By now most of us have seen the fabulous TV series based on the book.

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ revolves around Elizabeth Harmon and her love for chess. She is a prodigy and a natural player. She is tipped as a genius player from an early age.

She has a difficult childhood. Her mother is killed in a car crash and she is sent to live at the Mount Sterling Orphanage in Kentucky. The book is set in the 50/60s. She is eventually adopted by a couple who seem to have no interest in her as a child but as a helper around the house. When the husband leaves them, she is raised by the mother who eventually ends up as her chess manager. The book also highlights her fights with personal demons in the form of drug and alcohol addiction.

We follow her on her journey through various completions right up until she plays a major world tournament against the world’s top player, a Russian grand master, at the height of the Cold War.

She craves love and emotional support from others and we also get a glimpse into the relationships she forges with others.

Even if you do not like or even play chess, I can assure you this book is wonderful and you will be rooting for the non-typical heroine until the last page. The premise of the story is intriguing and you feel like you get to know the characters very well though the writing.

The book is charming, delightful and full of compassion. Read it even if you have seen the show. If you have not seen the show you are in for a treat.