Miniseries · Netflix
The Queen's Gambit
Beth Harmon makes her move.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Anya Taylor-Joy
Beth Harmon
7 eps
Chloe Pirrie
Alice Harmon
7 eps
Matthew Dennis Lewis
Matt
4 eps
Russell Dennis Lewis
Mike
4 eps
Sergio Di Zio
Beth's Father
3 eps
Dolores Carbonari
Margaret
4 eps
Jonjo O'Neill
Mr. Ganz
1 eps
Madeline Holliday
Shirley Munson
1 eps
Alexander Berdichevsky
Charles Levy
1 eps
Jenny Galloway
Matron
1 eps
Sophie McShera
Miss Graham
2 eps
Steffen Mennekes
Cullen
1 eps
Johannes Franke
Sizemore
1 eps
Ilja Roßbander
Rudolph
1 eps
Samantha Soule
Miss Jean Blake
1 eps
Tim Kalkhof
Roger
1 eps
Sam Gilroy
Tim
1 eps
Rebecca Dyson-Smith
Stewardess
1 eps
Pablo Scola
Manuel
1 eps
Annabeth Kelly
Five-Year-Old Beth
3 eps
William Horberg
Toby
2 eps
Patrick Kennedy
Allston Wheatley
3 eps
Christiane Seidel
Helen Deardorff
3 eps
Rebecca Root
Miss Lonsdale
2 eps
Akemnji Ndifornyen
Mr. Fergusson
3 eps
Max Krause
Levertov
2 eps
Ryan Wichert
Hilton Wexler
2 eps
Marian Meder
Mr. Espero
2 eps
Katherine Towe
Girl #2
2 eps
Laura Danne
Jolene's Friend
2 eps
Richard Waugh
Mr. Bradley
2 eps
Nina Herzberg
Margaret's Friend
2 eps
Frida Raabe
Apple Pi Girl #1
2 eps
Lucy Ella von Scheele
Apple Pi Girl #2
2 eps
Alva Schäfer
Apple Pi Girl #3
2 eps
Marlene Leinemann
Apple Pi Girl #4
2 eps
Emma Henker
Giggling Girl #1
2 eps
Marija Haensch
Giggling Girl #2
2 eps
Josepha Walter
Local Makeout Girl
2 eps
Marc Bergemann
Local Makeout Boy
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Queen's Gambit actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Queen's Gambit reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
In a 1950s orphanage, a young girl reveals an astonishing talent for chess and begins an unlikely journey to stardom while grappling with addiction.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E07
End Game
A visit from an old friend forces Beth to reckon with her past and rethink her priorities — just in time for the biggest match of her life.
- Directed by Scott Frank
S01E02
Exchanges
Suddenly plunged into a confusing new life in suburbia, teenage Beth studies her high school classmates and hatches a plan to enter a chess tournament.
- Directed by Scott Frank
S01E01
Openings
Sent to an orphanage at age 9, Beth develops an uncanny knack for chess — and a growing dependence on the green tranquilizers given to the children.
- Directed by Scott Frank
S01E03
Doubled Pawns
The trip to Cincinnati launches Beth and her mother into a whirlwind of travel and press coverage. Beth sets her sights on the U.S. Open in Las Vegas.
- Directed by Scott Frank
S01E04
Middle Game
Russian class opens the door to a new social scene. In Mexico City, Beth meets the intimidating Borgov, while her mother cozies up to a pen pal.
- Directed by Scott Frank
S01E06
Adjournment
After training with Benny in New York, Beth heads to Paris for her rematch with Borgov. But a wild night sends her into a self-destructive spiral.
- Directed by Scott Frank
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Mick AnicetoProducer
- Allan ScottExecutive Producer
- William HorbergExecutive Producer
- Scott FrankExecutive Producer
- Marcus LogesProducer
Direction
- Scott FrankDirector
Cinematography
- Steven MeizlerDirector of Photography
Music
- Carlos Rafael RiveraOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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Never stop watching
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