#MR. SHAIBEL

[birdies-blog1]

The Scholars Mate

The Queen’s Gambit

In the show The Queen’s Gambit, Beth Harmon’s first chess teacher is a man named Mr. Shaibel. When she’s sent to the basement because the teacher doesn’t know what to do with the advanced student, that is when they meet. After convincing Mr. Shaibel to teach her to play chess, The Scholars Mate opening is the first strategy that he shows her. I think this strategy was chosen to symbolize where she is at the time. It’s a beginners move that every chess player try’s to use as well as looses to at some point in their career. That’s where she is at the moment. She’s a beginner. It’s an opening move where you use your queen early in the game to dominate the board, and back your opponent into a corner quickly, forcing them to do what you want them too. Experienced players know tons of ways out of this move but beginners don’t. I think this is symbolic for their relationship at that point. He knew more than her but she was trying to force him to do what she wanted. Because he’s older and more experienced he was able to out maneuver her, by locking her out of the basement after she insulted him.

[cranberrylane]

the parallels btwn that scene in wonka (2005) where wonka's dad kept newspaper clippings of his achievements and mr schaibel keeping newspaper clippings of beth's chess matches 😭

[korixae]

just finished the queens gambit and the way i sobbed so many times on the last episode

[einaudis]

Few scenes make me more emotional than the one on episode 7 when, after the adjournment (and with Townes there), the boys call Beth and work together to help her win that match.

[beautifulfaces-icons-and-gifs]

Bill Camp on The Queen’s Gambit Season 1

as Mr. Shaibel on The Queen’s Gambit (S1 E1)

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[needcurse]

»»        * 𝐸LIZABETH "𝒷𝑒𝓉𝒽" 𝐻ARMON    ஐ🪽 . . .      it's an entire world of just 64 squares. i feel safe in it. i can control it; i can dominate it. and it's predictable. so, if i get hurt, i only have myself to blame.     < muse notes >

         ▍   disclaimer :   both the queen's gambit book and the limited series are pieces of media that depict severe cases of substance abuse. i will not be shying away from this element of beth's character as it is central to her arc in the narrative. it is also a large part of what informs her motivations and actions as a character. that being said, i myself have not struggled with alcoholism or drug addiction so if at any point my portrayal of either seems disingenuous or wrong please feel free to reach out to me so i can do more research and adjust my writing.

» DOSSIER.

full name: elizabeth "beth" olivia harmon nicknames / titles: beth, the white queen, the rita hayworth of chess, red devil, kentucky state champion (1963–1967), united states champion (1967–), grandmaster (1970–) age: 21-33 years old birthplace: winchester, kentucky gender: cis female ( she / her ) sexuality: bisexual ethnicity: scottish american birthday: november 2nd, 1948 zodiac: scorpio sun, capricorn moon, aquarius rising occupation: professional chess player languages: english, russian, rudimentary french current residence: between kentucky and the rolodex of international hotel rooms she stays in during the competition circuit

» APPEARANCE.

hair: naturally red, more bronze than deep crimson eyes: light blue, can appear more turquoise depending on the light height: 5'5" / 165 cm body type: average height and a more curvaceous build. beth isn't very athletic and struggles with alcoholism that causes her weight to fluctuate often. she teeters back and forth from average to a more plus-sized appearance d epending on how bad she is spiraling at the time. notable features: a scatter of freckles over the bridge of her nose. her perfectly styled red bob with not a single hair out of place. her impeccable wardrobe that is often quoted as being "too stylish for chess". a wide-dissecting stare that is almost uncomfortable in its unwavering focus.

» HISTORY.

     beth harmon is orphaned at age eight when her mother dies in a car crash.   growing up in an orphanage in kentucky,   she is taught chess by the custodian mr.   shaibel,   and soon becomes a chess prodigy.   while at the orphanage,   she struggles with an addiction to tranquilizers.   in her teens she is adopted by the wheatley family and begins her rapid rise in the chess world,   eventually challenging the top soviet players.   as her skill and profile grows,   so does her dependency on tranquilizers and eventually alcohol

     in her adulthood,   beth is portrayed as an obsessive,   unable to keep any other element in her life in order outside of her own rise within the chess competitive landscape.   she is a young woman with undiagnosed autism and a good portion of her hyperfixation on the game of chess can be attributed to her particular neurosis.   she is also someone who is fairly socially awkward and prefers her own company over the company of others.   part of the reason why she enjoys chess is the fact that it doesn't require a conversation or an interaction between players besides what is occurring on the board itself.

     outside of her career she has trouble maintaining personal relationships.   between her addictions and the amount of focus she puts into improving her strategies,   she is an unreliable friend,   often disappearing for months at a time without a single phone call or word.   overall she is a difficult person to get close to,   especially to those who exist outside of the competitive world of chess.   the game will always be the center of her life no matter who chooses to stay by her side.  

» VERSES.

bridgerton /  regency: both a prodigy and an oddity alike.   in the wake of the death of beth's adoptive mother she is sent to live with extended family in england,   as she was without any support at all in virginia.   as an orphan she was hidden away from society and kept in the upper levels of her aunt's home.   soon enough,   her penchant for chess is made known to the estate's maids and word eventually travels to her aunt who seeks to exploit her niece as a public spectacle.   beth is often dragged along to balls and set up in the parlor to play chess against party-goers for entertainment.   while she is admired for her skills she is still persona non grata,  given her lack of social standing and her status as a woman without a dowry to be given.   she exists on the fringes of high society,   just within reach but never a part of it.   

ninth house / dark academia: what would you do to never lose again?    after a crushing defeat on the competitive chess circuit beth looks to unsavory means to ensure all her future victories.   making a faustian bargain with a chaos demon she sells a fraction of her soul for boundless luck.   enrolling into yale as a mathematics and russian language double major she seeks out the school's magical underbelly once her demon begins to slip its leash.    

grishaverse: hailing from the wandering isle beth is currently a student enrolled in the university of ketterdam.   when she's not in classes she can be seen making bets over chess with her wealthy classmates.   her wins help fund her tuition and also are a way for her to practice her heartrending abilities by checking the pulse points of her opponents.   knowing their heart rates helps her guess their next move… and she may toy with the nervous system of her more vindictive adversaries.   her grisha status is a secret to the broader public and only her friend jolene is aware of beth's affinity.   

pjo / greco-roman myth verse: a gifted tactician and roman demi-goddess, beth is a daughter of mars and valued asset of the legion due to her mind for strategy. her efforts to protect the roman encampment are usually carried out from behind closed doors and she is a figure heavily shrouded in mystery as she herself has never seen battle despite being the progeny of a war god ( this verse is still HEAVILY under construction but i am looking to develop it further ! )

[vadergf]

Oh that scene in Queens gambit where we find out Mr Shaibel was following her career right from the beginning until he died oh my god why am I crying

[namelessmoons-corner]

☆.｡.:° Moon's Daily Fic Rec #2 °:.｡.☆

More information here.

Fandom: The Queen's Gambit Name: Giuoco Piano Author: beth (castieldeansangel) Rating: Teen and Up Pairing: Beth Harmon & Everyone, Beth Harmon/Benny Watts (hinted), Beth Harmon/Other(s) Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Self-Indulgent, Canonical Character Death, Bisexuality, Implied/Referenced Alcohol, Abuse/Alcoholism, Recovery, Family, Panic Attacks, OOC, mostly about Beth, Mostly Gen Word Count: 19k

Beth falls asleep on the flight back to the States. She wakes up years in the past, in a familiar orphanage.

Personal thoughts:

Time travel fics have me in a chokehold, wether they are fix it or not. It could be a fuck it up for all i care.

/!\ SPOILERS /!\

The transition from the plane to her back in the orphanage is fire. Say no to drugs early girl, go get it! oooof the first chapter was so nice, it's such a good intro and it makes you want to read the rest of the fic.

Beth is such an interesting character! she's apathetic about most things, but it's so nice to see her realise that she could save people from their potential fate! Even if her asking Jolene whether she wants to play chess with her id to potentially avoid this jealousy, she can be a child again, even for a few hours, and it's great to read! Reading this 2nd chapter really brings a smile to your face, and i think that might be why i love time travel fics so much. And Alma's baaaack! Keep your friends close, my girl, you deserve it <3

AHHHHH the third chapter hits you right in the feels! Beth wanting to save Alma is such an important thing! And the road to recovery is hard and will get harder yet, i think, but it's all worth it in the end.

Beth going to a party with Jolene! Like go live your teenage life girl, you deserve it. I really like the personality of Carolina, and i think it's a great way to make Beth understand that while having a goal is great, it's okay not to have plans and just discover your life as it comes along.

The death of Mr. Shaibel made me tear-eyed, but at the same time it was really wholesome that she decided to tell him the secret and that he believed her without questions.

AND THE END with the man aksing her if this run was better. Chills i say. It gave me chills.

All of this to say that this fic is seriously amazing and i really like it <3

☽ Moon ☾

[birdies-blog1]

To tell you the truth of it, child… you���re astounding.

~Mr. Shaibel to Beth

Openings, The Queen’s Gambit

[crypticasthemoon]

I feel bad. I owed him ten dollars...

[deadfruity]

family photo

[lexingtonyork]

𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚑 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚛 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚕 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚣𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜

[einaudis]

1x03 | 1x07

[edwardpun]

"To tell you the truth of it, child, you’re astounding." Mr. Shaibel