Just finished watching this series on Netflix. Best thing I have watched in ages and really happy with the ending. (I anticipated a very different ending).
Don't want to post any spoilers, but highly recommended.
When so many of my clan members recommend something I cannot just ignore it any longer. I'll start watching this sometime this week.
My TV time has been less lately, but I've been keeping up with Season 2 of The Mandalorian.
STILL waiting on Season 4 of Ozark.
Ozark? Holy cow!
I'd completely forgotten about that.
My wife watched it completely. She gushed.
I left off at episode 4 of Season 1. I'm sure to pick it back up again now. Especially because I don't want to be further behind when Season 4 hits.
Finished watching this last weekend. Pretty good, never lags.
The series intelligently discusses chess (like chess openings, figures like Morphy, etc.) and doesn't seem like it's posing. The drama is never actually on the board, it's in the reactions of the players and spectators; the camera usually only glances at the chess pieces for no more than a second or two at time. This is probably for the best, since this approach doesn't alienate non-chess players.
I liked the actress, who convincingly played the main character at different ages, from 15 to early 20s. The character was a lot like Fischer, sharing a lot of socially awkward traits, an ego that enjoys crushing other players and a very direct way of speaking in a way that sometimes lacks tact or politeness. It's a treat to see her evolve into a more human person as she goes through trials in her life.
I also appreciated that this series avoided having stereotypical villains. Her antagonists are mostly people who just want to win as bad as she does, which was a good choice. It was nice to see cold-war era Russians not portrayed as Bond villains but as actual human beings, some of whom appreciate well-played chess games even if they lose.
I recommend this not so much as a "chess movie" but as a good drama.
@blackpoolmadsaid You've just ruined it for everyone.
However, it was a very predictable ending. Reminded me of the far fetched Rocky film when he went to Russia and all the Russians were singing for Rocky to win. About as realistic as the KKK leader kneeling for BLM.
I agree, I immediately thought of Rocky 4 as well.
The show started by having small groups of Russian women admiring her; I assumed this was due to the sexism of 60s and the women finding a hero in a woman succeeding in a Male-dominated game. I was fine with this; but when they pulled a Rocky where it seemed *every* Russian cheered for her, that was pretty silly.
I'm sure it has been impossible to not notice (it's everywhere), but this series is creating quite a buzz online about chess suddenly, so if anyone now has chess-curious friends as a result, please let them know about RHP (or DailyChess.com if you prefer). Thanks!
@russsaid I'm sure it has been impossible to not notice (it's everywhere), but this series is creating quite a buzz online about chess suddenly, so if anyone now has chess-curious friends as a result, please let them know about RHP (or DailyChess.com if you prefer). Thanks!
Heard somewhere that chess.com Said they’ve had an extra half million new accounts created since its release. Notice any unusually high new accounts being created recently yourself?
@trev33said Heard somewhere that chess.com Said they’ve had an extra half million new accounts created since its release. Notice any unusually high new accounts being created recently yourself?
Probably half a million lonely blokes looking to meet a hot redhead.
@trev33said Heard somewhere that chess.com Said they’ve had an extra half million new accounts created since its release. Notice any unusually high new accounts being created recently yourself?
Half a million fewer than there should have been! 🥲
It appears to have prompted people to return to chess - old accounts resumed, or old players returning. So a positive effect, but just a ripple really. (That 'other' site has a vast Google presence, so will be the arrival point for many new curious players, unfortunately. )
Queens Gambit on Netflix
12 Nov '20 07:59
Back to Top