“Dear Chess Doctor – The Queens Gambit was what got me into chess, and I thought it was a fantastic series. So you can imagine that it was a surprise when the news broke that GM Nona Gaprindashvili was suing Netflix over a line in the mini-series that I didn’t even remember! Do you think she is in the right?“
With The Queens Gambit proving to be a smashing success up to this point, the news about Gaprindashvili’s lawsuit was certainly a shock to the system. She is suing Netflix for more than $5,000,000 over charges of “undermining and degrading her accomplishments before an audience of many millions.” That’s from the full lawsuit, which you can find at this link. The first question is: what single line from the film could possibly provoke such an extreme reaction?
The line in question was this: “There’s Nona Gaprindashvili, but she’s the female World Champion, and has never faced men.” For some context, this was a note from a commentator in the movie, who was remarking on fictional character Beth Harmon’s success and attempting to find a comparatively successful female player. Certainly, this statement did not have any basis, as Gaprindashvili was a true trailblazer for female chess, and at times may have had trouble finding any players of her own gender to compete with.
Knowing this, the question that was originally posed is a valid one: “Was Gaprindashvili in the right?” As a chess player, I feel that she has every right to be offended and seek compensation. To insinuate that she had “never faced men” is entirely incorrect. It is hard to say why they didn’t use a fictional character, considering the amount of chess experts that were working with the filmmakers. On legal grounds I am less informed, but she has a very decent chance there as well.
There are some who may suggest that Gaprindashvili is doing the wrong thing, and that the lawsuit is going to ruin the film’s reputation undeservedly. However, there is no reason for this opinion to gain any popularity. They did it to themselves. Why not cite a fictional character, as was the norm in the rest of the mini-series? The strangest thing, to me, is that a film openly promoting women in chess would so blatantly harm another (real!) female player’s name in such a backhanded way.
I hope this helps answer the original question! As always, you’re welcome to submit a question of your own by clicking the button below or going to https://grandmaster2b.com/chess-doctor/
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