Beth Harmon is only nine years old when she discovers chess game Her wit and clearvoyance lead her through one of the oldest board game Cold and invicible she manages to defeat the hardest players of her time Until she finally meets the best players like the young Benny Watts and the russian Borgov
Elizabeth "Beth" Harmon is a chess prodigy and the main character in the Netflix miniseries, The Queen's Gambit. Orphaned at a young age and scarred from Methuen Home's mistreatment, she is depicted as someone with immense anger and passion, which fuels her chess proficiency—and her susceptibility to substance addiction. While she accepts herself as someone who breaks gender norms, Harmon has expressed irritation with being renowned solely because of her gender.She experiences difficulty forming relationships with others that are not based on chess because of this.In addition to chess, Harmon maintains skills in mathematics, sciences, and history.Over the course of five years, she acquires a knowledge of Russian, which allows her to eavesdrop on gossip by people who assume she cannot. Harmon is played predominantly by Anya Taylor-Joy, and she is played by Annabeth Kelly as a five-year-old and Isla Johnston for other younger scenes.
Beth is a complicated woman and many of the show’s episodes revolves around this.The characters complexity is shown numerous times throughout the series as her destructive nature reaches the surface when she feels as if her past lost games have ruined her reputation.The audience then sees another side to Beth Harmon, as not only an addictive personality with destructive tendencies but also an incredibly competitive player, resulting in a character flaw, as its unknown what she will do and the lengths she will go to in order to win. Due to the fact that she has been addicted to pills at such a young age the exact same theme of her life is brought up time and time again, which as a viewer is fascinating to see her,as more than just a sharp and intelligent young woman but also as a human being with psychological trauma, and tendencies.
Facing the american prodigy Beth Harmon, the "Russian" Borgov is a fearless adversary His calm and assertive attitude makes him one of the greatest chess player As the young Harmon soon realizes, Borgov is a specialist of the Sicilian Defense As a result of his victories over Harmon, the young woman will be forced to rethink her play and strategy
On her ascension to the mountain top of chess playing, Beth will inevitably face the US Champion Benny Watts. For the first time she will lose the play to Watts and will find her weakness Indeed, Watts is a player like Beth has never seen. Capable of finding any flaws in Beth's game , Watts will be both her doom and salvation Benjamin Watts is an arrogant, popular,and very intelligent chess prodigy and a part of the main cast in the Netflix series, The Queen's Gambit.Initially Beth Harmon's most prominent rival , he then becomes her mentor, close friend and love interest.
Benny first introduced into the show in episode 3. At the time he was 23 and visiting the U.S. opening in Cincinnati where he met Beth.She was 15 when they met and had just won the Kentucky State championship.It is unknown for how long he had held the title of United States Champion before his loss in the Ohio United States Championship,but Benny has been regarded as the most talented American chess player since Paul Morphy, even publishing his own book on his various tactics .Notwithstanding his hubris, Benny is a wise chess player who has studied a variety of chess playing styles across all time controls.He mirrors Harmon's abilities to visualize chess positions in his head, yet Benny does so without the aid of drugs (a detail which inspires Harmon) .Overall, as a coach, he imparts on Harmon valuable experience and self-care which she long ignored, allowing her to succeed against Soviet Grandmaster Vasily Borgov.He carries around a knife, according to Watts himself for self-defense purposes. Beth finds him attractive and tells him he has nice hair.Eventually they have sex, though there is minimal evidence either has any intention of having a long term relationship at the time.Benny Watts is played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie.
At the age of 8 Beth Harmon is orphaned when her mother dies in a car accident. She is sent to Methuen, an orphanage where the children are fed tranquilizers to keep them compliant. While there Beth observes the janitor, Mr. Shaibel, playing chess by himself. While he is initially reluctant to teach a girl, Beth eventually persuades him to play with her.Within a few months Mr. Shaibel confesses he has taught her all he knows and introduces her to a local high school teacher who runs the chess club.Shortly after Beth beats a group of high school students at chess, she learns that the state is banning the use of tranquilizers on children.During an attempt to hoard the remaining tranquilizers for herself she accidentally overdoses. As part of her punishment for being caught she is forbidden from playing chess and interacting with Mr. Shaibel. 5 years later at the age of 13, Beth is adopted by the Wheatleys. Mr. Wheatley abandons his wife shortly after Beth is adopted. Beth immediately tries to play chess again.After stealing a chess magazine she learns that a local high school is holding a chess tournament and secretly writes to Mr. Shaibel asking him to lend her the funds to enter the tournament.Despite being an unranked player and not having access to a chess set in five years, Beth not only wins the tournament but defeats the Kentucky state champion Harry Beltik. Unable to cash her winnings herself she reveals that she has won to Mrs. Wheatley. In desperate financial straits Mrs. Wheatley begins arranging for Beth to play more tournaments focusing on the ones with the highest prizes and collecting a 10% agent's fee.
Beth attracts attention as a prodigy but meets the U.S. champion, Benny Watts, a former prodigy himself, and is beaten by him resulting in her being crowned U.S. co-champion.For several years she feels that despite her talent she is floundering as she is aging. She also continues to use both drugs and alcohol recreationally, stealing tranquilizers from Mrs. Wheatley and discovering that binging alcohol relaxes her anxiety. At the age of 18 she attends a competition in Mexico where she meets and is defeated by the Russian Vasily Borgov. Returning to her hotel room she discovers that Mrs. Wheatley has died, leaving her orphaned once again.Back in the U.S . Beth reunites with Harry Beltik who, while he admires her for being an intuitive player, insists she study chess more seriously.They begin both a professional and personal relationship but after he teaches her all he knows he abruptly leaves to focus on his studies.Beth attends the U.S. championships and manages to defeat Benny Watts. Finally the solo U.S. champion she now has invitations to compete internationally. Benny offers to coach her and she moves to New York to study under him with the two also developing a sexual relationship. Beth quickly outstrips Benny and goes to Paris confident she is capable of beating Borgov.However despite playing her best and making no obvious errors Borgov defeats her. Beth returns to Kentucky where she begins binge drinking.
After attending a tournament to defend her Kentucky state champion title and losing badly in the first game Beth realizes she is an alcoholic.She reaches out to her old friend from Methuen, Jolene, now a phys ed teacher who is getting a master's in political science. Jolene helps Beth get clean and Beth is able to successfully triumph at her next tournament. Beth prepares to go to the Moscow international, desperate for revenge against Borgov. Benny offers to go as her second, i.e. as a player who will strategize with Beth and help her prepare. While there is not much money available through the U.S. Chess Federation, a Christian organization offers to pay for everything as long as Beth is prepared to promote anti-communist propaganda. Declining, Beth ends up returning their money and is left without Benny. She continues to Moscow alone.
In Moscow, Beth successfully defeats her opponents though she fears her final game against Borgov. She also comes to realize the Russians help each other strategize for games while she is mostly alone .Her final game with Borgov results in him calling an adjournment. That evening, she finds it difficult to strategize but is saved by Benny who calls her from New York and offers her several strategies.During the resumed game, Borgov offers Beth a draw which she declines and eventually wins over him. Beth makes plans to beat Borgov in the next two years to become world champion. At the embassy party celebrating her win, she feels uncomfortable and leaves early, going to play chess in the park against a group of men who play for love of the game.