The Queen's Gambit: Chess And Female Gender

Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon (Netflix)

JAKARTA - The Queen's Gambit is the latest series from Netflix to be released on October 23, 2020. A month after its release, this series is still trending and is a fan discussion.

The Queen's Gambit effect began to emerge when sales of chessboards on the eBay site increased by 273 percent within 10 days of release, according to Insider.

In addition, the Chess24.com site - where viewers can watch chess matches online - is busy with visitors. "We're seeing an increase in people contacting us wanting to participate," said Leon Watson. Watson also said that it was not only men who wanted to participate but there was an increase in female participants.

The Queen's Gambit tells of a woman named Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), an orphan who begins to find her love for chess. Since at the orphanage, Beth Harmon started to master chess until she became a new star in the chess world. On the other hand, in the midst of an upward career, he experienced dependence on illegal drugs and alcohol.

The Queen's Gambit is set in the 1950s and 1960s and was adapted from a novel of the same name by Walter Tevis. The title The Queen's Gambit is also an opening term for the game of chess.

The Queen's Gambit Is Not About Women Playing Chess

Since the beginning of the story, The Queen's Gambit focuses on the mysterious and intimidating figure of Beth Harmon. The story does have to do with Harmon's journey to becoming a chess grandmaster, but his execution explains much more than that.

Beth Harmon who is depicted as a woman in the world of chess is something unique. She often meets other female participants, but none of them are as ambitious or complex as Beth Harmon.

If you've watched this series, you have no doubt seen Beth Harmon's conflicts with herself and those around her. Harmon, who has feelings and traumas, doesn't let these things get over him. He chose to turn it into a path of success.

Since childhood, Beth Harmon took sedatives to ease her worries. However, as she grew older, Beth Harmon used these drugs to imagine the chess game she would play.

The stereotype of a smart woman who doesn't look attractive is shattered in this series. Beth Harmon is a smart woman who always proves herself to be competitive in the chess world even if she doesn't come from a famous club or have any connections. Not like the other girls or not like other women is usually applied in characterizing female characters in a film or series. Beth Harmon is not like that.

Even though the world calls her a special woman (because of her talent), Beth Harmon doesn't see herself as a woman who is the most different from other women. He considers himself a woman who wants to play chess and does not look down on other women he meets while competing.

“Chess isn't always competitive. Yes, but chess can be beautiful, ”said Beth Harmon in one scene.

A Real World Different from the Fiction

Launching Netflix, Beth Harmon was inspired by Bobby Fischer, a chess grandmaster. Fisher won the 1967 United States championship and considered the Russians their toughest rivals.

The positive criticism leveled at The Queen's Gambit was felt not only by the audience, but also by the chess athletes who watched the series.

“I like the fact that Beth shows the results and when she shows her capabilities, there isn't much to say; 'I don't think she's good because she's a girl'. All the words disappeared. I think it's very satisfying to see him being judged for his abilities, ”said Magnus Carlsen, a chess grandmaster in 2004.

According to Carlsen, compared to the series, in the world of chess, there is no thought about women having the natural ability to be better than men. So that this series does not show the underestimating side of women that are often encountered in the real world.

“In general, the chess community has not been very kind to women over the years. There needs to be a cultural change in this. "

The Queen's Gambit brings new passion in a sports-themed series where a woman is appointed as the main character. Beth Harmon's character as a woman who masters chess is not something that intimidates men, but she can be a breath of fresh air that will last in the memory. At least that's what the audience can feel about Beth Harmon's character in The Queen's Gambit.