The Queen's Gambit (2020) - Season 1 Edit

A A rounding error.

A A rounding error.

A better one than you might have had.

A binomial is a mathematical expression containing two terms.

A draw against Najdorf.

A draw, however, is not a win.

A few days ago.

A game rich white people play.

A gas dryer.

A genius player.

A gimmick is an angle that works for you.

A janitor taught you how to play?

A job?

A little pied à terre on the Rue des Capucines,

A lot of prominent dissidents belong, so…

A mistake.

A move that would stop him in his tracks, but there wasn't any.

A pinch wakes you up, too much dulls your senses.

A present.

A sad story,

A sequence I've always found to be like the Sicilian in reverse.

A.I. Deinkopf.

About what?

Absolutely. Thank you.

According to Harry Beltik,

Actually, every time.

Actually, I'm fift

Actually, we met. You beat me the other day.

Actually…

Adopting you was actually his idea.

After I finished weeping in my room, I replayed the game.

After that, winners play winners, and losers, losers.

After you lost your mom.

After you move, you press that button on top,

Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Again?

Again?

Again?

Again?

Again.

Again.

Again…

Against the Austrian, Diedrich.

Ah, the Réti Opening.

Ah, you like nice clothes, huh?

All right, I gotta go.

All right, open it.

All right, slow down.

All right, you take a sip of that coffee, and I'll punch your clock.

All right.

All right.

All right. Hey, assholes, this is costing me a bundle.

All the way, if there's space to move in.

All those places you've been, which was your favorite?

All who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Allow us to help you with any arrangements.

Allston is allergic to most pet dander, though,

Alma was not pathetic, she was stuck. There's a difference.

Along with 35 minutes he had left from the day before.

Always got a crowd around him.

Am I good enough now?

Am I?

An opportunity you allowed to pass you by."

And 100 dollars.

And a second prize of 50 dollars.

And a walk through  le Jardin du Luxembourg,

And any other personal items, there.

And Beltik may show up.

And Borgov has been called the "Master of the Sicilian."

And brown laces with brown shoes? I mean… [scoffs]

And burning out his brain,

And by kids, I mean boys.

And can be dangerous.

And crushed his position as one might crush an egg.

And decided that Benny's move was even sounder than I thought.

And don't tell.

And eat up half my commissions? You're a terrible driver anyway.

And enjoy daily socialization.

And even that's not unique in Russia. There's Nona Gaprindashvili,

And for a time,

And get some sleep.

And has been kindly assisting Miss Lonsdale with chapel,

And have you ever been in love?

And he said he would sign whatever was necessary, so…

And he wasn't crazy.

And here is your special place.

And his natural gifts, which obviously were considerable.

And how much longer do you think you'll play?

And I became mesmerized by their passion.

And I believe they gave me one.

And I can't keep chasing you around everywhere,

And I did it all by myself.

And I don't think she expected the game to go on for nearly four hours.

And I should probably call home.

And I would dress the way that women do here, you know?

And I, um, got my teeth fixed.

And I'll…

And I'll…

And I'm sober as a judge,

And I'm sorry.

And I'm sorry.

And I'm sure that you and I are going to be good friends.

And I'm sure, for the young American, rather exhausting.

And I've been watching your games. You…

And I've never played better in my life.

And if I'm gonna change it, I can't spend all my time

And if it does that…

And if you ask them, they'll fly me out there with you.

And it stops your clock and starts your opponent's.

And it's mate next.

And it's predictable.

And join me for a drink.

And last month he came in fifth in Las Vegas.

And learn from me,

And let's look at where you're at,

And maybe high, too. Why not?

And maybe high, too. Why not?

And no hope.

And not at all the 27 move thrashing Beth Harmon just gave him.

And not waving but drowning."

And not waving, but drowning."

And now Borgov has brought out his king's knight to bishop three,

And now someone's done it to me.

And now you do, too.

And now you insult me.

And on to the point each of them resigned.

And one of those possibilities is staring at you.

And only for the first year.

And out for blood."

And pick up three packs of Chesterfields?

And play against other computers,

And played my first game."

And played the Four Knights Variation with a sophistication that looked,

And plus, playing too many opens…

And put to death for high treason.

And something that none of them have.

And stay away from tobacco and any and all forms of alcohol.

And take what you require.

And that can give you a life that anyone would envy.

And that extra allotment of time.

And that's check.

And that's mate.

And the atheists who sit there.

And the first prize is 500 dollars.

And the Moscow Embassy.

And the pawn moves up.

And the pills, and…

And the player on the other side

And the queen as a mother?

And the rook comes to the seventh rank.

And the Sub Debs,

And the whole time, I'd look at his face,

And their pieces were wide open for forks.

And then he retired at 22.

And then he'd move in on the king so fast, his opponents would just freeze up.

And then he'd play the next day like a shark.

And then I asked the front desk where I could get more. [chuckles]

And then I go on to the next one?

And then I got pregnant.

And then I saw what it meant.

And then Remy Vallon.

And then the counter analysis in Chess Review

And then the US Championship

And there was no doubt.

And there's a certain look on your face.

And there's a dinner tonight at the Russian Chess Club in Georgetown.

And they all live in the here and now.

And they didn't say anything about how I play the Sicilian.

And they've had lunch and dinner every day this week.

And this is Jack Connors.

And this is our day room, where you will have all your meals,

And this is you.

And this one?

And those pictures Townes took in Las Vegas,

And to stupid men.

And took his loss with grace,

And two dollars for a small breakfast in the morning.

And ultimately forced Flento to resign.

And we think WLEX will have somebody.

And we've already spent a good deal more on your upcoming trip to the Soviet Union.

And we've each been working a way through.

And what's important?

And when I go, it comes.

And while he's no longer the tiger he once was,

And while you're there…

And would you care for a cocktail?

And yet here we are at some second rate university,

And yet I have seven dollars left where I should have at least 20.

And you basically tell me

And you go on ahead, and do just what the hell you feel like.

And you kind of broke my heart.

And you know why they're the best players in the world?

And you see that little red flag over the number 12 on each clock?

And you'll give it back…

And you're far too old to be called a prodigy anymore.

And your toothbrush can go right here.

And, of course, a photo op of you kicking his ass.

And, of course, the bill will be taken care of.

And, once in a while, even mystery.

And, someday, you'll get to see her again.

And, um…

And?

Anger clears my head.

Anger is a potent spice.

Annette Packer.

Another one?

Another time, dear.

Another variation: If he plays knight takes pawn on king five,

Any one of the new places you've been to?

Any questions?

Anyone?

Anything else?

Anyway,

Anyway, I always thought that was interesting.

Anyway, I'm not afraid of him.

Anyway, you don't need no book.

Anywhere.

Apparently, she grew up.

Approachable

Are the matches played at random?

Are the ones you make rather quickly.

Are they good looking?

Are what we call the laws of Nature,

Are you coming?

Are you here to play or…

Are you here with Arthur or Hilton?

Are you hungry?

Are you in one of those?

Are you in there?

Are you playing?

Are you serious?

Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?

Are you that nervous?

Are you with a boy?

Are you, uh…

Aren't we gonna look at the chess sets?

Aren't you going out?

Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?

Aren't you that kid from Kentucky who wiped out Harry Beltik?

Art or politics, has sometime come to Mexico City.

Arthur and Hilton were having a violent argument over a chessboard,

As Alma would say.

As he likes to remind me, it…

As if the expense of keeping you doesn't exhaust it.

As much as Methuen believes in excellence,

As my guest.

As we have been unable to reach you by telephone,

As we know, the spread of communism

As we like to say, slams shut.

At least until we leave.

At night, I stay in my room, and study Mr. Borgov's old games.

At the Gibson Hotel, in a double room for 22 dollars a night.

At the Palacio Azteca where

At the same time.

At what may be the world's most difficult game."

Attacking the center.

Aw, did you bite off more than you can chew?

Aw, it's okay.

Back when he was your age, little girl.

Bathroom.

Be a good girl and get that little bottle of green pills by my bedside.

Be a good girl, Elizabeth.

Be careful, Beth.

Be just a minute.

Beat him, will you?

Beating the Soviets at their own game.

Beautiful.

Because his fucking, innocent looking knight

Because it does go bad, but this is the best value for the money.

Because of the bishop on the open diagonal.

Before I forget…

Before she gets too strong.

Before you know it…

Beginning with the bishop, cutting down the scope of the rook

Being around all those boys is a real thrill.

Benny had two draws, so a draw would give me the title.

Benny was there, and I became mesmerized by Benny.

Benny Watts plays in Europe all the time now that he has his international title.

Benny Watts, just by reading about a player he knows nothing about,

Benny, come on. I don't wanna go to Russia by myself.

Benny, under what mound do you hide your drinking glasses?

Benny?

Besides…

Beth

Beth cannot be happy about being crowded into an ending

Beth Harmon, this is Danny Weiss and Dave Friedman.

Beth Harmon, this is Hilton Wexler and Grandmaster Arthur Levertov.

Beth Harmon, this is Roger Dione.

Beth Harmon?

Beth Harmon.

Beth Harmon.

Beth Harmon. Where am I playing?

Beth has homework to finish.

Beth is also a very strong student in science and geography,

Beth, dear, it makes you a celebrity.

Beth, if you're in there, please open the door.

Beth, it's Harry.

Beth, listen to me, you gotta open up that file, okay?

Beth, please just come to New York. We can talk it out.

Beth?

Beth?

Beth?

Beth?

Beth?

Beth.

Beth…

Beth…

Beth…

Big deal. Like I said, it's all pawns…

Bit late in the day for you, isn't it?

Black…

Bobby something?

Borgov attacks Harmon’s king pawn.

Borgov declines,

Borgov is death on endgames.

Borgov made me look like a fool.

Borgov never offers draws, but he's offering Elizabeth Harmon one.

Borgov plays pawn to Queen four.

Borgov retreats his knight,

Borgov.

Borgov's not a machine.

Borgov's not some Kentucky ex champion like me.

Both of them.

Botvinnik should have taken the pawn with the queen. [chuckles]

Bought an original drawing by Michelangelo.

Business trip.

But a lot of the girls belong to social clubs.

But after grief brings you low, prayer and faith will lift you high.

But as I walked past,

But Borgov moves his bishop to knight five,

But by the middlegame, she'd traded herself out of that position,

But call Second National Bank and ask for Mr. Erlich.

But Flento put up quite a fight along the two main diagonals,

But Harmon moved with such deadly accuracy, such measured control,

But he didn't.

But he doesn't come by to see me.

But he took the piece just as I planned.

But he's really attacking the black knight.

But here, he's going against his own style and playing a rare line to win.

But I am convinced that relaxation can only improve them.

But I am from Mexico City.

But I can't figure out what's different.

But I did it, and it's too late to undo it.

But I have my own copy upstairs.

But I told myself that the Open's not as important as the US Championships.

But I took care of them.

But I will be subtracting what I paid to bury Mother.

But I'm gone the second I pass the bar.

But I'm not even so sure I wanna go to Paris anymore.

But I'm nowhere close to what you'll face in Paris.

But I'm sure glad you came.

But I'm told he was not a religious man, so much as a solitary man.

But if he plays rook to rook seven,

But if I do…

But if you're gonna have one, get me one, too.

But if you're gonna play the Soviets, you need help.

But is that one of those things,

But it is much worse to forever regret

But it pays for my studio in the Marais.

But it's five dollars for the entrance fee.

But just like there is no mystery to a vacant lot,

But listen to Jinx first.

But look at the queen side pawns, way over here.

But maybe tomorrow night?

But not one of those, uh, crappy plastic cups.

But now that my rating's up to 1800, I hope to go to Las Vegas

But open up your queen file.

But right now, we really need some sleep.

But she's the female world champion and has never faced men.

But still he lay moaning."

But that doesn't count. That's speed chess.

But that one can only go up.

But the bath was so lovely.

But the point is still valid. You've got to stay open.

But the protection wouldn't last,

But the world is fucked up.

But then, anyone who doesn't eat is terrible in bed, don't you think?

But there was a solidity to her opening moves

But they got the state after them

But we will be sending one of our men with you.

But we've been working on it for three hours.

But what I want…

But when I found out the school used to be called

But you have to go with me, because I need a parent or a guardian.

But you won't let the next one that tries it.

But you're the only American

But, if you win, they move you up.

But, um, I wish you luck in your match.

But, um, what I really wanted was for us to be friends.

Buy yourself a Coke. [chuckles]

By forcing it to a less threatening rank.

By the 23rd move.

By the playing of a local girl who triumphed over hardened players

By the time you're 21.

Bye.

Can I ask you a question?

Can I talk to Beth?

Can they send me back if you no longer have a husband?

Can you come to New York?

Can you get over here so we can work it out?

Can you help me?

Can you make it?

Can't you charge it or something?

Can't you even look at me?

Can't you see that?

Capablanca played on intuition.

Castles.

Caught me completely off guard.

Certainly.

Cerveza?

Charles Levy will take board number one since he's our top player.

Check, then play rook to bishop two.

Check.

Chess boards, too. We could play.

Chess Federation.

Chess is not all there is.

Chess Review sent me to write it up.

Christian Crusade has already invested a good deal of money.

Christian Crusade is a nonprofit organization

Christian Crusade would like you to make your position public,

Circle your name and drop it in the basket.

Clean this place up.

Clearly.

Close your eyes.

Close your eyes.

Closed Sicilian.

Closer.

Club treasurer and one of my best students,

Co Champion.

Colors have been chosen accordingly.

Come back, and we'll loan you one.

Come in.

Come on, let's get you settled.

Come on, sit.

Come on, that's enough of that.

Come on, you ugly piece of trash.

Come on.

Come on.

Coming to New York?

Coming to you live from the Mexico City Invitational Chess Tournament

Confused.

Congratulations.

Congratulations. Benny needed a lesson in humility.

Consider me your second. What do we need to do to help you beat Borgov?

Consider yourself lucky.

Could be anything.

Could have beat me sooner.

Could I have a prescription for Librium?

Could you come at nine?

Could you give me a tranquilizer?

Could you stop the car, please?

Couldn't believe it.

Covered the rest of it.

Creativity and psychosis often go hand in hand.

Crushing one European master after another.

Da.

Damn.

Deardorff fell and broke her hip.

Deardorff just hollering at you.

Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor…

Dedicated to the opening of closed doors to the message of Christ.

Demoralizing her opponents from the start.

Depends on whether or not the answer will give you an edge.

Did you ever hear her play?

Did you ever think maybe it's the drinking that's making you sick?

Did you gamble it all away?

Did you get them at Ben Snyder's or something?

Did you have a second?

Did you know chess is older than checkers?

Did you say you're partying with college students?

Did you watch the whole game?

Did you?

Diderot wrote him a letter.

Diderot wrote to him and said something like,

Didn't Koltanowski use to play blindfolded all the time?

Didn't meet, but we spoke.

Didn't speak to Harmon afterwards.

Didn't think there would be.

Diedrich played well,

Dinner break.

Dinner's at nine.

Do Do you have something?

Do girly things.

Do I start now?

Do me a favor and hand me a beer on the desk?

Do not leave the hotel unless you're with me.

Do they teach that at Fairfield?

Do you date any of them?

Do you even know his career?

Do you ever go over games in your head?

Do you forgive me?

Do you have a team here?

Do you have any more vitamins?

Do you imagine that you saw the king as a father,

Do you know how to use it?

Do you know what a cock is?

Do you know what a pen pal is?

Do you like animals?

Do you like to fuck?

Do you still like my hair?

Do you want another game?

Do you want me to play?

Do you want to play chess at the high school?

Do you?

Does anyone know what a binomial is?

Doesn't everybody?

Doesn't make them any smarter.

Doesn't matter.

Doesn't say.

Doesn't she ever change clothes?

Don't be like that.

Don't be rude.

Don't forget.

Don't touch a piece unless you're going to move it.

Don't you have some petty cash or something?

Don't you push your button now?

Don't you want to know how she died?

Down here.

Dr. Talbott has decided I need more tranquility. Much more.

Draw?

Draw?

Draw?

Drink?

Drinking in cafes, and talking with strangers.

Drive ins.

Duncan High?

Each player has 90 minutes.

Easy there, tiger.

Ed Spencer.

Eggs are in the fridge.

Elizabeth Harmon surveys a troubled future."

Elizabeth Harmon...

Elizabeth Harmon's not at all an important player by their standards.

Elizabeth has performed well in all of her schoolwork.

Elizabeth,

Elizabeth.

Erased it…

Especially during adjournments.

Even if you only won second or third prize,

Even on a group trip into town, I spent my ice cream money

Even though Harmon's win over him was decisive and merciless.

Even though I didn't play the way he thought I should.

Even when it's played by Grandmasters.

Every single famous person in Latin American history,

Everyone plays everyone.

Everyone, this is Elizabeth Harmon, the US Champion.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Excellent.

Except by a legal fiction…

Excites me in the same way."

Excuse me, miss.

Excuse me?

Excuse me. Would it be possible to have an autograph?

Extra cup of coffee.

Extra ones?

Facing relentless pressure in the middle of the board,

Fairfield High?

Famous last words.

Fashion is exciting. Modeling and models are insipid.

Final round is Sunday, 11 a.m.

Fine missed one.

Fine.

Fine.

Fine.

Fine.

Fine.

First check is with the queen.

Fish.

Five bucks a game?

Five hundred of them to be exact.

For a time,

For a trip the White House again calls non political…

For a while at least, like it was far beyond Harmon's.

For crying out loud, what you still doing in bed?

For crying out loud.

For everything.

For experience outside whenever we can, but…

For I am gentle and humble at heart."

For recording your moves.

For several years now.

For the first time.

For the Lexington paper.

For us.

For what they've been doing with those pills.

For white trash girls everywhere, weren't you?

For whom it is a birthright."

Forget it.

Fornaut, Alekhine's Games 1938 to 1945.

Found you a reporter, I see.

Four hundred dollars is the most we could possibly spare.

Four Soviet chess players is a lot of Soviet chess players.

Four top Russians, and four other countries.

Four.

French Revolution?

Friday night, my house.

From Denver.

From Fairfield High School in Lexington, Kentucky."

From Lexington, Kentucky, Elizabeth Harmon.

From now on, we take turns. It's the way the game should be played.

From that point on, the whole game was like a foregone conclusion. I…

From watching.

Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.

Fuck you, Margaret.

Fuck you.

Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck.

Fucker.

Fucking bombed.

Game they printed, that was a pretty one. The one with you and Beltik.

Get dressed.

Get her up to Kentucky and bury her, and the house is yours. Just…

Get me a a milk glass.

Get out.

Gibson.

Girl doesn't seem to have a heck of a lot to say.

Girls do not play chess.

Girls like to suck on that thumb.

Give my best to Roger.

Go ahead, open it.

Go ahead.

Go beat him.

Go on in, then

Go on to bed. I've got a key.

Go, both of you!

God, Beth.

Goddamnit!

Good for you, cracker.

Good for you.

Good girl.

Good lord, it's enough to make a person positively giddy.

Good luck to each of you.

Good luck to you, dear.

Good luck, Beth.

Good luck.

Good luck.

Good luck.

Good luck.

Good mental exercise.

Good morning, girls.

Good night, Benny.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night.

Good one.

Good, you do that. I'm strapped for cash right now,

Goodness.

Goodness.

Great, okay. Well, let's start with his knight to rook four.

Great.

Guess I'll see you tomorrow.

Guess.

Guy takes one look at this, he pays up, 20 bucks.

Had a good time

Half an hour is more than enough time to take the pictures.

Hard to say for you what that will be.

Harmon had her 90 minutes of play, and Luchenko had the same,

Harmon had him on his heels from the start.

Harmon moves pawn to queen bishop four,

Harmon must now decide

Harmon plays pawn to Queen Bishop four.

Harmon pushes her pawn

Harmon will have to be very careful.

Harmon, on the other hand, is not.

Harmon!

Harmon!

Harmon! Harmon! Harmon!

Harmon? The chess prodigy.

Harmon's response was a complete deviation from the Albin,

Harmon’s knight boldly invades E6.

Harry Beltik. What's your name?

Has been indefinitely detained in the Southwest.

Has it?

Has this…

Have a very pleasant winter vacation in the sun

Have to deal with her here or in Paris

Have you ever heard of something called apophenia?

Have you ever met him before?

Have you gone to the basement?

Have you joined a club?

Have you seen her hair and her shoes?

Have you?

Haven't had anything today

Haven't tried one yet.

Haven't you got even just one?

Having a couple beers, playing some speed chess.

He always loved larking, and now…

He defeated the great Alekhine in an exhibition when he was a boy,

He forced an exchange of queens.

He had business in Oaxaca.

He has an unusual request to make.

He is a world champion

He is my king and yours as well.

He is the son of God.

He just got quiet and fell asleep in his clothes.

He looked like he wanted to kill himself.

He loves.

He maintains that you are a phenomenal chess player.

He must have been very tired,

He must win.

He opened with a pawn to king four.

He picks it up.

He played against the entire team at Annapolis without losing a game.

He plays first board for the university team,

He plays pawn takes pawn. You can't take back.

He sacrificed knights and bishops like he had a dozen instead of two,

He said I could have it.

He sends a signal in any way, or sends a note,

He spent a lot of time at it, and he was quite good.

He still had time to get out of it.

He took a piece of art gum, and just…

He wants to marry me,

He was a Grandmaster. It was quite a long time ago now.

He was a janitor. We played in the basement.

He was beloved by the staff and students alike,

He was careful.

He was supposed to be the best.

He was the janitor at Methuen.

He was yet another victim of a carefree life.

He wasn't mean or anything.

He won't have to suffer much longer.

He would like you to be taken to the high school on…

He would like you to perform for the chess club.

He would stay up all night, in Paris, before his games,

He, uh, claims he was just permitting you to stay in the house, uh…

He's 34 and an International Grandmaster.

He's a dangerous player when allowed to attack.

He's Benny Watts.

He's dead."

He's famous for it.

He's got a green Dodge that always seems to be at her disposal.

He's meeting us at the airport.

He's nowhere near her level,

He's right, though. You could use some new clothes.

He's working on it.

Hell, I can barely save me.

Hell, no.

Hello, Beth.

Hello, Mr. Wheatley.

Hello, Samantha.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Hello.

Hello.