Home

---

 
Walter Tevis (1928 - 1984)

The Queen's Gambit Chapter Thumbnails

updated: 20FEB23

The idea behind this page is to act as a scene spotter, but also to tally Beth's wins and losses as she progresses. (After each match, 1-0 means white won, 0-1 means black won. To see if Beth won a particular game, compare her record after that game with her record after her preceding game.) Obviously, in her eleven year odyssey, Beth played more than the 97 or so games tallied by the end of the book. The tally only includes games that were mentioned in the text; some are described in detail, others are mentioned off hand, and others are simply alluded to. For instance, in Chapter One Beth takes five games straight off Mr. Shaibel. That was specific enough for me to add the five to the tally. But later, in Chapter Five, she won three huge tournaments while dropping just one game. Her tally only shows the loss because her wins are never specified. (I suppose you can assume an average of 6-7 wins in each of the three tournaments...I should/could probably add 20 or so to her win column after chapter 5.)

orphaned • glad to get the little pill • haircut • some kids go quickly • volleyball lesson • it's called chess • hoarding tranqs • SCHOLAR'S MATE 1-0 (0-1) • ceiling chess • SECOND GAME 1-0 (0-2) • First Win 1-0 (1-2) • two wins last week (3-2) • Shaibel barely wins (3-3) • the squares have names? • 20 moves (4-3) • mentally replaying nine games • six pills = deep warmth • Playing White (Levenfish) (5-3) • 8 YEARS OLD (and astounding) • White trash cracker bitch • Modern Chess Openings • "thumb" sucking • five games straight (10-3) • Mr. Ganz (Najdorf) (11-3), (Reti) (12-3) • Shaibel-Ganz Simul (14-3) (16-3)

Field Trip • Imagine five games • No more tranquilizers • Duncan High School simul/massacre (28-3)• backward pawns (30-3) • PHARMACY BREAK-IN • "no more chess" • Best bed in the ward • ALMOST 10

ALMOST 13 • Mr. & Mrs. Wheatley • Going Home • Own Room • 7th Grade • Fergussen visits • Ben Snyder's • Morris's Bookstore • "Goddam brain" • magazine theft • Morphy's miss • Letter to Mr. Shaibel • stealing from Margaret • $5 from Shaibel

KENTUCKY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP • Annette Packer (Sicilian) 0-1 (31-3) • Beltik d. Cullen • Cooke 1-0 (32-3) • Kaplan 0-1 (33-3) • Klein 1-0 (34-3) • Townes (Sicilian) 0-1 (35-3) • I could have done this at eight • Goldmann 0-1 (36-3) • getting her period • Sizemore 0-1 (37-3) • Mr. Wheatley's gone for good • Beltik (French) 1-0 (38-3) • Son of a bitch!

Chess pays • CINCINNATI • Pirate demos Reshevsky • (39-3) • Ohioan (Sicilian) (40-3) • the master (41-3) • Rudolph (42-3) • 10% • Houston • Easy win, with a draw (43-3-1) • Charleston, Atlanta, Miami: one loss (43-4-1) • 1881 • trip to NYC • Life Magazine article • AGE 14 • Apple Pi • Kansas City • missed US Open • at SIXTEEN

LAS VEGAS • photo shoot and skittles in Townes' room • beer • (7 wins against Townes?? p102+7) • Oklahoman (44-4-1) • New Yorker (King's Gambit) (45-4-1) • Benny Watts 0-1 (45-5-1) 40-minute move • High School • Russian lessons

Russian class party • weed • 1st party • 1st sex • 17 • learning to drink • graduation • 2243

MEXICO CITY, and Manuel • Mom says relax • beer & Borgov at the zoo • Octavio Marenco 0-1 (46-5-1) • Diedrich (QGD) (47-5-1) • Alma still sick (Oaxaca crossed with Denver) • Goodbye Manuel • Girev age 12 • "seal the move" • Mexican in 20+ (Sicilian) 0-1 (48-5-1) You make a man feel helpless • Girev, resumed QGA 1-0 (49-5-1) • 2370 • Solomon 1-0 (50-5-1) • Borgov (Ruy Lopez, Howell) 1-0, 17 moves (50-6-1)

Tequila sunrises • goodbye mother • Beltik moves in • Knight odds • Beltik moves out • she was glad to be alone/she hated being alone • Morphy

OHIO • Resnais (Sicilian, Rosso-Nimzo) 0-1 (51-6-1) • skittles with Benny 0-1 (51-7-1); 1-0 Sicilian (51-8-1); (52-12-2) • Californian (English) 0-1 (53-12-2) • Doesn't everybody? • Tuesday & Wednesday (55-12-2) • Benny Watts (Sicilian) 0-1 (56-12-2)

Beer with Benny • Going to NEW YORK • boardless game on the road with Benny (Levenfish) 0-1 (57-12-2) • Benny's NYC apartment • scrutinizing Russians • Intense, impersonal study • three new friends • simultaneous (60-12-2) (63-12-2) • 16 moves (64-12-2) • Intimacy? • Poker game • Next morning (Sicilian, Levenfish) (65-12-2)

FRANCE • Dutchman (Reti) 0-1 (66-12-2) • 18 • Frenchman (67-12-2) • Englishman (68-12-2) • Dutchman #2 (69-12-2) • Borgov (Sicilian, Boleslavski) 0-1 (69-13-2) • Back to Kentucky • A father's love • Buying the house • running errands • "A Gibson...On the rocks." • spectacular drinking • more than a hangover • KENTUCKY STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS • Foster 1-0 (69-14-2) • What is waste? • Mayday, mayday.

Where's Jolene? • Dinner at Toby's, Jolene's plan • Sweating • Cleaning house • Christian Crusade • SAN FRANCISCO • Andy Levitt 1-0 (70-14-2) • SF loves Beth! • Goodbye Mr. Shaibel • Road trip with Jolene • Methuen • No Christian Crusade • No Benny • No Money • No help

Long wait at Orly • Flight to MOSCOW • Pre-tournament orientation • Viktor Laev (Sicilian, Boleslavski) 0-1 (71-14-2) • Time to relax • Official dinner • Duhamel 1-0 (72-14-2) • Borgov takes a peek • Park chess players • Hellstrom & Shapkin (74-14-2) • Luchenko (adjournment) • Borgov gets help • Flento (English opening) 1-0 (75-14-2) • 19 •  Luchenko (resumed) 0-1 (76-14-2) gracious resignation • Borgov (Queen's Gambit, Albin - adjournment) • Photos & Interviews • To the rescue! • Borgov (resumed) draw refused, mate in nineteen 1-0 (77-14-2) • Post party • Back to the park

created: 12DEC04
modified: 19FEB23 (greatly expanded the discussion on the Chapter 11 spoken game.)