- Director: Scott Frank
- Year: 2020
Overview
Beth Harmon is orphaned at a young age and learns to play chess from the janitor at her orphanage. She discovers a talent for the game but also develops an addiction to the tranquilizer pills given to the children. Beth rises through the ranks of the competitive chess world, defeating male champions and gaining international fame. Her addiction to pills and alcohol threatens her career as she faces the formidable Soviet players. With the help of friends, Beth manages to control her substance abuse and travels to Moscow. She defeats the world champion, proving her skills and independence.
Takeaways
Beth's brilliant chess career is constantly threatened by her struggle with drug and alcohol addiction. While she first uses pills as a shortcut to picture the board and visualize games, she eventually realizes that relying on them is destroying her life. The Soviet players are incredibly tough because they work together as a tight-knit team, sharing strategies and studying games collectively. Beth is only able to beat the world champion because her friends back home team up to help her analyze the final match over the phone. That group effort shows that even the most talented loner needs a strong community to win.