The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)

[hobbs 243]

SIAP...it's really good.  Yes, the primary subject is chess, but we are hooked nonetheless. 

Spoiler

We couldn't figure out what the guy playing Benny had been in, so finally went to the Googles...Love Actually, wow, no wonder we couldn't remember, but he still looks the same years later.

 

Edited October 28, 2020 by hobbs

[lateshow 1304]

Looks boring as sht.

[Gene Parmesan 4006]

I plowed through the last few days, and I dug it.  I don't know why because I don't play chess, but I kind of like chess related movies.  The Benny character was also in Game of Thrones.

[DallasHorn26 586]

I finished it in two days. I played chess with my dad as a kid, but it was never anything strategic or overly competitive, but I found the chess play interesting. It was a little bit slow moving, but moved along fast enough to keep watching. 

[kingkoopa6 8350]

should be finishing today 5 sodes deep.

benny as the dummer in love actually

 benny in godless too

 

 

Edited October 28, 2020 by kingkoopa6

[Redpuma 146]

We binged watched this in 2 days and barley watch tv....so good 

[henrygandorf 29190]

8 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

 but I kind of like chess related movies.

[tantric superman 4667]

Wife was watching it, looked good.  When wife gave up on it, I knew it was probably good.

[YChang 3443]

Will check it out, the actress was really good in Emma. 

[ajax 2611]

8 hours ago, kingkoopa6 said:

should be finishing today 5 sodes deep.

benny as the dummer in love actually

 

Dude's only 5 years younger than Keira Knightley lol, and she was getting hit on by Rick Grimes in that movie.

[Mileslong 4727]

I really dug it, so did the g/f. It’s very stylish and has some great music in it. I love movies about prodigies. Hits close to home...

[Viper 12109]

Wish they'd show the board clearer sometimes. I'm trying to follow the moves but they aren't making sense so maybe I'm not seeing them correctly.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19101]

This is excellent.  I love it.  But the way, the actor who played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter movies (Henry Melling) is in this.  He is having a nice post Potter career (also in The Old Guard and another Netflix movie that has Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson in it).

[4th&Five 41526]

Started it today and like it so far. Great acting. 

[kingkoopa6 8350]

Got me in my feels when she went back to the schools basement.... janitor was def her father figure. 

[pearlandhorn 3269]

Great series. Finished it in two nights with the wife. I loved chess growing up.

[52-80 19151]

On 10/28/2020 at 7:43 PM, kingkoopa6 said:

 

 

wife was watching it and i caught a scene with this guy with a moustache.  looks like a 14 year old trying to impersonate an adult.

[Gene Parmesan 4006]

On 10/30/2020 at 7:40 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

This is excellent.  I love it.  But the way, the actor who played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter movies (Henry Melling) is in this.  He is having a nice post Potter career (also in The Old Guard and another Netflix movie that has Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson in it).

I had no idea that was him.  You could put that in the no way these two are the same actors thread.  It's funny because every time I see him in something I say that's the no arm/no leg guy from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and I've probably seen the Harry Potter movies several times over and never made the connection.  

[gsoda3 3256]

On 10/28/2020 at 10:49 AM, Gene Parmesan said:

 The Benny character was also in Game of Thrones.

he's also hugh grant's cousin.

[tantric superman 4667]

On 10/29/2020 at 10:58 AM, Viper said:

Wish they'd show the board clearer sometimes. I'm trying to follow the moves but they aren't making sense so maybe I'm not seeing them correctly.

Just keep your eye on those little bald bitches. 

Queen?  She strong she fierce.

[TonyTexas 10510]

The actress playing Beth did a great job of transitioning from an awkward teenager to a complex young adult. 

Edited November 3, 2020 by TonyTexas

[immamac 42845]

very fucking good show. We watched the whole thing in 3 nights. 

[Pato del Muerto 52491]

Really enjoyed. Very straightforward story, but also no filler. 

[satyanash 14482]

Finally got around to watching this, liked it a lot. Most TV shows don't bother to portray high-level chess accurately, but this one does (allowing for a few exaggerations for the sake of drama).

[BBQ2Bayou 807]

I thought it was outstanding and I have very little interest in chess. And I mean fucking outstanding. 

[Chopper 17230]

Agreed, the show was great and the actress was captivating. Loved the way the film used her facial expressions throughout.  

[Dahobbs 17534]

That was really good. I'm impressed how much the chess made sense. Apparently they worked very hard to make sure every move resulted in a real positions. I also appreciate that they used terminology correctly, and not just in the typical have the one guy that explains everything sort of way. 

[Hook1997 5354]

On 11/2/2020 at 8:29 AM, 52-80 said:

wife was watching it and i caught a scene with this guy with a moustache.  looks like a 14 year old trying to impersonate an adult.

Yea that was pretty bad, he was cast wrong for sure.  I thought the same thing, he was not old enough to be a master at that time.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13511]

really good show. Difficult to not binge the entire thing as you wanted to see more. 

Spoiler

Was hoping there would be some scene of her visiting the custodian before he died but that probably wouldn't have been true to her destructive nature.

I liked how they didn't just make everyone 100% good or evil. Most of the characters had flaws but that didn't mean they kicked children or puppies. Even the stepdad. In other TV series, they would immediately jump to him being a child molester. That would be too easy and sloppy storytelling. Instead he was just an everyday POS. and that was enough.

 

[Viper 12109]

17 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

That was really good. I'm impressed how much the chess made sense. Apparently they worked very hard to make sure every move resulted in a real positions. I also appreciate that they used terminology correctly, and not just in the typical have the one guy that explains everything sort of way. 

i read that they actually used the terminology anachronistically. They get the notation correct with say, “N-B3,” but you wouldn't actually say “N to B 3.” You would say “Night to bishop three.” Not “P to B 4,” but “Pawn to bishop four.”

[Dahobbs 17534]

17 hours ago, Hook1997 said:

Yea that was pretty bad, he was cast wrong for sure.  I thought the same thing, he was not old enough to be a master at that time.

What? Bobby Fischer made grandmaster at 15 years old. There were numerous in that time frame in their teens and twenties. 

54 minutes ago, Viper said:

i read that they actually used the terminology anachronistically. They get the notation correct with say, “N-B3,” but you wouldn't actually say “N to B 3.” You would say “Night to bishop three.” Not “P to B 4,” but “Pawn to bishop four.”

I don't know that I noticed any real errors in terminology or notation. They used descriptive notation, which isn't common anymore. The primary thing that I noticed during my watch was in Beth's Mexico tournament where she opened d4. They prematurely called it the Queen's Gambit. There are plenty of d4 openings besides the Queen's Gambit. Until you see c4, you have no idea if white has elected to open with the Queen's Gambit or not. I tend to think it was just a mistake in video editing, as they quickly follow up that the game proceeded along Queen's Gambit Declined (meaning that black didn't take the sacrificial pawn).   

Edited November 9, 2020 by Dahobbs

[Nice Guy Eddie 13511]

I've been a very casual (and bad) chess player in the past. The series made me want to start up again. 

[Pato del Muerto 52491]

24 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

I've been a very casual (and bad) chess player in the past. The series made me want to start up again. 

Too much effort to learn strategy. 
i like to play people like me, that know the moves and that’s about it. Trying to think only 2-3 moves ahead. Closer to checkers than good chess. 
 

the one thing this series, and actual high level chess makes it look like, is that it’s less abut skill and more about memorization of sequences, attacks, defenses. 
 

 

[Hank Scorpio 17729]

The premise of Queens Gambit is what makes it one of my favorite science fiction shows. I mean a woman being able to play chess is so ridiculous that I really admire the male writers imagination for even coming up with it. Those guys deserve all the credit. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by Hank Scorpio

[Dahobbs 17534]

18 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Too much effort to learn strategy. 
i like to play people like me, that know the moves and that’s about it. Trying to think only 2-3 moves ahead. Closer to checkers than good chess. 
 

the one thing this series, and actual high level chess makes it look like, is that it’s less abut skill and more about memorization of sequences, attacks, defenses. 
 

 

Memorizing openings and lines just give you the ability to pick your strategic position for when the game actually gets going. You can't memorize chess. Even computers can't (so far). That said, doing so will certainly give you an advantage over complete neophytes. 

[Errestaurants 2570]

Great show. Wife and I started playing checkers during the last episodes. Lol 

[Ignatius 4017]

On 11/2/2020 at 11:40 AM, tantric superman said:

Just keep your eye on those little bald bitches. 

Queen?  She strong she fierce.

Pawns go out quick, get capped early, see?

Not if they some smart-ass pawns

[RomaVicta 29907]

I think it's great. The lead actress is fascinating and they make chess interesting even for people who don't know the game (I was pretty good at the game decades ago). The relationship between Harmon and her adoptive mother developed very nicely.

I give it a thumbs up.

[henrygandorf 29190]

for anyone unfamiliar with the finer points of the game, here’s a quick tutorial. 

 

[RomaVicta 29907]

7 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

for anyone unfamiliar with the finer points of the game, here’s a quick tutorial. 

 

Mos def.

[Brew 3049]

Excellent series. The mannerisms of the lead actress and how they used them throughout the series was pretty fascinating.

[Sbbruin 21849]

2 episodes in.  Good so far.

[tantric superman 4667]

I was all in.  Then they sealed the deal with the Classical Gas montage during the Ohio tournament. 

It's a bummer seeing some of the actors you liked as a kid dying, but it's cool to see some of the younger folks coming up.

I'm to lazy to do the research, but any of the MadMen folks have a part in this? 

[henrygandorf 29190]

5 hours ago, tantric superman said:

I was all in.  Then they sealed the deal with the Classical Gas montage during the Ohio tournament. 

It's a bummer seeing some of the actors you liked as a kid dying, but it's cool to see some of the younger folks coming up.

I'm to lazy to do the research, but any of the MadMen folks have a part in this? 

scott frank. look him up. no mad men overlap that i know of. 

[Jive Turkey 12595]

I wish more shows were like this. Limited series. 7 episodes to tell the story based on the book, and we’re done. But I hope this doesn’t become like Big Little Lies (or worse, A Handmaid’s Tale, although that was clearly intended to go beyond one season), where they have a hit and decide to make more episodes with new storylines not based on source material. 

There are rumblings there might be another season. I kinda hope not. 

[henrygandorf 29190]

1 hour ago, Jive Turkey said:

I wish more shows were like this. Limited series. 7 episodes to tell the story based on the book, and we’re done. But I hope this doesn’t become like Big Little Lies (or worse, A Handmaid’s Tale

westworld, 13 reasons why, the list goes on...

[McCroskey 1504]

Started it last weekend and finished it last night.  Really liked this series but chalk me up with those who don't want another season...not needed.

A few thoughts:

Could have sworn I saw pawns move horizontally a couple of times but maybe that was just bad camera work.  Thought they did a great job explaining/covering the game otherwise.

I really like Bill Camp.

Allston needed his fuck beat.

Edited November 15, 2020 by McCroskey

[NAVY 6740]

I’m digging it. Very glad I gave it a chance 

[satyanash 14482]

On 11/9/2020 at 3:58 PM, Dahobbs said:

I don't know that I noticed any real errors in terminology or notation. They used descriptive notation, which isn't common anymore. The primary thing that I noticed during my watch was in Beth's Mexico tournament where she opened d4. They prematurely called it the Queen's Gambit. There are plenty of d4 openings besides the Queen's Gambit. Until you see c4, you have no idea if white has elected to open with the Queen's Gambit or not. I tend to think it was just a mistake in video editing, as they quickly follow up that the game proceeded along Queen's Gambit Declined (meaning that black didn't take the sacrificial pawn).   

I think it's forgivable. 1. d4 d5 would have been the Queen's Gambit most of the time in those days, unless you were going for the Chigorin, QBA or something weird like Blackmar-Diemar.

Edited November 15, 2020 by satyanash

[troph 24787]

Really good tv and the period components from fashion to cars to interior design were a big part of the success. The story line behind chess and the acting were superb. I really enjoy stories about the underlying cost of winning. She did an excellent job with that story. Excellent series.