in English to say take it though
I really enjoyed the moment when she was finally able to unlock her imagination without needing to use alcohol or drugs.
I liked the idea of that but I don’t think it was realistic at all. I think she could still win the game without the pills but being able to see the board on the ceiling and force her mind to be foggy when she is actually sober didn’t make sense. In real life she would have needed to come up with a different method to get her mind like that
I was shocked that she thought that she needed the pills because in the beginning when she played as child she never used them, it's only after the convincing of her friends that the drugs are magic at night that she started taking them.
@@pipinm2214 the first time she even saw the game she was on the pills
@@sydneydileo yea I was going to say that as well I forgot she used pills as a kid too
@@sydneydileo it absolutely is realistic, Naka and many other chess GMs are known to look at the ceiling to visualize the game. Nothing stopping her from learning to do it sober
This series really showed the true colors of sportsmanship and respect of chess players, simply because it is a game of pure skill, when you are beaten its by someone better than you and they respect this so much, its just so wholesome you cant help but shed a tear.
💔💔💔💔😭😭😭😭😭😭
I take it beyond the game. I feel like it’s a true testament of sportsmanship across the board. Notice how there was a moment where they said that the Russians helped each other where people in America play against each other. She eventually got support from her friends even though she was the better player. That goes to show that even if you are the best you can still have humility and listen to people who might have one or two helpful tips. It also shows that teamwork and support can push you above and beyond. It also shows that being a great player does it mean you are not good when someone else beats you. Remember when the old man with the white hair congratulated her for winning, and she responded that she read all of his books. That was two people who had a tremendous amount of respect for each other instead of saying ha ha I’m better than you.
@@amberlyn28 completely agree lol like i say there just so much respect whether you win or lose, its just really refreshing to see that as its very rare nowadays, this is just on a whole other level and thats why i not only love the game but started to get into it myself
@@willgorton5404 that’s so good!! I always played chess but never took it further. Wished I had
There are so many examples of this in real life:
Capablanca and Alekhine hated each other, but Capablanca still sent a congratulatory letter to Alekhine when he won the world championship.
Korchnoi and Spassky almost came to a fistfight during their 1978 match. Two years later, they were sitting together (playing in the same tournament) at a celebratory dinner and between them sat Mikhail Tal, who was drunk as a skunk. At one point, Tal’s head fell to the table and he started snoring. “Shall we carry him out”? , Korchnoi asked. “Yup”-came the answer from Spassky. And so two sworn enemies together carried out their fallen comrade to his hotel room. When the hotel doorman saw the three of them and asked what the hell was going on, Spassky casually answered that grandmaster Tal had been thinking so much in his game and that he was very tired.
- You cannot imagine two more different men than Karpov and Kasparov. Karpov a positional player, Kasparov a tactician. Karpov always close to the establishment, Kasparov always the rebel. Karpov a calm, a little bit cold and calculated person, Kasparov a bundle of nerves. Karpov, an ardent communist and later a Putin supporter, Kasparov a staunch anti-communist and later the leader of Russian opposition to Putin. And of course, both of them well aware for more than 20 years that each one can only be beaten by the other one. The result-they hated each other’s guts.
Still, when Putin’s regime arrested Kasparov, Karpov went to prison to visit him, brought him food, books and a chessboard, and publicly supported him.
The Polish actor, who played the Russian champion, I would like to see him be cast in American movies. He has charisma.
He is good.
She deserves awards, the show deserves awards, the co-stars deserve awards, the directors, the musicians. Give em all the awards.
You get an award, you get an award, you get an award *in Oprah voice :-D
She will get awards, the entire series will have many nominations.
Costume designer too 🔥
Best show ever!!!
An epic in motion!
The writers did well. I like the ending sitting across from an old guy the way she began with the janitor.
Wow! You summed in all up! Bravo!
Yes! how i wish it was Mr. Shaibel
@@jencruz8231
looked like him tho
@@richardposna3223 that “old guy” is Anatoly Karpov - world chess champion before Kasparov
@@chessman7558
WoW. didn’t catch that . Thank You
Best part of the entire series was all the old men at the end being so surprised and happy at seeing Harmon visiting their chess games. Something about this scene warmed my heart. Seeing the young visit the old showing them that they are not forgotten, which tends to happen in our time all too often.
The music was perfect too and the old man who first shook her hand had the warmest smile calling her Lisa Harmon, it was so epic I have watched it like 10 times now.
@@pipinm2214 Yes exactly. Love how pure that old man's smile was.
The fact she went to say hi and didn't have an ego about playing the old timers was class
They somehow managed to make chess matches feel like big action sequences in movies. Great show.
If you reach a certain level in chess, you start to realise just how much action happens among the boring pieces on a chessboard. Constant threats being created, heroic defensive maneuvers and every once in a while, a thing of pure beauty happens which is forever a part of history. For example, a game between two gentlemen named Edward Lasker and George Alan Thomas nicknamed Fatal Attraction.
This performance by Anya Taylor-Joy is beyond an actor portrayal, she became Beth Harmon.
Dont forget Marcin Dorocinski as Vasily Borgov btw! He was a perfect 'antagonist' in the series, who proved to be not her enemy, but a great admired of the game! he didnt 'boost off in a rage of anger, for losing to a little girl', he took her hand like a gentleman, when he handed her his King, and helped her up from her chair, and embraced her!
A ráre thing to only see in the most respecful and greatest of players! Rival in the Game, but a great friend out of that!
Dorocinsky was pérfectly cast for this role, but he outdid it with his 'unintimidable' performance too!
She should have won the golden globe.
@@gilberteaston1087 she did
She became Heisenberg
Bravo Vince
@@SamMito28 I cannot wait for this meme to dissapear
so Heisenberg can take its place
Huge props to Dorociński - he barely moves his face, yet he shows so many emotions going on behind a mask. And Anya Taylor-Joy was beautiful and mesmerising in her role. Beth is incredibly beautiful and intelligent, yet she is a really damaged and she has to work hard over her flaws. Wonderful series.
Yessss
Best Supporting Actor in a TV-series on the next Emmy Awards imho! He deserves it as much as Anya Taylor-Joy deserves an Emmy for this! The show was a masterpiece! The book was said to be this good already but the casting, and more importantly the splendid acting from these 2, made the show a stunner!
I was skeptical at first to see 'yet another show with yet another Strong Female Protagonist'...etc. yet The Queen's Gambit was a very bright and pleasant surprise!
Marcin Dorocinski is a véry good actor! Its rare to see an actor show such dominance and intimidation. I'd compare it to the masterclass that Charles Dance showed as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones, for example. Not many actors can actually pull that off!
The beautiful bit is what comes last imo. I hate that even in a series supposed to underline female intelligence and individuality, the beautiful is still put first.
@@thearbitrarynerd1667 I'm pretty sure that was the whole point of Beths pretty clothes, hairstyles and makeup. You don't need to go to the another end of the spectrum and abandon your womanhood (in this case I mean pretty looks) to show your individuality. Quite the opposite - Beth is making more and more conscious fashion choices and embraces her feminity (in a classical sense) while still remaining strongly independent and breaking a lot of stereotypes. I would say it emphasizes the point even more, cause when people try to put her in the box because of her gender/looks/age, the more shocked they are by her intelligence and strong character.
Sorry if my reply is not clearly written but English is not my first language, and I'm dead tired after this week, so maybe I'm not making any sense rn 😉
@@danielgadomski5129 I completely agree with you, but my message still stands. Her intelligence is much more important and she also learns to embrace her femininity and adapt and act a bit more like “a woman” because society implies this is a bit compulsory (same thing happens to me) so intelligence is more important anyway
There needs to be a series on Borgov. My favourite scene is when he's in the elevator and Beth is listening to his convo with his gang. He's such a boss.
Yeah i like it too
Aye! Borgov was trying to get a measure on HER, where the two KGB-agents were trying to politically manipulate him: He didnt give two SH*TS about those 2 goons, he was there for the chessmatch against a very potential player: Beth Harmon!
As a youngling, Beth was quickly intimidated by Borgov's posture and playstyle, and lost.
Ps, it was wonderful to see in the ending, that BEth did the exact same: She wasnt a political Pawn in a cold war-propaganda. Just loke Borgov wasnt. She just exited the taxi, and went straight to the park, to play with the old men gathered there, to do what she loved: play the game!
@@thegreenreaper6660 yeah I liked the ending a lot. Honestly, it seems like one of the few Western media pieces that doesn't show the Russians as bad guys. I also liked how Borgov turned out to be one of the few decent human beings ( when he hugged her ).
@@mja4353 They wrote this extremely well imo: During the episodes, you get the idea that Borgov ís the bad-guy, but in that elevator-scene with the 2 KGB-agents, you're getting a bit of a doubt.
In this finale, where he warmly and respectfully admits his defeat to the young Elizabeth Harmon, offers her his King, and firmly grabs her hand to help her stand up for an embrace, shows he never wás a badguy at all! He was the greatest of them all!
Dibs to Marcin Doroceski, how he can sáy so much with a personage that has so féw lines in a show! Facial expressions, composure, body language! Extremely well acted!
Beth also refused the offer from the church guys paying her tickets in exchange of supporting their political views, like Borgov did in the elevator scene. I kind of think that they are similar in some ways.
The way the camera is hand-held and almost jittery in the final scene... Brillant emotional and intimate touch.
I think THIS episode should easily win her the Emmy for best lead actress
She will
welp
Kate Winslet won for Mare of Easttown.
@@Billie0708 Kate Winslet did a beautiful job but wow Anya deserved that award as well
Russian player, Borgov, was actually played by the famous Polish actor Marcin Dorociński. What a great performance! Greetings from Poland! 🙂
He was fantastic in that role.
Haven't seen one bad movie with Dorociński, such a fine actor
He’s awesome
Didn't know that! Cześć! (from the USA)
Oh, that’s why he speaks Russian so well but with the slightest hint of an accent. I really thought this guy was American but naturally gifted in Russian language
I love how, Borgov is such a kind hearted antagonist, seriously, you could tell he knew what she was going through, he im sure was hoping she could finally defeat him, when they hugged. that was brilliant almost made me cry.
When he say is your game I feel like he say is your life you win your life that mean she not ruin her self in drugs and alcohol
Borgov isn't the antagonist, Beth is.
He's not an antagonist tho
What world champion wants someone to beat them? Lol.
@@redbloodbluemoon1423 he certainly is, however not all antagonists are evil in stories
i love how this series is like a journey of Beth collecting her true family members
jolene is her big sister
mrs wheatley is her mom
mr shaibel is her dad
harry, benny and the twins are her brothers
really show how sometimes family doesnt have to be blood-related
Wouldn’t refer to benny and harry as her brothers as she slept with both of them lol
For someone who actually knows how to play chess this must be extremely exciting to watch
Can confirm, this was indeed very exciting to watch as a chess player myself ^^
Yess.. Bcause the game on the series inspired by some real amazing game that happaned in the chess history, especially for the final game. The actual game was actually ended with tie. But the writer made a good conclusion for the game.. So it became more dramatic
Could someone explain how she won? After she moved the king
@@fatimamayvalleramos8519 because bogove have nothing to do anymore but check, if he couldnt check anymore, Beth gonna start to attack and 100% would win the game in a few moves if there is no mistaken (absolutely borgov knew she wouldnt). You can see borgov's king is actually under presure.
@@sdrmctchr1039 oh yeahh! I saw it now! You’re right. She would 100% win the game after Borgov can no longer check her King. That’s the time she’ll attack his king with her queen and rook. Thanks! (Chess beginner here)
I love the look on her face after she does the final move and looks at Borgov in disbelief realizing she just won
That was awesome!
Wouldn't she have know she won 5 plays before it actually happened though? ;-)
@@cuivre2004 no. She didnt win by the move itself, she Just made a great decision that would lead to her Victory in about 5-6 moves. What she did was genius, I recommend u some vid where they alanyzed the entire match.
wasnt a winning move- just a move on netflix to show she won- 2e king 5 to queen is not a winngin move there was no checkmate there when she was white- just bullshit netflix wanted you to see
@@gabaghoul23 well, I think you might not get the depth of the game :D Yes - you are right the move she did was not 'yet' the winning move. But the move she made secured her win in anout 6 more moves cuz there was literally no other outcome of the game at that point. Thats why he forfeited.
What I love about this series was the portrayal of the characters in a realistic way. There were no entirely evil characters and no entirely good characters. Her biological mother, her biological father, her foster mother, her foster father, Harry Beltik, Jolene, Cleo(not sure about this bitch but imma include her), Benny, and in this clip, Borgov. And not the cheesy type of like he changed because of realization or something but just the sense that these people, they were all as dark and light as ever, just that we see them in different shades. Maybe like the chess pieces even, there are no protagonists and antagonists, just pieces trying to win the game. Also, the lack of closure with Mr. Shaibel was quite an angering thought, but I guess it shows that closures don't always happen.
What a brilliant comment!
I thought Cleo was cool until she basically ruined Beth's chance at succeeding with that game in Paris by pressuring her to drink the night before the game. Plus we never hear from her after that point at all after they hooked up. She could've waited until after Beth's game to hang out and drink with her.
Her foster father was the worst though of course. Most of the characters from the show were, although imperfect and flawed, pretty likable.
?? What’s your problem with Cleo she’s legit just a normal character lol
1:56, "SHE Won.................". Instant goosebumps. Another simply amazing moment, of the greatest mini series, I have had the pleasure to see.
I've always thought netflix is capable of producing good shows but never have I imagined they would create such a master-piece. Absolutely one of the best shows of all time. The plot, the directing, the cinematography, soundtrack, wardrobe, anya-taylor joy, just everything. It's perfection. It sets a precedent to upcoming netflix shows in the future.
If you like this, watch "Unbelievable". Its another limited series.
@@ryanbrets7695 watched it already. Queen's gambit is still a better one. But yes unbelievable is ridiculously good too
Feel the same❤
just the chess was kinda meh for what I've seen. But the rest was good.
Dont forget Marcin Dorocinski as Vasily Borgov! He played the part márvellous!!
I'd never heard of that actor before.... Until now! Wow! What a stunner! He was dominant and intimidating in a matter, comparable to the masterclass of Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister in GoT! Few actors can actually pull that off with such skill and magnificence!
I hope Dorocinski atleast gets 'Best Supporting Actor in a TV series', at the next Emmy's.
(Anya Taylor-Joy for Lead-actress... I dont know who of the two earns it more!)
Borgov hugging her and Luchenko happy for her in the crowd. I loved those moments
Kinda shows that the class and respect of these Russian Grandmasters is on a whole different level than the US or anywhere else in the world. The entire scenery around the Moscow Tournament is magnificent to start with: a beautiful ancient Abbey, with the lighting setup mainly on the Chess-tables.
Outside an enthousiastic crowd, patiently waiting. Large press-hoardes, and even a Live-Broadcast on television(which was a pretty big thing in the mid-60's?) on the matches!
The great respect these two Grandmasters show to her is the finishing touch!
The whole show, you think that Borgov is the Main-antagonist and the badguy, but in the finale, he proves to néver have been the badguy.
That 'despicable' title goes to the 2 KGB-agents who accompanied Borgov in the earlter episodes, and that (CIA?)operative that guided Harmon in Moscow: those were the propaganda-influences. Borgov didnt give 2 sh*ts about those Agents. And neither did Harmon in the end when she walked out the taxi.
I would have hugged her
Something I thought was great about this scene was Borgov's reaction to Beth's victory. Throughout the series he was portrayed as the antagonist, he looked evil and almost bloodthirsty in a way. He was portrayed as if Chess was his life and that he valued nothing else, only because he was "the best in the world". When Beth finally beat him, I can imagine we were all expecting a big climax and him expressing rage or madness. Only for him to humbly accept his defeat and congratulate Beth on how she worked her way up to this moment from their first match. He isn't evil, he's just another player who loves the game. I imagine he was no longer as passionate about chess as he once was, since he had forgotten what it was like to lose. Beth Harmon was the only person who posed an actual challenge to him after so long, and definitely rekindled that love he had for chess. This was such a great climax to a brilliant series.
Nowhere is he portrayed as evil or that he would rage or that he is anything other than a gentleman and an intellectual. You're watching the wrong sort of show if that's what you're after.
I think it’s subtly implied that Borgov wanted out. He was being held hostage by the Soviet Union to play chess and win against Americans for life. This loss kind of broke that. Not to mention he was very professional throughout the series and he shared the same struggles of being an orphan with Beth.
Borgiv's wife: "You do or say anything against her if she wins, if you even frown after her win, I'm going to kick your a$$!"
I get the feeling that he's in some way disappointed that no one can beat him. When Beth finally beats him, it's like he's relieved to be free from that pressure.
I cry every time I watch the old men greeting Beth with such admiration. I see Mr. Shalbel in every one of them. Really heartwarming ending scene for such a great show.
Especially the man she played at the end.