The Queen's Gambit: Truth and Fiction

The series "The Queen's Gambit" is based on the novel by American author Walter Tevis "The Queen's Gambit," published in 1983.
Beth Harmon is an orphan – her father left the family, and her mother committed suicide, – she grows up... in an orphanage where she is taught how to be a good wife and mother, not an independent and strong woman. Nothing indicated that Beth Harmon would become a grandmaster and world champion. Beth demonstrates good mathematical abilities. Then she meets the janitor of the orphanage, who teaches her how to play chess. These lessons will determine her future.
Beth Harmon never existed in reality, but the series features other famous chess players, including Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. The question arises – how accurate can it be considered?

The authors of the book – journalists collaborating with Le Monde newspaper, hosts of the podcast Vérifiction, which analyzes famous series – answer the following questions:

• What is the role of women in chess?
• Which chess players became prototypes for the characters in the series?
• What famous games and tournament locations are encrypted in the series?
• What was the atmosphere like at the tournaments of those years?
• Do you need special abilities to play chess?
• The confrontation between the USSR and the USA – a cold war on the chessboard?
• On what is Beth Harmon's style based?
• How accurately does the series follow the novel?
• How has "The Queen's Gambit" affected interest in chess worldwide?