Georgian Chess Icon Sues Netflix for Queen’s Gambit Portrayal

Nona Gaprindashvili, a Georgian chess legend, has sued Netflix for defamation, alleging that she was misrepresented in the hit series The Queen’s Gambit.

The case is based on a scene in the final episode of the drama in which Gaprindashvili, aged 80, claims he has never played competitive chess with males. According to the paper, she had faced at least 59 male players by 1968, the year in which the incident is set. The claim was dismissed by Netflix as having “no merit.” Gaprindashvili and her “illustrious career” were treated with “only the utmost respect” by the corporation, which promised to “vigorously defend the case.”

The Queen’s Gambit is based on Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel and follows Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, a fictitious chess player. The series premiered last year and was dubbed “Netflix’s biggest limited scripted series ever” by the streaming service.