The Queen’s Gambit

by

Walter Tevis

The Queen’s Gambit: Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Three years later, when Beth is 12, Mrs. Deardorff calls Beth into the office to meet with an excited woman and a disinterested man—Mrs. Wheatley and Mr. Wheatley. Mrs. Deardorff explains that Beth is at the top of her class, but she says nothing about the chess or the pills. Over the next few weeks, Beth forgets about the visit—until one day Fergussen tells her that she’s being picked up the next day. The couple has decided to adopt her.
The Wheatleys’ introduction marks a turning point in Beth’s life. Mrs. Wheatley’s excitement suggests that she is thrilled to have Beth as a daughter, hinting that Beth may finally gain the support that she hasn’t yet received from many other adults in her life, particularly at Methuen.
Themes
Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
As Beth packs, she can’t find Modern Chess Openings. She asks if Jolene has seen the book, but Jolene says that she hasn’t. Jolene asks if she’s leaving, and Beth glumly says yes. When Jolene asks what’s wrong, Beth apologizes that Jolene didn’t get adopted. The next day, Mrs. Deardorff goes out with Beth when Mr. Wheatley and Mrs. Wheatley come to pick her up. Mr. Shaibel is also there. Beth wants to go over to him, but instead she simply waves goodbye.
Here Beth recognizes the value of her mentors and friends at Methuen—they helped her survive a lonely, sometimes hostile environment. Even though she isn’t able to say a proper goodbye to Mr. Shaibel, his presence when she leaves suggests he’ll miss her, too. Additionally, Beth’s apology that Jolene didn’t get adopted is an implicit acknowledgment of the fact that Jolene has a harder time getting adopted because she is Black.
Themes
Discrimination and Belonging Theme Icon
Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
When Beth arrives at the Wheatley home, Mr. Wheatley goes upstairs, comes down with a suitcase, and immediately leaves for Denver on business. Mrs. Wheatley and Beth have tuna casserole for lunch, which is far too salty for Beth. Mrs. Wheatley tells Beth about all the invasive questions the adoption agency had for them—like whether she had been in psychiatric care. She then chatters constantly and excitedly until Beth asks politely to go to the bathroom. There, she goes into the tiny blue bathroom and immediately vomits up the tuna.
Mr. Wheatley’s instant absence from Beth’s life hints that he will continue to be nonexistent as she grows up. It’s also implied that Mrs. Wheatley might indeed struggle with her mental health. Lastly, Beth vomiting up her lunch represents an attempt at finding a semblance of control in a stressful new situation.
Themes
Coming of Age Theme Icon
Addiction Theme Icon
Later, Mrs. Wheatley shows Beth her room. It looks enormous to her, with a double bed and a pink bedspread, a rug, a dresser, and a desk. Beth is stunned; she’s never had a room of her own. She can even lock the door. Beth unpacks into a closet that is bigger than her mother’s had been. She wishes that Jolene were there to share it with her, but she knew that the Wheatleys would never have adopted Jolene. That night, Beth stretches out happily on her bed and lays awake for several hours. She’s thrilled that her door is closed and locked—no one invading her space and no one quarreling.
Beth’s new room is another symbolic change as she transitions from the orphanage to her new home with the Wheatleys. At the orphanage, Beth constantly felt tense sleeping with the other girls around and adults always checking in on them, but now Beth has her own space and even the autonomy of being able to close and lock her door. This increased independence seems more valuable to Beth than gaining an adoptive family.
Themes
Coming of Age Theme Icon
Quotes
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On Monday, Beth starts at seventh grade at the public high school. Her clothes make her stand out among the students, but they mostly ignore her. She gets books and a homeroom and realizes quickly that school will be easy for her. At lunch, she tries to sit alone, but another girl comes up and sits with her. Beth asks if they have a chess club at the school. The girl replies that she doesn’t think so—but Beth could be a junior cheerleader.
Just like Mr. Shaibel, Beth’s lunch companion seems to imply that chess isn’t for girls, and that Beth should find a more conventionally feminine activity like cheerleading. This suggests that even beyond Methuen’s walls, Beth will encounter sexist expectations and limits. In fact, other girls hold such expectations, not just men and boys.
Themes
Discrimination and Belonging Theme Icon
After a week, Mrs. Wheatley wonders if Beth has any hobbies, though when she asks it seems like she’s not really listening to Beth. Beth explains that she used to play chess. Mrs. Wheatley gets excited about this, though she notes that it’s mostly a game for boys. Beth insists that girls play too, but Mrs. Wheatley seems miles away in her mind.
Just like the girl at school, Mrs. Wheatley also plays into sexist expectations about appropriate hobbies; Beth’s enthusiasm and talent don’t seem relevant to her. In fact, Mrs. Wheatley doesn’t seem that interested in Beth as a person—she’s waited a whole week to learn more about her.
Themes
Discrimination and Belonging Theme Icon
Soon after, a woman from the orphanage stops by to check on Beth, and Fergussen comes along as well. They ask how she’s getting along at school, and Mrs. Wheatley assures them that she’s adjusting great. She also says that Mr. Wheatley is getting to spend a lot of time with her, he just couldn’t make it that day because he’s working so hard. Beth is astounded at Mrs. Wheatley’s ability to lie. Fergussen bids her goodbye, and Beth wishes that he could stay.
Given Beth’s unhappiness at Methuen, it’s significant that she’d rather spend time with Fergussen than the Wheatleys. Despite gaining a home, she doesn’t feel known or supported. It is clear from Beth’s shock at Mrs. Wheatley’s words that Mr. Wheatley is not a true father figure to her, and that she longs for one.
Themes
Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
A few days later, Beth and Mrs. Wheatley take the bus to Ben Snyder’s department store to shop for clothing. On the way to the clothing department, Beth excitedly notices that there are chess sets there. Mrs. Wheatley assures Beth that they can get them on the way back down, but they never stop by. Beth tries on various coats and sweaters, and the next week at school, girls make fun of Beth for her cheap clothing.
Again, chess becomes a representation of Beth’s ability to control her own life. Here, instead of being able to buy the chess set she wants, she is instead forced to buy clothes that she doesn’t like and which prompt other students to bully her at school. Thus, even though Beth has escaped Methuen’s rigor, she can't yet exert much control in her own life or have her preferences respected by those who claim to care for her.
Themes
Coming of Age Theme Icon
While mid-term exams are ongoing, one morning Beth has no tests. So, she takes the bus downtown, carrying her notebook and 40 cents she has saved. She goes into town and finds a bookstore, seeking out a new copy of Modern Chess Openings. She realizes, however, that she can’t afford the book, and instead she finds a whole section of chess books. She starts to memorize some of the games before returning to school.
Beth starts to gain some independence in her life, and this is again reflected in her relationship with chess. Her desire to buy the book shows that chess is still important to her sense of who she is, even though she has no opportunity to play.
Themes
Talent, Ambition, Dedication, and Success Theme Icon
Coming of Age Theme Icon
Beth’s Junior High School has some social clubs, but you have to be pledged to join them. The girls in them are always attractive, nicely dressed, and usually very wealthy. When Beth looks at herself in the mirror, she is disappointed with her straight brown hair and dull brown eyes. She would never belong to a club like that—all the other girls make fun of her for her smarts, and she usually walks alone in the hallways. Beth misses Jolene dearly.
Beth doesn’t just face discrimination in the chess world. The bullying that she faces at school—due largely to her lack of money—makes her feel like she doesn’t belong, and that in turn undermines Beth’s own confidence about her looks and her ability to join clubs. Whether among chess players or other peers, Beth doesn’t easily fit in. Having just one friend like Jolene makes a big difference in the ability to feel that one belongs.
Themes
Discrimination and Belonging Theme Icon
Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
One day, Mrs. Wheatley says that she has a cold and sends Beth to the pharmacy for some cigarettes with a note. At the pharmacy, Beth notices a chess magazine. Beth learns in the magazine that there are tournaments for chess, and she reads a profile of a famous chess player named Morphy. The pharmacy owner tells her she has to buy the magazine to read it, but she doesn’t have enough money for the magazine. So, Beth pays for a newspaper and uses it to hide the magazine inside it as she leaves.
Beth’s rule-breaking—particularly when done in the interest of her involvement with chess—is another reflection of her growing independence. Whereas for so long she was forced to adhere to Methuen’s rules, now Beth can make her own decisions, even if they are slightly risky.
Themes
Coming of Age Theme Icon
On the way home, Beth goes over a Morphy game that she had been reading about earlier. She is amazed when she realizes that Morphy could have made a better attack, ending the game seven moves earlier. She had found a mistake in a grandmaster’s game. Her mind feels “as lucid as a perfect, stunning diamond.”
Here Beth starts to regain her confidence in her talent, even though it has lain dormant for a long time. Her comment that her mind is like a diamond suggests that she knows how brilliant and unique her talent is—so much so that she can find an error even in a grandmaster’s game. Even when no one else encourages her, Beth’s awareness of her talent fuels her ambition.
Themes
Talent, Ambition, Dedication, and Success Theme Icon
At home, Mrs. Wheatley explains that Mr. Wheatley has been detained on one of his trips, and she doesn’t know when he’ll be back. Changing the subject, Beth asks if she can get a job, but Mrs. Wheatley seems offended that Beth doesn’t feel provided for—insinuating that only Black girls need to work at her age. Beth is upset: joining the U.S. Chess Federation costs $6. Another $4 gets a subscription to the magazine. Beth learns in the magazine that there is an upcoming Kentucky State Championship five weeks away that Chess Federation members can play in—the entry fee is $5 and the prize money is $185, and she wants to play.
Beth’s willingness to get a job shows her eagerness to play chess again. It also shows she’s willing to work hard, even assuming adult responsibilities, in order to pursue her dreams—something that becomes key to her success in the chess world.
Themes
Talent, Ambition, Dedication, and Success Theme Icon
Coming of Age Theme Icon
Beth continues to be made fun of at school, particularly by a popular girl named Margaret. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wheatley starts to complain that she doesn’t know where her money is going. She only has $7 left out of her monthly budget when she should have $20. Beth doesn’t admit that she took $6, particularly because she knows that Methuen sent Mrs. Wheatley $70 to take care of Beth, and Mrs. Wheatley doesn’t spend that much on her.
Even now that she’s adopted, Beth displays the self-sufficiency and initiative she learned at the orphanage. She is making her own judgment calls about what she wants to do with her life—play chess—and independently deciding how to accomplish that (even if it means lying or stealing).
Themes
Coming of Age Theme Icon
For the $5 entry fee, Beth writes to Mr. Shaibel, explaining her predicament, and assuring him that if he sends her $5 she will pay him back $10 if she wins any prize at all. As the tournament approaches, Beth is worried that she hasn’t heard from Mr. Shaibel. Beth takes one more dollar from Mrs. Wheatley’s purse and buys another issue of Chess Review. She finds several games that she can improve upon, including one from the young U.S. Champion and grandmaster, Benny Watts.
By reaching out to Mr. Shaibel, Beth acknowledges that, especially given her poverty and lack of family support, she must rely on mentors to be successful—plain talent isn’t enough. Meanwhile, her talent continues to blossom, even though she’s studying alone and lacks opportunities to play.
Themes
Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
Mrs. Wheatley gets another cold, and she sends Beth to pick up her medication at the pharmacy. Beth realizes when she picks the medication up that it’s the green tranquilizers she used to take at Methuen. At home, Mrs. Wheatley wonders why the bottle is only half full, but she thinks little of it. Beth continues to buy copies of Chess Review, puzzling over the different games and noting some of the grandmasters’ errors.
Not only does Beth’s interest in chess recur when she moves in with the Wheatleys, but her addiction and compulsion to take the tranquilizers recurs as well. This passage illustrates how Mrs. Wheatley’s own drug use is also enabling Beth’s addiction, providing her with the opportunity to take the tranquilizers, as it is implied she does here.
Themes
Addiction Theme Icon
One day, while changing before gym, Beth realizes that Margaret didn’t lock her locker after changing. When she opens the locker, she finds Margaret’s purse and takes out her money clip. Beth steals $10 out of the clip and replaces the purse. She then swallows two green pills to calm her nerves.
Beth is establishing a pattern of stealing to fund her chess hobby. At the same time, she relies on tranquilizers to help her cope with the anxiety of stealing—chess, theft, and drug use becoming a self-reinforcing cycle. The book also suggests that Beth’s addiction includes a biological impulse triggered by anxiety.
Themes
Addiction Theme Icon
That night, Beth receives a letter with $5 from Mr. Shaibel. Beth holds the bills in her hand, now having more money than she needs. She realizes that Mrs. Wheatley’s prescription has three outstanding refills, which cost $4 for a bottle of 50 pills. Beth goes to the pharmacy, pays with the money from Mr. Shaibel, and puts the prescription slip back in Mrs. Wheatley’s desk.
The book again highlights how quickly Beth’s addiction escalates, as she acquires a supply of 50 pills for herself. Notably, she pays for the entry fee with the money she stole, while she pays for the pills with the money from Mr. Shaibel. This implies that her addiction is corrupting her, making her engage in risky behavior like stealing and taking advantage of others, even people she respects like Mr. Shaibel.
Themes
Addiction Theme Icon