“The game of the lady” on Netflix, “Grandmaster” for chess players

“Great Master” hit: A surprise hit on the Netflix miniseries Game mrs (Queen’s gambitBrilliantly recreates the journey of the chess prodigy and mesmerizes beginners and experienced players, lured by realism.

Adapted from Walter Teves’s novel of the same name, published in 1983, this seven-part series set in the 1950s and 1960s chronicles the meteoric – and fictional – rise of an addicted Kentucky orphan, Beth Harmon, to World. Very masculine.

Impressive performance by lead artist Anya Taylor-Joy, elegant combos, chessboard duels more attractive than a boxing match: the work of Scott Frank (AtheistAnd the Logan) And Alan Scott, who was nearly posted on Netflix at the end of October, was hailed on all sides, and word of mouth propelled him to the top of the most-watched series on the platform.

Among chess lovers, conquered, is the excitement. This is evidenced by the flourishing of articles and videos dedicated to the series, through specialized posts or almost unanimous comments of players on social networks.

“It’s the best thing I’ve seen in a game of chess,” said senior French and world professor Anthony Werig (a title that rewards a high-ranking player), during an online conference organized around the series. From the site learn chess in 24 hours.

This physical bond

“We paid a lot of people to see the atmosphere very well, this is the physical connection that we have with the game,” Pierre Petticonou, co-founder of the site, told France Press.

Same story with President of the French Chess Federation (FFE) Bashar Quatli. It welcomes “colossal close-to-reality series”, which are based on “incredibly intense literature” and “real bits” taken from real competitions.

This is because the series, which is highly documented, capitalized on the experience of legendary Garry Kasparov, former Russian world champion as a consultant, with American coach Bruce Pandolfini.

The character of Beth Harmon is partly inspired by Bobby Fischer, the American prodigy who became world champion in 1972 at the end of the “Match of the Century” against the Soviet Boris Spassky, in the middle of the Cold War.

Some errors remained during editing, as Anthony Werig noted, citing in particular a game played in a plane. French series title, Game mrs, Ticks too. The Queen’s gambit, English title, denotes an open chess which translates into French as Lady’s gambit (Nor Game mrs).

Actors do not possess the “elegance of touch” real players have in “moves,” as Bashar Quotli believes. However, he insists it was “superbly photographed”.

Offensive comments

Bashar Quotli predicts, “Certainly many will start chess thanks to this series.”

In fact, Learn chess in 24 hours has seen its number of visitors double by 10, from 600 to 6,000 a day, since the series aired, Pierre Petticonou notes.

According to the British newspaper The IndependentSearches for chess games were up 273% on the eBay auction site, within ten days of the show reaching Netflix.

What to swell the ranks of players? In France, women represent only 22% of the workforce in this discipline, which is often criticized for its gender discrimination. There is a very dilute side, according to some, in the series.

In an interview with The New York TimesHungarian heroine Judit Polgar, who withdrew in 2014, thinks opponents of Beth Harmon are “very nice to her”, in light of the offensive comments she has received so often that some even refuse to shake her palm.

“The situation has changed a little,” said Jocelyn Wolfangel, the women’s manager at the union, which, in parallel with mixed competitions, organizes tournaments for women to improve their performance and attract more.

But, “I have heard many times boys say,” I lost to a girl, shame, “she said with sadness.” The more women, the more real they get. ”