The Queen's Gambit

One of the defining themes of The Queen’s Gambit is how gender bias impacts Beth Harmon in the male-dominated game of chess. Gender bias and discrimination have been part of chess since the game was invented in the late 15th century: The game itself was often considered best suited for men, and the spaces in which it was played—including taverns and coffeehouses—often excluded women completely. Beth experiences prejudice in chess from an early age when she joins her first tournament and finds that all the women are facing each other, having been put in a separate category despite their abilities. The greatest challenge to this bias comes from a surprising place. When Beth faces and defeats the Russians in the USSR, they accept her and praise her abilities.

From the beginning of the 20th century, the Soviet Union adopted a more accepting view of women in chess. This acceptance helped push women’s chess more into the mainstream, carving out space for women with their own tournaments and prizes, though tournaments often remained separated by gender. This gender bias in chess persists today, and psychological studies show that it has a sweeping impact on girls’ involvement in chess:

The most important adults in young chess players’ lives—their parents and mentors—think that female youth players have less potential than male youth players. This bias was especially pronounced when parents and mentors believed that success in chess requires brilliance (Arnold, S. H., et al. “Checking Gender Bias: Parents and Mentors Perceive Less Chess Potential in Girls.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 5 Oct 2023).

With so many people believing that girls do not have the same abilities or intelligence as boys, girls often feel discouraged and stay away from chess. This leads to fewer girls participating in competitive chess, worsening the divide and gender bias that is already so pervasive.