'The Queen's Gambit' sparks fresh interest in chess

Anya Taylor-Joy plays Beth Harmon in 'The Queen's Gambit'. Photo: Handout

Anyone who thinks chess is boring clearly hasn't seen The Queen's Gambit.

This mini-series, based on the novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, has proved a hit since it landed on Netflix, Oct 23. So much so that growing numbers of people are trying out the game on their cell phones, maybe in the hope of reaching the same level of expertise as the show's chess prodigy, Beth Harmon.

The Queen's Gambit follows the life of Beth Harmon (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), who is placed in a Kentucky orphanage as a child following her mother's death in a car accident. There, she discovers an unexpected talent for chess thanks to the janitor, Mr Shaibel (Bill Camp), who teaches her about the game, while also developing a tranquilizer addiction. Beth battles constantly with her addiction over the years, while trying to make her name in the ultra-competitive world of chess grandmasters.

Although entirely fictional, Beth Harmon's rise in the world of chess seems to be inciting viewers to learn about this game, which has been around for over 15 centuries. Since the show's seven episodes landed on Netflix, mobile chess games have been topping search results in various application stores. Daily downloads have also grown by 63% in the United States and 11% worldwide, according to app specialists AppAnnie. For example, the Chess app from AI Factory Limited currently stands at No.14 in the most downloaded paid-for games on Google Play in the US.