The Queen's Gambit

— Jesus Christ, Harmon, you're humiliating my rook.
— He won't have to suffer much longer.

No woman can compete with Benny's love for himself.

People like you have a hard time. Two sides of the same coin. You’ve got your gift... and you’ve got what it costs. Hard to say for you what that will be. You'll have your time in the sun, but for how long? You've got so much anger in you. You'll have to be carefull.

Creativity and psychosis often go hand in hand. Or, for that matter, genius and madness.

Now, most players, they lack the courage in their convictions. The key is to not be tentative. You have to play with absolute confidence. I can tell, on the first move, whether someone’s got that or they don’t, just from how they move that first piece.

My tranquility needs to be refurbished.

— What are you doing?
— Replaying my earlier games.
— What on earth for?
— Looking for weaknesses in my play.
— I see. And?
— There aren’t any.

I’ve noticed the moves they applaud the loudest are the ones you make rather quickly. And there’s a certain look on your face. Intuition can’t be found in books.

Chess isn't always competitive. Chess can also be beautiful. It was the board I noticed first. 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.

I don't know why my body is so intent on sabotaging my brain, when my brain is perfectly capable of sabotaging itself.

What you know is not always important.

— You resign now.
— Resign?
— That’s right, child. When you lose the queen that way, you resign.
— No.
— Yes, you have resigned the game.
— You didn’t tell me that in the rules.
— It’s not a rule, it’s sportsmanship.

— It was close.
— I still beat you.
— Could have beat me sooner.

— I think that’s it.
— No, I can get out of this.
— I don’t think so. Maybe, if you’d gotten here on time.