D. L. Townes/The Handsome Man Character Analysis in The Queen’s Gambit

Townes is a handsome chess player in his 20s whom Beth meets during the Kentucky State Championship. Beth likes him because he acknowledges her skill despite her young age and gender, unlike some of the other men at the tournament. Beth beats him easily in the tournament, and she develops a crush on him. When Beth meets him again at the U.S. Open when she is 16, she is again smitten with him. He writes a story about her for a chess magazine and takes photos of her in his hotel room. There, she wishes that they could make love, but they simply wind up playing chess.

D. L. Townes/The Handsome Man Character Timeline in The Queen’s Gambit

The timeline below shows where the character D. L. Townes/The Handsome Man appears in The Queen’s Gambit. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...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. (full context)

Talent, Ambition, Dedication, and Success Theme Icon

...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... (full context)

...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.... (full context)

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... (full context)

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... (full context)

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... (full context)

...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... (full context)

...faces and feels comfort in seeing them, but she is disappointed when she doesn’t see Townes. That evening, Beth studies some endgames, but she is often bored by endgames because they... (full context)

The U.S. Open is being held in Las Vegas, and upon arrival, Beth immediately sees Townes. He’s not there to play—he’s there to cover the tournament. He remarks at how much... (full context)

In Townes’s room, he takes a few shots of Beth posed in front of the window and... (full context)

...herself. Beth drinks it quickly, feeling warmth pool in her stomach. She thinks about leaving Townes’s room, after they had finished playing. She won seven games against him. Beth finishes her... (full context)

...is annoyed that the interviewer asks her about whether chess is a waste of time. Townes’s article also comes out, and she likes herself in the picture. Beth is in high... (full context)

...what they’re doing is all right—it’s nothing like books or movies. She wishes he were Townes, though, and afterwards, she falls asleep with all her clothes on. (full context)