The Queen’s Gambit

by

Walter Tevis

The Queen’s Gambit: Chapter 4 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
The Kentucky State Championship tournament’s players are mostly young white men. At the welcoming desk, two young men ask if Beth has a clock and a rating. She says that she has neither, and they tell her that they’ll put her in the Beginners. She asks if there’s a rule that she can’t play in the regular section. The men hesitate, and she insists that they put her in with the regular players—she’s not a beginner. They warn her that the others will eat her alive, but she ignores them.  
Beth’s experiences at the tournament show how discrimination disadvantages her. The men around her consistently undervalue her, as she knows she can hold her own with the regular players, but their hesitation almost bars her from the exposure and prize money that she could gain from competition.
Themes
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Quotes
Beth’s first match is against another unranked player—she is seated at the last board on the farthest table. Another woman sits opposite her—all four women are playing against each other in the opening round. Beth’s opponent, Annette Packer, explains how the chess clock works—they each have 90 minutes and must record their moves after making them. Annette also explains that if Beth touches a piece, she has to move it.
This is another way in which the tournament directors systematically discriminate against the women at the chess tournament. By putting them all against each other in the first round, the directors guarantee that fewer women advance in the tournament, which reinforces the sense that they aren’t welcome.
Themes
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Annette begins nervously, and Beth quickly starts with the Sicilian Defense. She begins attacking on the eighth move, and by the seventeenth Beth has Annette’s queen, and Annette resigns. Beth only used seven minutes to Annette’s thirty. Beth records the win on her score sheet and returns it to the basket at the front desk; there, she sees a young handsome man who has also just finished. He nods at her, acknowledging her as another fast player.
Part of Beth’s initial appreciation of the handsome man, which continues throughout the tournament, is the fact that he acknowledges her talent from the outset. Despite the fact that she is a young girl, he makes her feel like she belongs there, as so few others do.
Themes
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Beth walks around, observing the different games. She then goes into another room with a sign that says, “Top Boards,” where the handsome man is leaning watching an intense game; the position on the board indicates that these are much better players. She asks the handsome man who they are, and the man quietly explains that Beltik—the younger man—is the State Champion. He’s working on becoming a grandmaster. Beltik’s opponent, Cullen, studies the board for a long time and offers a draw, but Beltik refuses. Beltik moves his rook, and Beth sees it’s a good move. In five more moves Cullen resigns, toppling his king with disdain and shaking Beltik’s hand. Beth feels goosebumps, swelling with excitement at the game.
Beth’s initial observation of the game between Beltik and Cullen is telling. Even though she’s not yet initiated into the chess world, her observations of the games indicate that she belongs here. Beth is able to recognize Beltik’s good moves, indicating that her talent isn’t too far behind that of a state champion. Her excitement also indicates her intense drive to play in games like the one she’s watching and to succeed just as Beltik does.
Themes
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Beth’s next game is with a player rated 1520 named Cooke; they play quickly, and Beth realizes that he’s better than Mr. Shaibel or Mr. Ganz. He surprises her by sacrificing his queen’s bishop, but she realizes that if she took it, she would be vulnerable, so she avoids taking the bait. His fidgeting irritates her, but she doesn’t let this rattle her, instead setting up her rooks for the attack. He’s so obsessed with his own maneuvers that he’s blind to what she is doing. She knows that he will win in four moves—but she attacks him on the third move, bringing out her queen next to his rook.
Beth continues to demonstrate her own talent at the championship. Not only does she have the wherewithal to recognize bad moves, but her thoughts about the game indicate that she has far greater recognition of the whole board than her opponent does. She has the courage and the innate judgment and skill to allow her opponent to follow his path to win in four moves because she knows that she will win in three.
Themes
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When Cooke takes Beth’s queen, she wants to jump and shout with joy, but she holds herself back and checks his king with her bishop. Suddenly, Cooke sees what is happening. He offers her a draw, but she refuses, and so he resigns. He smiles at her, shaking her hand and explaining that he didn’t see her moves coming at all.
Cooke affirms Beth’s talent here, recognizing her superior ability to understand and maneuver the board, despite her young age and the fact that she has little technical knowledge of the game.
Themes
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Beth’s third game is with an older man rated 1694, and she beats him in 34 moves. Afterward, the tournament breaks for dinner. There is one more round that evening, three more on Saturday, and a final round Sunday morning. In the bathroom, Beth realizes that her cheeks are flushed with color; she feels more alive, and she actually likes what she sees in the mirror.
Besides giving her agency that she lacks elsewhere in life, chess also makes Beth feel more comfortable in her own skin. This is another reflection of Beth’s coming of age as she gains greater confidence and independence.
Themes
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Back outside, at the registration table, the two young men who registered Beth are writing a list of undefeated players. The first name on the list is Beltik; the last is Harmon. Beth’s breath catches, and the handsome man asks if she’s Harmon. She says yes, and he tells her to keep it up. The young man who tried to put her in the Beginner’s section tells her that she was right—she isn’t a beginner.
Here the handsome man again distinguishes himself from the other men at the tournament: he treats her like any other player and encourages her despite her age and gender. However, the fact that the other man recognizes his error in trying to put Beth in the beginner’s section indicates his acknowledgement that Beth does belong, even though he initially made assumptions about her. 
Themes
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Beth eats dinner at home before returning. That evening, she plays a young man named Klein, rated 1794. In the middle game, things get complicated, and Beth makes an error by touching a knight despite seeing a better move with her pawn immediately after. She gets frightened at the mistake. Klein attacks her bishops, but after studying the problem for 10 minutes, she finds a continuation that suits her. She is amazed at how sharp her mind and vision are. He still gets her bishop, but she is eventually able to sacrifice her queen to win the game. He gets up, furious, without turning over his king or shaking her hand.
This match indicates two key aspects of Beth’s experiences with chess. First, her own amazement at her mind’s sharpness reflects the immense amount of talent she has—so much so that she even surprises herself with how she can overcome mistakes like touching a piece unintentionally. Her opponent’s reaction, on the other hand, illustrates again the discrimination Beth faces. Such incidents were common among women who beat men—their male opponents sometimes refused to show sportsmanship out of humiliation or disbelief that a woman could win.
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Discrimination and Belonging Theme Icon
That night, Beth can’t sleep. All she can do is go over the games in her head. After several hours, she stares out the window at the silent street. She has 17 green pills in her toothbrush holder, but she doesn’t take them. She returns to bed, exhausted and mentally blank, and she sleeps soundly.
Even though Beth often uses pills in order to alleviate the stress she feels while playing in tournaments, this section illustrates that Beth doesn’t actually need them to survive. However, the comfort she gains in knowing that they’re there, in her toothbrush holder, shows the mental dependency she has developed on them, even if she doesn’t take them. This shows that addiction is as much a psychological disease as a physical one, making people’s brains dependent on a given substance.
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Saturday morning, Beth is set to play someone named Townes, who has a lower rating than her previous match. She complains to the young men at the desk, insisting that she wants to play the best players. They tell her that Townes is underrated—he came in fifth at the U.S. Open. And, if she wins her next three games, she will play Beltik.
Beth’s exchange with the young men illustrates her drive and ambition. Despite the fact that she often feels out of place in this world, her desire to win frequently overcomes that discomfort, allowing her to take initiative to face tougher challenges.
Themes
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Beth goes to Board Four to find the handsome man—whom she realizes is Townes. She shakes his hand awkwardly before realizing that she should start his clock. They each open with mechanical moves; he is attentive to the pieces. Even when he scowls, he is handsome, and Beth’s stomach feels strange when she looks at him. He starts to attack, but she defends nimbly, their pieces dancing.
Chess fosters Beth’s coming of age in a different way. Beth develops a crush on Townes here, and the chess match becomes a metaphor for flirtation, as Beth experiences romantic interest for the first time.
Themes
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It makes Beth somewhat sad when she sees how to beat Townes; in four moves she can take his rook or worse. Townes doesn’t realize what she’s doing until two moves later, and he loses his rook. He tries to continue playing before resigning the game, amazed to learn that she is only 13 years old. She hears other people murmur about her age, and she knows that she could have played this well at eight years old.
Beth’s matches throughout the Kentucky State Championship continue to demonstrate her exceptional talent, despite the fact that she’s probably studied and practiced less than anyone else. She also feels a fleeting sense of conflict between her attraction to Townes and beating him, but she doesn’t let that stop her from winning.
Themes
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Beth’s next opponent—Goldmann—is tough and silent. He defends against everything she tries, and she gets fidgety waiting for him to move. Once on his move, she goes to the bathroom, feeling her stomach turn. In the bathroom, Annette Packer tells Beth to beat him, and Beth grins. Returning to the board and feeling refreshed, she is able to attack from multiple sides, preventing him from playing so safe. After three moves she’s at his throat, and just before his clock runs out, she checkmates him. People applaud.
Annette’s encouragement changes Beth’s attitude, suggesting the importance of female solidarity in a male-dominated game. Beth is able to return to the game calmer and ready to play more aggressively, her skill drawing onlookers’ admiration.
Themes
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Discrimination and Belonging Theme Icon
After the match, Beth returns to the bathroom and realizes that she has begun to menstruate. She thinks of Jolene—if Jolene hadn’t warned her about this, she would not have known what was happening or what to do. She folds up toilet paper and tucks it into her underwear before walking confidently back to the playing area.
Beth’s first period occurs during her first chess tournament—clearly linking her physical maturity with her coming of age as a competitor (and even hinting that playing chess is just as “feminine” as menstruation). The confidence she gains from playing chess helps her deal with the new experience. She also again notes the value of mentors—in the absence of a caring adult, Jolene served as the maternal figure who prepared her for puberty.
Themes
Coming of Age Theme Icon
Beth’s next opponent is Sizemore, a small, ugly man. He hardly looks at Beth, and as the game progresses, it is very even. After a while a crowd gathers—bigger than the one watching Beltik. She can feel Sizemore creeping up on her and tries to figure out how to dislodge his position. She tries to drive distractions from her mind and sees a good option for her bishop, the picture becoming clearer. A few moves later, she sacrifices her bishop, and when he takes it, his position completely falls apart. Six moves later, he sets his king on its side and resigns. The applause is thunderous. Townes congratulates her, warning her that Beltik—her next opponent—is a “killer.” Townes wishes that he had Beth’s talent. Soon after, Beltik approaches Beth with one word: “Tomorrow.”
Beth’s match against Sizemore again indicates her incredible talent—particularly relying on her innate ability to clear her mind of everything else and to visualize the board. Townes affirms this talent in expressing his jealousy, even as he acknowledges that she might have difficulty going forward. This suggests that despite Beth’s talent, she is still just starting out in the professional chess world. Using the word “killer” to describe Beltik indicates that Beth’s opponents can be aggressive and brutal, and she is still learning how to face better and better players.
Themes
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At home, Beth tells Mrs. Wheatley, who looks pale and strange, that she’s started menstruating. Mrs. Wheatley barely reacts, telling Beth to get pads from her bedside table. She also tells Beth that Mr. Wheatley is indefinitely detained in the Southwest. Beth asks if they will send her back to Methuen if Mrs. Wheatley doesn’t have a husband. Mrs. Wheatley says that she can lie about it—even though she might not be a real wife anymore, she can learn to be a mother.
Beth’s interaction with Mrs. Wheatley shows the reversed parent-child dynamic between them. While being left behind by Mr. Wheatley and lying to Methuen cements a bond between the pair, Mrs. Wheatley’s reaction to Beth menstruating for the first time illustrates Mrs. Wheatley’s lack of parental instincts in her relationship with Beth. As Beth noted earlier, she only knew what menstruating was from Jolene, and this suggests that Beth’s growing up will likely be defined by learning things on her own.
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Friendship and Mentorship Theme Icon
That evening, Beth wakes up at two, unable to go back to sleep. She boils eggs in the morning, planning out her game against Beltik. It’s 7:20 a.m. and her match is at 11:00 a.m. She wishes she had a copy of Modern Chess Openings to look through. She puts on a pad and leaves before Mrs. Wheatley wakes up.
Again, Beth illustrates how self-sufficient she is. The fact that she wakes up, makes herself breakfast, and leaves for a chess tournament she entered herself, at age 13 and all without Mrs. Wheatley, shows how her coming of age is defined by learning to take control of her life.
Themes
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At 11:00 a.m., Beth is ready, but Beltik is nowhere to be seen. After 10 minutes, the tournament director says that she should have started at 11:00 and punched his clock. Ten minutes later, Beltik arrives looking relaxed, saying sorry for grabbing an extra cup of coffee. He introduces himself and asks her name, though she knows that he must know her name.
Here the book emphasizes the discrimination Beth faces, even from top-level players. First Beltik tries to undermine her stature, pretending that he doesn’t know her name, and he disrespects her talent by showing up late and suggesting that he doesn’t need the full time in order to beat her.
Themes
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Beltik plays the French defense, which Beth does not like—she’s never played against it, and she doesn’t have the same knowledge. She quickly loses an advantage by giving up a pawn, and she cannot get comfortable in her seat. Her clock is ticking; 25 minutes gone to his 22, including the time he wasted by being late. She wishes she had taken a pill the night before. She sees a move that looks sensible and quickly makes it, but Beltik smiles and opens up his bishop for the attack.
This match indicates that there may be a limit to how far Beth’s talent will take her. Because she’s not familiar with the book moves that Beltik is playing, she is at a distinct disadvantage, suggesting that both talent and study are needed to truly flourish. Additionally, the book reiterates how Beth’s drug use is a psychological dependency in times of stress.
Themes
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Addiction Theme Icon
Beth knows she has to do something to focus. With her clock still running, she goes to the bathroom, washing her face with cold water and checking her pad. She visualizes the chessboard, knowing that it isn’t as complicated as some other games she’s reviewed. She thinks about it until she understands what to do, washing her face again and walking back to the gym, making her move.
Here the book emphasizes how much Beth relies on her innate talent of visualizing the board in order to win. This ability is what gives her the drive and the confidence to succeed, especially because she has done so little studying of the game up to this point.  
Themes
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Beltik studies Beth’s move, and he quickly makes a sequence of moves that she knew he would. She brings her rook behind her queen and Beltik gasps. He tries to defend himself, but he can’t. She threatens his queen, leaving him pinned. Beltik looks at the board for a long time—until there are only ten minutes left on his clock, while Beth has 50—and makes his move. Beth then moves so that she either gets his queen or checkmate, and Beth says that that’s it. Beltik only has 4 minutes, but he insists that she continue to play even though she knows that the game is over. She then does what she always intended: she sacrifices her queen to get checkmate on the next move. He angrily gets up as the crowd applauds, and he offers his hand to Beth.
Beth shows the true extent of her skill here in being able to beat the Kentucky State Champion essentially on talent alone. It also demonstrates the pitfalls of discrimination for both the people who experience it and the people who perpetuate it. Beth must overcome additional obstacles in order to win; meanwhile, underestimating Beth is a key failure for Beltik, who runs out of time because he showed up late. This demonstrates that discrimination doesn’t just undermine Beth but everyone in the chess world.
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