#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.

[screencapshd]

[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 😭

[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)

Information on beautifulfaces

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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

[thatjoyee]

I just finished watching The Queen’s Gambit. While I did get bored in the middle of the series, I couldn’t help but admire how meticulously the production team brought the 1960s to life. The sets, wardrobe, props, and overall design were stunning. I was especially drawn to Beth’s clothing and makeup, as well as the incredible attention to detail in Alma’s house—the wallpaper, vintage kitchen, and carefully curated antiques were all impeccably done.

Although The Queen’s Gambit is ultimately about Beth’s journey to becoming the world chess champion, I feel the heart of the story lies in her character development. Without diving into the entire plot, here’s what stood out to me: Beth’s life was marked by abandonment and loss. Her mother’s tragic attempt to kill them both in a car accident left her orphaned at age nine. Later, after being adopted, things seemed to improve—until Alma, her adopted mother, passed away suddenly in a hotel in Mexico. Beth was left alone once more, spiraling into self-destruction.

Her turning point came when her childhood friend, Jolene, visited her and shared the news of Mr. Shaibel’s death. Revisiting the orphanage, Beth discovered a board in the basement where she used to play chess with him. It displayed a photograph of them together, clippings of her accomplishments, and a letter she’d once written asking him to lend her $10—a debt she never repaid. Realizing that Mr. Shaibel had always quietly supported her, Beth was overcome with guilt and sorrow, understanding that she had abandoned him, not the other way around.

That moment deeply resonated with me. When Beth broke down, I felt an unexpected connection to her story. It led me to reflect on my own life. After my mother passed away, I often referred to myself as an orphan. While I didn’t harbor anger as Beth did, we shared the same struggle of navigating life while feeling unmoored. I understood her distrust of people, the sense of betrayal when.. er… your mom tried to kill you.

Beth initially used chess as an escape, later turning to substance abuse and alcohol to numb her pain. I’m grateful that my beliefs steered me away from that path, and instead I eventually turned to traveling as my escape. In some ways, I envied Beth. She found her passion, pursued it with determination, and excelled. Looking back, I regret not dedicating myself to the areas I was passionate about when I was younger. The only subjects I excelled in without trying were art and computer science. If I had the same drive as Beth, I might have pursued a different, more fulfilling career.

Returning to the story, Jolene’s offered $3,000 to help Beth compete in Russia—was another powerful moment. That was a significant amount of money at the time, yet Jolene believed in her. In the end, Beth became the world chess champion, celebrated by friends back home.

This made me reflect on how easy it is to get caught up in life’s hardships and overlook the good. Beth may not have had her biological family, but she always had people like Mr. Shaibel and Jolene. It’s a reminder that family isn’t always defined by blood—sometimes, the friends who stand by us become our truest family.

It reminded me of people in my own life, like Oma and Lori, and other dear friends. Yes, there had been people who tried to take advantage of me because I was alone, but I tried to focus on the good instead.

I trust that everything happens for a reason, and I am grateful for His blessings, His guidance in revealing the intentions of harmful people and ultimately, providing protections.

Anyway, this show dives deep into psychology, which wasn’t quite what I was in the mood for. I was hoping for something that showcased the intense competitiveness of chess matches. It reminded me of a childhood anime I used to watch called Hikaru no Go 「棋靈王」, which was much more thrilling. I think I’ll rewatch it next to relive those nostalgic memories!

[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...

[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 

[catharsis-in-a-bottle]

AHSDHFHHJKKHD

THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT. WAS SO FUCKING GOOD. 

[spoilers below if you haven’t seen it and you want to]

Here are some of my (not in any particular order) bullet points. This is gonna be long as hell because, you know, brain dumps amiright

First off, Anya Taylor-Joy’s acting. Is just incredible. In particular moments, you can tell what she’s thinking with a simple hand gesture or with the tiniest raise of an eyebrow. She develops Beth’s signature facial expressions and movements throughout the show, and you just feel like you know her. And during her chess matches, sometimes it feels like she’s staring into your soul. Especially when she gives that badass chin-on-the-hands look and she knows she’s going to win. Powerful energy.

Secondly, I fucking knew I recognized Harry Beltik from somewhere else but my mom didn’t BELIEVE me and then I looked up the actor and he’s DUDLEY DURSLEY, I WAS RIGHT MOTHER, I WAS RIGHT

I love love love how they didn’t make, like, a major romantic plotline. Beth doesn’t end up with a partner - she ends with a bunch of super supportive friends that have her back by the time she gets to Moscow, and like, she has a crush on Townes but they end up being just like super good and healthy friends and I love it?? So much?? Thank you producers

Townes. Just, in general. I really like his character, he’s super nice and his voice is oddly soothing

BORGOV. I LOVE BORGOV. HE IS SO GODDAMN RESPECTFUL. Like, he seemed like a very cold character at first - well-mannered and extremely professional, yes, but rather cold. But when she wins in Moscow? “It is your game. Take it.” I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. AND HE HUGS HER AND STARTS CLAPPING AND THE AMOUNT OF RESPECT AND ADMIRATION AND AFFECTION IN THAT SCENE IS INCREDIBLE. And you don’t see any of that in Borgov’s face when he’s playing. His facial expressions do not change at all. But then his face when she wins!! He’s HAPPY! He’s like, goddamn, I’ve spent my whole life mastering chess, it’s about time somebody fucking beat me! I know I’m repeating myself but just his RESPECT I absolutely adore it

And Beth’s officer-watcher-person in Moscow was all like “ahhh be wary of the Russians! communism!!” but they absolutely did not make this yet another evil Russian show, like please that trope works for plots but it’s about time somebody did something different - they showed the US government as suspicious of the Soviets but then they showed the solidarity between the chess players that Benny talked about earlier (”The Russians work together, Americans work alone” or something like that), and then they showed the kind and excitable people on the streets, and the amount of support they would have had no matter WHO won that goddamn match. The old man she plays at the end. Everyone is a community.

Continuing that - I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the old man with the very puffy white hair, but I loved him too. He sees Beth as the rising star she is, and he respects her. He admires her. The dynamic there is absolutely immaculate, contrary to the dynamic between Beth and the man she beats earlier, the one who walks off and doesn’t even talk to her. We don’t like that man - we like the ones who admit defeat and respect Beth!! I love them!! They are extremely professional, and they show the warm-heartedness that often doesn’t show with all of the cold stares and glares that pass between players during matches.

Joline. I’m so glad she came back. I love her. She’s extremely independent but she comes back for Beth because Beth needs her but she’s also like “I’m not your savior! Get your shit together!” which is fucking awesome. And the fact that the two of them interacted like the best of friends even after years of separation was really sweet to me.

I nearly cried when Beth went back into the school. (I say ‘nearly’ because there were other people in the room and naturally I can’t do that in front of other people. If I was utterly alone, maybe on my own planet, I would have.) Because of all of it. Because of her trauma, because that’s where all the shit began... and the music during that scene. It was hauntingly beautiful, especially when the melody began switching to cello. And then Beth saw all the pictures and newspaper clips that Mr. Shaibel had saved, because he cared about her so much, because he started it all - he’s the reason she’s going to national tournaments, to Paris, to Moscow. And in that scene, we know he’s too old to be alive anymore, and she does too. The whole school scene in general just feels so ghostly and ethereal. 

I love Borgov, did I say that already? I just... strive to exude his energy. I want to be good at things but I want to hold deep, genuine respect and admiration for others who are also good at the thing, because sometimes I just have the biggest fucking ego and I can get carried away. ‘Borgov, Borgov, Borgov.’ A mantra. He wins respectfully and he loses respectfully. 

BETH’S MOTHER (the second one) JUST FUCKING DIED OUT OF NOWHERE?? AND I WAS SO SHOCKED? Which is really an accurate reflection of reality because death often comes out of nowhere, but DAMN I was not expecting that shit

And the fact that the mother just,,,, let her chug a beer,,,, oof

THE ADDICTION. BETH’S DOWNWARD SPIRAL. IT MADE ME FEEL SO HORRIBLE BUT IT FELT SO REAL. Everything about her progression through addiction was just... I can’t find an adjective. But when she just fucking inhaled that bucket of pills as a kid and then collapsed. When that addiction lasted into her adulthood - it’s really impactful and horrible and just so real. She needed proper care throughout this entire goddamn show and she never got medical care, she just got supportive friends - which, btw, that’s one thing that kind of threw me off. Like, she didn’t have withdrawal in Moscow, she went from chugging like four bottles of wine a day to... not drinking at all?? Without withdrawal symptoms?? And I’m proud of her for throwing away those pills but honestly it felt really fast, idk

GIVING CHILDREN TRANQUILIZERS WAS AN ACTUAL THING THAT HAPPENED. I DID NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOW THIS. BUT LEGITIMATELY, IT HAPPENED. HOLY SHIT.

HARRY BELTIK. He was like, awkwardly in love with Beth and that shit didn’t work out but even afterwards he FUCKING CARED. He’d seen his father drink himself to death and he knew that would happen to Beth and he was scared. So he came back, he tried to help her, and at that point (when she had that fucking scary eye makeup, yeah that was rock bottom) she didn’t care much about the outside world anymore. She was angry, and she was closing herself in. It made my stomach clench in physical pain. Which is a good thing. But also not.

Harry Beltik in general just being so supportive and wanting to help her though, like yeah it was very awkward, but they were vibing

AND BENNY WATTS IS FUCKING GREAT. THAT WHOLE COWBOY LOOK, COWBOY CHESS PLAYER, NOW THAT’S AN AESTHETIC. He was concerned for Beth too. He wanted to help her. He wanted to create that American solidarity that he knew the Soviet competitors had, and ultimately he did when he and everyone else called her in Moscow. Benny is... chaotic good? Neutral? He is quite an interesting character, and Beth’s persistent social awkwardness fades away with him because he knows how to interact with her. He’s a dedicated and smart narcissist, and I’m here for it.

The fact that they made me love and hate Cleo at the same time, and also question Beth’s sexuality when she first met Cleo. Like, she’s from Paris. She considers ‘tomorrow night’ to be a very long time away. I love her mysteriousness. But also, she was the catalyst for Beth’s downward drinking spiral before the match in Paris, so like... I like Cleo’s personality, but not her choices in those previous moments.

The music. Did I mention the music? The soundtrack. The orchestrals. That one song that the mother plays on piano that I hear all the time and I still don’t actually know what it is PLEASE HELP. The music is melancholy in the right moments, upbeat in the right moments, intense and suspenseful in the right moments - and also absent in the right moments. There’s tacet. There’s silence. And it’s always been my firm belief that silence can hold just as much impact as sound. 

Just an interesting note, my mom watched the whole show before me and then re-watched it with me, and when Mr. Shaibel showed up she quickly reassured me that he wasn’t a child molester, because quote “it may be a creepy basement but he’s just really nice” so...  I was reassured

I love Mr. Shaibel, and Beth just kept sticking up for him in front of the press and,,, yeah

I hated that bitch from the high school, what was her name?... The one who showed up in the store with a child? It makes me think about the fact that so many kids are just jerks in high school simply because they can be... and occasionally their fuckery lasts into adulthood but oftentimes it doesn’t. You don’t have to be a jerk when you’re an adult, and you don’t have to be a jerk in high school! People remember, people always remember! So, to the bitch from the high school: fuck you for making Beth feel like an outsider and then trying to reverse gears and accept her, cuz Beth isn’t falling for that shit.

The twins, Matt and Mike. They’re so doubtful of Beth in the beginning but then bam, she’s competing nationally, and I adore how the three of them become friends. All those men playing chess in Kentucky in the beginning seem so condescending, but ultimately they show respect because Beth absolutely fucking deserves it.

I enjoy the fact that we never *really* know Beth’s age. It’s just like... she’s 9, she’s 15, she’s 17, she’s... twenty something? Who the hell knows? As many characters say, when it comes to skill level, age ultimately isn’t an important factor. This young woman beats the oldest man with the bushiest white hair in Moscow and age. Does not. Matter. 

The Jesus people lmaooooo when Beth said “because it’s fucking nonsense” I just. Mad respect ma’am, don’t take their money, go be a communist and “sPrEaD tHe aThEiSt AgEnDa”

Wow I really just... wrote all that didn’t I damn wish I could write essays this fast at reasonable hours of the day

Beth’s relationship with her foster mother is so fucking sweet until she fucking dies

And fuck Beth’s legal father. He is an asshole. That is all.

The mother deserved Manuel, she deserved that sketchy Mexican salesman goddammit

As my final bullet point: This has made me want to play chess. This has made me want to get good at chess. You know that thing where you like, download the personality of the coolest character for like a day after you watch something... I don’t do that anymore (maybe), but I want to download those mad chess skills. This has made chess seem so cool. I want to wear a fancy suit and compete with people. I just have to, you know, actually develop some strategy and stop losing brutally against people online. I wAnT tO pLaY cHesS dO yOu HeAr mE

I’m going to stop now, but I just,,, peeps, I love this show. I’m absolutely going to require a re-watch in the future. I just love it. The characters and their development, their relationships with each other, the progression of time and of Beth’s maturity... it is simply incredible. This concludes my brain dump.