A series worth watching regardless of your interest (of lack of interest) in chess: The Queen's Gambit

 After a bit of a rough start - the first episode seemed heavy-handed - the Netflix series The Queen's Gambit (2020; by Scott Frank and Alan Scott, based on the novel by Walter Tevis) really picks up w/ episode two. The series begins in an orphanage where the young Beth Harmon first views a chessboard (the janitor plays the board in the basement of the orphanage) and is immediately recognize as a gifted player; in the 2nd episode we see Beth, newly adopted by a well-off couple w/ a load of problems and issues, as a high-school student, and she really picks up, with Anya Taylor-Joy in the role, a young actor clearly destined for great things. She's terrific, in a demanding and complex role, through her 6 episodes, as we follow Beth's career from local tournaments to international competitions - and along the way to many personal struggles and awakenings and to some surprising plot twists, which never feel gimmicky or improbable. The conclusion in particular is dramatic and completely satisfying, intellectually and emotionally - a rarity for a dramatic miniseries, most of which abandon the need for resolution as they try to keep the doors open for a sequel. It may sounds like damning w/ faint praise, but the chess matches, even for novices (maybe especially for novices) are the most exciting moments in the series - but it's a tribute to the writers and directors how well they stage these constrictive scenes. There are a slew of secondary characters, all of whom contribute to the plot line and the development and deepening of Beth's characters. All told, it's a series well worth watching regardless of your knowledge of or even interest in chess.