The Queen's Gambit is a drama miniseries based on Walter Tevis' 1983 novel of the same name.
The involving storyline and impressive performance by Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Beth, made the series a popular and critical success and made it one of the most-viewed shows of 2020.
As of February 2021, End Game, the series finale, was named the highest-rated Netflix episode in its history.
It also received a positive response from the chess community and reportedly increased public interest in the game.
For those who watched and loved it, looking for shows like The Queens Gambit, is a must. So we've put together a great list for you!
Movies and Shows Like The Queen's Gambit
If you enjoyed Beth Harmon's rise through the ranks of chess greats, and you're now looking for an equally captivating new series, you've reached the right place.
We've created a list of ten shows like The Queen's Gambit that you won't want to miss. Follow a former world chess champion who, after retiring from the competitive world of chess boards, decides to use his diverse analytical skills to solve crimes in Endgame.
Learn about the personal and professional life of a New York advertising executive and the competitive business world, with its many ups and downs that can leave the nerves of those involved on edge in Mad Men.
Or travel back to 1890s New York City and experience a series of investigations into brutal murders committed against marginalised children in The Alienist.
Check out our list of shows like The Queen's Gambit, and pick another gem to entertain you for hours.
And don't forget to leave us more suggestions in the comments below!
OUR LIST OF SHOWS LIKE THE QUEENS GAMBIT
Maniac
Maniac follows two strangers who take part in a mysterious drug trial that supposedly has no complications or side-effects but will solve all of their problems permanently. But things do not go as planned.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is a new series on Netflix that tells the story of one of America's most infamous serial killers. It doesn't make for easy viewing, but then that may well be the point. As an unapologetic examination of pure evil, it has a ce...[Read More]
Godless
An award winning Western style limited series, Frank Griffin is the leader of a murderous posse who promises to burn to the ground any town that harbours former cohort Roy Goode. With Goode hiding out in La Belle, can Griffin get to him and can the t...[Read More]
Russian Doll
Uber modern, almost bordering on hipster, Russian Doll is the story of Nadia who dies on her 36th birthday but soon finds herself in a never-ending loop of dying and waking up at the same birthday party.
Unbelievable
An astonishingly true story about two detectives that discover they are chasing a serial rapist who leaves no trace of his crimes. Unbelievable is just that. Unbelievable. It is an outstanding limited series that should win a tonne of awards.
Unorthodox
How do you leave a culture that decided how your entire life is going to play out? Unorthodox pulls back the veil to explore life as a young woman in an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and her attempts to escape and live in ...[Read More]
The Alienist
It's 1896 in New York City and psychologist (The Alienist) Laszlo Kreizler is enlisted by Police Commissioner Roosevelt to catch a killer preying on homeless boys. An absolute must watch.
Physical
Rose Byrne takes the lead in Physical, an Apple TV+ original, about a housewife in the 80s who discovers aerobics as a way to escape the frustration and drudgery in her life. Brilliant dark comedy drama.
The Crown
A biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, The Crown is a fascinating account of the inner workings of the Royal household and the relationships within. With drama, history and superb acting all in the mix, one does highly recommend ...[Read More]
Beef
Beef follows two strangers who let a road rage incident fester in their minds as it slowly consumes their every thought and action. A brilliant and unmissable comedy starring Ali Wong.
What Is The Queen's Gambit About?
The story is set in the 1950s and 1960s and follows the life of Beth Harmon, a chess orphan prodigy who struggles with drug addiction and the trauma of her childhood to become one of the best players in the world.
In Lexington, Kentucky, young Beth is orphaned at age nine when her brilliant but troubled mother crashes her car, apparently on purpose, and dies.
She gets sent to live at Methuen School, where children are made docile with a daily dose of powerful tranquillisers, pills that Beth soon learns to consume for recreational purposes.
Beth is discovered by the caretaker of the orphanage, Mr Shaibel, where she lives, after demonstrating exceptional chess skills. A few years later, Beth is adopted by Alma Wheatley and her husband from Lexington.
While adjusting to her new home, Beth enters a chess tournament and wins, despite having no previous competitive chess experience. A former chess player trains her, and as her career progresses, she faces increasingly challenging players, including national and international champions.
While struggling with emotional issues, drug problems and her growing alcohol dependency, Beth forms friendships with other chess players and, over time, becomes increasingly competitive, travelling the country and the world with her adoptive mother.
As she matures, her fixation with chess is rivalled only by her problems with drugs and alcohol, an addiction that could ruin her before she achieves her goal of beating her fiercest opponent, Russian champion Vasily Borgov.
Is The Queen's Gambit Based On Real Life?
Although The Queen's Gambit is a work of fiction based on the novel by Walter Tevis, some parts of the plot and characters were inspired by real events and people related to the world of chess.
For instance, the chess prodigy Beth Harmon's character was partly inspired by real female players such as Judit Polgár, who became the youngest Grandmaster in chess history at the age of 15, and the women's world champion Susan Polgar.
In addition, the scene of the chess tournament in Moscow in 1961, depicted in the show, was based on the 1962 Candidates Tournament in Curazao.
The series also explores the 1960s scenario in the United States and the Soviet Union in an accurate manner. Besides revealing the tensions between the two nations, especially in the chess field, The Queen's Gambit also portrays competitions sharply.
However, it is important to emphasise that The Queen's Gambit is a work of fiction, where the character played by Anya Taylor-Joy never existed, and the storyline is entirely imaginary.
What Awards Did The Queen's Gambit Win?
The Queen's Gambit received 18 nominations at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, including Best Limited Series.
The series won two Golden Globe Awards: Best Miniseries or Telefilm and Best Actress in a Miniseries or Telefilm for Taylor-Joy.
She also won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture/Miniseries and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film.
