‘Queen’s Gambit’: How Chess Novice Anya Taylor-Joy Nailed Those Tournament Scenes
TheWrap Magazine: “I’ve never had an experience where I was so into a character,” Taylor-Joy says
A version of this story about “The Queen’s Gambit” first appeared in the December issue of TheWrap magazine.
Beth Harmon, the chess prodigy played by Anya Taylor-Joy in Netflix’s breakout hit “The Queen’s Gambit,” knows how to properly execute a perfect Fork Maneuver and beat any unsuspecting newcomer with a Scholar’s Mate. But before Taylor-Joy could feel comfortable doing either of those things, she had to take a crash course in all things chess from the hypercompetitive players around which the series is centered.
“I had never played chess before,” she said. “I knew that the chess community was a very passionate one, and I applaud that.