“The Queen’s Gambit” came out on Netflix on Oct. 23 and just three days later hit number one on Netflix’s most popular list.

“The Queen’s Gambit” is a coming-of-age historical drama based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel, The Queen’s Gambit. The show has seven episodes, each about 55 minutes in length. The show has scored a 99% viewership rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 98% viewership rating on Google Users.

Gambit is based on the main character, Beth Harmon growing up with a passion for chess. Throughout her childhood, she battled with addiction, abandonment and loneliness.

Harmon is an orphaned chess prodigy on her rise to the top of the chess world while struggling with emotional problems and addiction.

The shows start in the 1950s with Harmon becoming an orphan and living in an all-girls orphanage. She discovers chess, and the journey begins. Every time she plays, she develops a deeper connection to the game and reveals an exceptional talent.

Harmon eventually got adopted and continued to expand her love for chess. She struggled with friends and fitting in because she was only focused on chess and not her social life. Throughout the show, she realized that strong relationships with a few friends are better than having many distant friends.

Over time, she fell into addiction and battled with mental health. Taking pills from a young age continued to be a struggle for Harmon her whole life.

Sophomore Ryan Kunst said, “At the beginning when Beth was being doubted about her abilities, I related to her because people have always said I can’t do something and are shocked when I do. The same thing happened to her in the story when she won the world championship. This made me think of when I struggled at first with baseball but finally persevered and won the championship”

“The Queen’s Gambit” is one of the highest-rated Netflix original shows. This show was meant to be a limited edition series. Viewers are upset about this, but the producers hinted that the story has come to an end and renewal is unlikely. Executive producer William Horberg said, “We’ve had a lot of fun talking about what happens tomorrow.”

I recommend watching this historical drama if you want to be on the edge of your seat, eager to watch more. The acting in this show is amazing, which is one of the reasons it is so highly rated.

Junior Nick Jones said, “‘The Queen’s Gambit’ was a very interesting and entertaining Netflix mini-series. I enjoyed watching the detailed character development and getting an insight as to how chess tournaments work.”