Peaceful, Former World Champion Of Chess Cancel Queen's Gambit's Lawsuit On Netflix

Queen's Gambit (Photo: Netflix)

JAKARTA - Former chess world champion from Georgia, Miss Gaprindashvili chose peace with Netflix over a defamation lawsuit in the Queen's Gambit series. The Queen's Gambit, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, is based on Walter Tevis' 1983 novel and tells the story of an orphan who becomes the greatest chess player in the world.

In addition to featuring the main character Beth Harmon who is a fictional character, the series features several chess characters in real life, including Gaprindashvili.

Gaprindashvili himself was the first woman to be awarded the Grandmaster title from the International Chess Federation in 1978.

Gaprindashvili sued Netflix in September 2021 for 5 million US dollars, claiming that a snippet of comments made by a character in the series was very sexist andlittle. In the scene in the last episode, one broadcaster said that Gaprindashvili had never fought with a male shooter.

Gaprindashvili had faced dozens of male competitors in 1968, the year when the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit was largely set.

But a federal judge rejected their motion, saying the fact that the series is a fictional work doesn't make Netflix out of responsibility if all elements of defamation are proven.

Court documents Tuesday, September 6 said the case was discontinued with the consent of all parties. The Hollywood Reporter media also reported that both sides had reached an agreement.

"I'm glad that this issue has been resolved," said Alexander left-Isaacs, the lawyer representing Gaprindashvili, quoted from AFP via ANTARA on Wednesday, September 7 local time.