An adaptation of the novel by Walter Tevis, The Queen’s Gambit follows Beth, an orphan in 1960 Kentucky, discovering a talent for chess. Determined to become a Grandmaster, Beth is on a steady path to international fame and recognition, but struggles with addiction and loneliness.
What Carlsen Finds Relatable About 'The Queen's Gambit'
Carlsen, world chess champion since 2013, has taken fans of the show through some clips in a new Netflix video.
“I have watched The Queen’s Gambit with great interest,” he said.
“The chess stuff is incredibly well done,” he added.
There is something that Carlsen loves particularly about Beth Harmon.
“I can’t stress enough that I love the way she respects the game,” he said.
"She never stops studying, she never stops learning,” he added.
He also said there is one moment in The Queen’s Gambit Carlsen has found relatable. That's when Beth loses to Soviet champion Borgov in Paris, shown in episode 6.
“I’m somebody who has never been great in dealing with defeats,” Carlsen admitted.
“From my own experience in my career, there have definitely been opponents that I struggled with,” he said.
He explained that Beth’s despair when she realizes there’s nothing she can do against Borgov is “very relatable.”
“There are just no chances, you’re desperately looking for something, any chance that you can possibly find,” Carlsen said.
“Whenever you lose, you start questioning everything, basically,” he added.
Carlsen Addresses Sexism In The Chess World
Carlsen also weighed in on chess tournaments being a very male-dominated environment where women might not feel welcome.
In episode 2, Beth is determined to enter her very first tournament despite not having a rating. As soon as she tries to enroll, she's told the tournament doesn’t have a women’s section.
“Especially in places where there hasn’t been too much history of women playing chess, there is certainty a tendency for women not to feel all that welcome,” Carlsen said.
“It’s been male-dominated for so long, and I think a lot of men want to keep it that way,” he added.
“I think telling [Beth] there’s no women’s section is uncalled for,” the chess champion said.
The Queen’s Gambit is streaming on Netflix