Apparently, a lot more people are into chess than they thought. Netflix just revealed The Queen’s Gambit is officially the platform’s biggest-ever limited series.
The series follows a young woman struggling with addiction as she discovers her talent for competitive chess playing.
In its first 28 days on Netflix, 62 million households streamed The Queen’s Gambit. And the success has been a global phenomenon. The series broke the Top 10 list in 92 countries. (Plus, it claimed the #1 spot in 63 of those countries.)
Anyone For Chess?
And the popularity of The Queen’s Gambit didn’t just offer Netflix a boost. The series literally sparked a public interest in chess itself.
Since The Queen’s Gambit debuted, Google searches for “chess” doubled. Plus, searches for “how to play chess” hit a nine-year peak.
These sudden chess fans are committed, too. Inquiries for chess sets on eBay are up 250%. Retailer Goliath Games said its chess sales increased over 170%. And Chess.com reports a 5x increase in new players.
Fans specifically looking for more content within the Queen’s Gambit world are making an impact, too. The Netflix series adapts Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name. 37 years after its initial release, the book made the New York Times bestseller list.
About The Queen’s Gambit
The Queen’s Gambit is a 7-episode limited series about the competitive chess industry in the late 1950s. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Beth Harmon, a young woman dealing with a tranquilizer addiction brought on by her time in a Kentucky orphanage. Then, Beth discovers her astonishing talent for chess. Haunted by her personal demons and fueled by a cocktail of narcotics and obsession, Beth transforms into an impressively skilled and glamorous outcast while determined to conquer the traditional boundaries established in the male-dominated world of competitive chess.
Netflix describes the series as “a coming-of-age story that explores the true cost of genius.” Two-time Academy Award nominee Scott Frank (Godless) heads the series as co-creator, EP, writer, and director.
So, have you watched The Queen’s Gambit and developed your own chess addiction? Let us know in the comments.
You can stream The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix now.
Source: Netflix
