‘Men can be challenged, even at the top level’ – the real story of women in chess

In the battle of the sexes, you might think chess would be a level playing field. Sixty-four squares, 16 pieces each, the same rules for men and women... but women still face an uphill struggle, reports William Cook

In ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ the men were far too nice to Harmon, according to Polgar (Phil Bray/Netflix)

A miniseries about chess? It sounds like a terrible idea. Two players huddled over a board for hours on end – where’s the fun in that? Yet The Queen’s Gambit was a massive hit, the most popular scripted series on Netflix. And the thing that made it special was that the show’s star was a woman. “It opened up the chess world for many amateurs, for many people who never knew what chess looked like,” says Russian International Master Alina Kashlinskaya. “For women’s chess, it’s a very good step.”

The Queen’s Gambit was widely praised for the accuracy of its chess scenes. Former world champion Garry Kasparov was a consultant on the series – and it showed. Yet there was one thing which didn’t ring true – the way the male players treated the main character, chess prodigy Beth Harmon (portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy). As Hungarian Grandmaster Judit Polgár told The New York Times: “They were too nice to her.” For, as Polgár found out on the way up, it’s tough to be a woman in a man’s world.

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