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Jolene DeWitt
Mr. Shaibel is the gruff janitor at Methuen orphanage who teaches Beth how to play chess. One day, while cleaning erasers, Beth watches him play chess alone in the basement and asks him to teach her. Initially, Mr. Shaibel is hesitant to teach a young girl, saying that girls don’t play chess, but when Beth illustrates that she has already picked up some of the rules, he agrees to teach her. Realizing her talent for the game, he encourages her. He gives her a book on chess openings, teaches her chess notation, and invites a man who teaches a local high school chess club, Mr. Ganz, for Beth to meet and build her skills. After Beth is adopted, she writes to Mr. Shaibel for money to enter her first chess tournament, which he sends her. At the end of the book, Beth learns that Mr. Shaibel died of a heart attack and attends his funeral with Jolene. Afterward, she takes a trip back to Methuen and discovers that Mr. Shaibel closely followed her career for years, putting up pictures and articles about her on the wall in the orphanage basement. Mr. Shaibel illustrates the importance of mentorship in Beth’s life—despite his gruffness, without his encouragement and acknowledgement of her talent, she could not have become a successful player.
Mr. Shaibel Quotes in The Queen’s Gambit
The The Queen’s Gambit quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Shaibel or refer to Mr. Shaibel. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
He moved the pawn next to his queen’s pawn, the one in front of the bishop. He often did this. “Is that one of those things? Like the Sicilian Defense?” she asked.
“Openings.” He did not look at her; he was watching the board. “Is it?”
He shrugged. “The Queen’s Gambit.”
She felt better. She had learned something more from him. She decided not to take the offered pawn, to leave the tension on the board. She liked it like that. She liked the power of the pieces, exerted along files and diagonals. In the middle of the game, when pieces were everywhere, the forces crisscrossing the board thrilled her. She brought out her king’s knight, feeling its power spread.
In twenty moves she had won both his rooks, and he resigned.
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Mr. Shaibel Quotes in The Queen’s Gambit
The The Queen’s Gambit quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Shaibel or refer to Mr. Shaibel. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 1
Quotes
He moved the pawn next to his queen’s pawn, the one in front of the bishop. He often did this. “Is that one of those things? Like the Sicilian Defense?” she asked.
“Openings.” He did not look at her; he was watching the board. “Is it?”
He shrugged. “The Queen’s Gambit.”
She felt better. She had learned something more from him. She decided not to take the offered pawn, to leave the tension on the board. She liked it like that. She liked the power of the pieces, exerted along files and diagonals. In the middle of the game, when pieces were everywhere, the forces crisscrossing the board thrilled her. She brought out her king’s knight, feeling its power spread.
In twenty moves she had won both his rooks, and he resigned.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
