2020 • TMDB 8.4 • 1 season • Drama
Overview
In 1950s Kentucky, orphaned Beth Harmon discovers chess in the basement of the Methuen Home, where the quiet janitor teaches her how the pieces move. What begins as a pastime quickly becomes an obsession: Beth can see entire games unfolding on the ceiling above her bed, and by her teens she is beating seasoned players in local tournaments. As her fame grows, so does her dependence on the tranquilizers she was given as a child, and later on alcohol, threatening the very gift that sets her apart. Across seven taut episodes, the series follows Beth from Kentucky school halls to high-stakes international tournaments, building toward a Cold War-era showdown in Moscow against the great Soviet champion Vasily Borgov. It is a story of genius and self-destruction, of a young woman learning that the hardest opponent is not across the board but inside herself.
Creator and Main Cast
The Queen’s Gambit was created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott for Netflix, based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel. The cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon (7 episodes), Chloe Pirrie as Alice Harmon (7 episodes), Marcin Dorociński as Vasily Borgov (5 episodes), Harry Melling as Harry Beltik (4 episodes), and Isla Johnston as Young Beth (4 episodes).
Seasons Snapshot
The Queen’s Gambit is a limited series of 1 season and 7 episodes on Netflix. All seven episodes premiered on October 23, 2020, closing with the finale “End Game” (1×7).
Why Watch The Queen’s Gambit?
The Queen’s Gambit turns chess into edge-of-your-seat drama without ever dumbing the game down. The period detail is exquisite, from the costumes to the tournament halls, and Anya Taylor-Joy’s magnetic performance carries every quiet glance and bold move. It is also a rare addiction story told without preaching: Beth’s brilliance and her demons are inseparable, and the series never lets you look away from either. Best of all, it is complete in seven episodes, a perfectly shaped story with a deeply satisfying ending.
Trailer
No official trailer is currently available on YouTube for this series.
Where to Watch
In the US, The Queen’s Gambit streams on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads. Availability was checked against JustWatch US listings on October 29, 2026, and may change over time.
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