The Queen's Gambit

[paruses]

Yep she started saying 15 then the head gave her a look and she changed it to 13. I guess because the younger a child is the more appealing they are to adoptive parents.

Yes I thought that was the catalyst but also got the impression that the adoptive parents knew the score anyway although I could be reading into things. Still means she would have been in a weird school situation. Didn't she pretty much ditch school anyway?

[Icehaven]

Yes I thought that was the catalyst but also got the impression that the adoptive parents knew the score anyway although I could be reading into things. Still means she would have been in a weird school situation. Didn't she pretty much ditch school anyway?

I think so, and yep it's maybe tacitly implied that the parents soon realise she's older, if they didn't know from the start. It just seemed an odd detail to put in but not resolve. Maybe a scene was cut or something.

[paruses]

I think so, and yep it's maybe tacitly implied that the parents soon realise she's older, if they didn't know from the start. It just seemed an odd detail to put in but not resolve. Maybe a scene was cut or something.

Definitely completely unnecessary and  it bugged me for a good 5 eps as there is no resolution of any sort. When she gets her first period the mother says it's late in coming. Is that a nod to it and rounds it off?

[Icehaven]

Definitely completely unnecessary and  it bugged me for a good 5 eps as there is no resolution of any sort. When she gets her first period the mother says it's late in coming. Is that a nod to it and rounds it off?

I'd forgotten that bit, and surely if she's pretending to be younger her periods would have apparently started early? Unless that was supposed to be her Mother tacitly acknowledging that she knows she's older. I dunno.

[paruses]

I'd forgotten that bit, and surely if she's pretending to be younger her periods would have apparently started early? Unless that was supposed to be her Mother tacitly acknowledging that she knows she's older. I dunno.

Yea wasn't sure. And also couldn't work out if they should be sooner or later. It seemed an odd thing to put in.  Now I'm thinking about it I think the age thing stuck out so much anyway because after they ditched the really young girl playing her and went to <insert name> playing the part she looked a constant young 20 for the rest of the series; they really didn't need to call attention to it.

The idea of a set of deleted scenes is not  bad one whilst I'm obsessing about this. I don't remember the theme of being overlooked for adoption being played out it was just suddenly underlined with the "How old are you dear?" dialogue. Perhaps they either shot or had it in mind to shoot short scenes like Red being turned down for parole in The Shawshank Redemption.

[cacciaguida]

Out of interest, how old would people say she is when she plays Borgov in the last episode?

Guesses without looking it up please

[touchingcloth]

I'd forgotten that bit, and surely if she's pretending to be younger her periods would have apparently started early? Unless that was supposed to be her Mother tacitly acknowledging that she knows she's older. I dunno.

The period bit kind of cemented the idea that she was going to say something younger than 13 before the head jumped in. The period came on the episode she met the obviously older Townes and had the obviously mutual attraction, which made uncomfortable viewing given what I suspected her age was supposed to be.

[touchingcloth]

Out of interest, how old would people say she is when she plays Borgov in the last episode?

Guesses without looking it up please

She was older than could be called a child prodigy, but younger than her mother at her youngest. Later twenties at most.

[Dex Sawash]

The 13 lie was to help sell her to the new parents

[Pete23]

I assumed that they made her say she was older in that scene at the orphanage because her adoptive mother mentions something about wanting to adopt an older child later on, once they're at home? Doesn't she also say that it was her husband's idea to adopt, implying that he wanted someone old enough to care for his damaged wife so he could leave her without having a guilty conscience (which he seems to do almost immediately). Also the period bit only makes sense if she is younger than she is pretending to be (unless she really is a late developer but that doesn't really go anywhere). Having her pretending to be older also helps explain why she doesn't really fit in with her class mates and also her obsession with watching couples smooch as she's a few years behind them in her emotional development. Also being clever enough to pass for older at school ups her child protege points.

If she was fifteen and she says she's younger then all this is bollox and doesn't make any sense.

[touchingcloth]

I assumed that they made her say she was older in that scene at the orphanage because her adoptive mother mentions something about wanting to adopt an older child later on, once they're at home? Doesn't she also say that it was her husband's idea to adopt, implying that he wanted someone old enough to care for his damaged wife so he could leave her without having a guilty conscience (which he seems to do almost immediately). Also the period bit only makes sense if she is younger than she is pretending to be (unless she really is a late developer but that doesn't really go anywhere). Having her pretending to be older also helps explain why she doesn't really fit in with her class mates and also her obsession with watching couples smooch as she's a few years behind them in her emotional development. Also being clever enough to pass for older at school ups her child protege points.

If she was fifteen and she says she's younger then all this is bollox and doesn't make any sense.

This explanation makes a lot of sense, and makes the already icky Townes sitch even more so.

Unless icehaven is correct and there is a bit where it's explicitly said that she's 15.

[MojoJojo]

I just watched it with subtitles, it starts with the woman saying "I hear you turned thirteen last month", and then Beth says "Actually I'm fift..."

I agree it would perhaps more sense if it was the other way round, or they just didn't mention it at all.

[Pete23]

"Actually I'm fifteen minus 4" - these child proteges always play the smart arse.

[touchingcloth]

I'm fifteen...in base 6.

[druss]

Fucking hell, some nihilistic views on the first page. Nothing unrealistic about people with trauma or addiction issues turning things around for themselves, happens every day. Bleak ≠ good.

[cacciaguida]

Out of interest, how old would people say she is when she plays Borgov in the last episode?

Guesses without looking it up please

For those of you who were playing along at home, she was 20 years old apparently.

Younger than I would have imagined, without giving it much thought, but I guess it does all check out.

[Andy147]

She's 19 at the end of the novel. And nearly 13 when she's adopted (with nothing afaict where anyone lies about her age).

[kalowski]

That's true up to a point, but there are bits where they show, say, 30 seconds of chess action on screen but with each player making 4 moves. They could show things equally less literally but more in the spirit of things if they showed fewer moves with the players agonising over them a bit more, but it feels a bit too much like watching highly-rated players in a familiar endgame.

And they're always taking pieces.
And there are no draws.
It's average at best. I'm on episode 3.

[kalowski]

And now she's playing against Indiana Jones.

[druss]

I was also very disappointed that they didn't film entire chess matches at a realistic pace, would have made much better television.

[kalowski]

I was also very disappointed that they didn't film entire chess matches at a realistic pace, would have made much better television.

Ho ho ho, fuckwad. A touch of realism would have been welcome.

[cacciaguida]

Out of interest, has anyone here either taken up or got back into chess as a direct or indirect result of this show?

Lots of media buzz (if you look in the right places) about the Queen's Gambit impact but keen to hear some real life examples if you are out there

[chveik]

if you like stories about chess players, I recommend Nabokov's Luzhin Defence. it's dead good

[Icehaven]

Out of interest, has anyone here either taken up or got back into chess as a direct or indirect result of this show?

Lots of media buzz (if you look in the right places) about the Queen's Gambit impact but keen to hear some real life examples if you are out there

No but it did remind me that in a cupboard somewhere I've got a shot glass chess set which I might dig out.

[ZoyzaSorris]

Out of interest, has anyone here either taken up or got back into chess as a direct or indirect result of this show?

Lots of media buzz (if you look in the right places) about the Queen's Gambit impact but keen to hear some real life examples if you are out there

I have a bit, I used to be into it a few years ago and it just kind of reminded me it existed and that I quite enjoy it.

[druss]

I started playing again but it was like a completely different game to the one shown on the Queen's Gambit.

[kalowski]

I started playing again but it was like a completely different game to the one shown on the Queen's Gambit.

I do play like they do in the show, it's why I always get beaten.

[non capisco]

Out of interest, has anyone here either taken up or got back into chess as a direct or indirect result of this show?

No, but I have taken up day drinking and dancing about in my pants.

[Dex Sawash]

Out of interest, has anyone here either taken up or got back into chess as a direct or indirect result of this show?

Lots of media buzz (if you look in the right places) about the Queen's Gambit impact but keen to hear some real life examples if you are out there

Wife wants to get a chess set but I know she really just wants to smash the patriarchy so I won't let her have one.

[Head Gardener]

first peek at season 2