Original subtitles

I love.

He loves.

You love.

We love.

One more time, Beth.

Good.

One more time.

Hey. What's your name again?

It's Beth, nimrod.

Right. Well, Beth Nimrod, what are you doing?

You know, like, right now.

You're the chess player.

- That's right. - Hm.

US Women's Champion?

US Open Co-Champion.

Must be a trip.

I guess.

- Do you play? - No, too cerebral.

- Played a lot of Monopoly, though. - Never played that game.

Mm, don't. It makes you a slave to capitalism.

I-I still dream about making money, though.

So, why are you taking Russian classes if you're a slave to capitalism?

Mmm.

I wanna read Dostoevsky in the original.

"You really like the shape of me"?

I'm stoned. I shouldn't be speaking a foreign language.

And I should probably call home.

Um…

Phone's in the bedroom, through the kitchen.

Thanks.

Hello?

Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I'm with some friends.

- From my Russian class. - Oh.

Go on to bed. I've got a key.

Did you say you're partying with college students?

Yep.

Okay.

Just be careful what you smoke, honey.

Okay.

See you in the morning?

Is there anyone you've met that you'd like to…

…Trade rooks with?

Jesus.

What's that burning purple thing there?

You tell me.

- How much longer? - Um…

- I'm close. - Okay.

I'm sorry, I'm just really stoned.

Yeah, me too.

"Everybody went to Cincinnati to see a movie."

"Stay as long as you like."

You might have called.

I'm sorry. Didn't wanna wake you up.

- I wouldn't have minded. - Anyways, I'm all right.

I'm going to Cincinnati…

To see a movie.

So, I won't be home tonight, either.

I'll be home after school Monday.

Are you with a boy?

I was last night.

Oh, Beth.

I'm all right. I…

Had a good time.

Well, chess isn't the only thing in life.

- It's just… - I won't get pregnant.

Famous last words.

Elizabeth Harmon.

Congrats.

I'm so proud of you.

All right, open it.

It's a Bulova.

It's perfect.

Thank you.

So…

I suppose you'll be going to a grad night party or two.

No.

We have Mexico City in two weeks.

And then the US Championship.

And then Remy-Vallon.

In Paris.

Paris?

They invited me.

Paris.

My God!

Things are beginning to happen.

- Another cerveza, por favor. - Yes.

- What are you reading about? - Pawn structure analysis.

Sounds exciting.

It is.

Beth?

Mm-hm?

I have a confession to make.

Do you know what a pen pal is?

Someone you exchange letters with.

Yes, exactly.

- Your beer, Ms. Wheatley. - Thank you.

Well…

When I was in high school, my Spanish class was given a list

of boys in Mexico who were studying English.

I picked one, and I sent him a letter about myself.

We corresponded for a rather long time, even when I was married to Allston.

We exchanged photographs.

His name is Manuel.

He's meeting us at the airport.

Have you ever met him before?

Never.

I have to say, I am really quite thrilled.

Is he the reason you wanted to come to Mexico early?

I suppose so.

Every single famous person in Latin-American history,

art or politics, has sometime come to Mexico City.

Mm. I can see why.

- It's lovely. - Oh, yeah.

I like to say that I was born in Mexico…

But I am from Mexico City.

Beth?

You just get here?

A few days ago.

- I thought you were done with tournaments. - I am. Mike's a glutton for punishment.

- Yeah. - Your mom has a new friend.

She came in at three o'clock this morning, 2:30 the day before.

He's got a green Dodge that always seems to be at her disposal.

And they've had lunch and dinner every day this week.

I'm pretty sure they're fucking.

I thought, at first, it was the altitude.

7,350 feet.

Good lord, it's enough to make a person positively giddy.

Now, I think it's the culture.

There's no hint of a Protestant ethic in Mexico.

They're all Latin Catholics,

and they all live in the here and now.

You really need to stop reading Alan Watts.

It's annoying.

I think I'll have just one margarita before I go out.

Will you call for one, honey?

- Recepción. - Yes, could we get a margarita and a Coke?

- Room number? - 713.

- Coming soon. - Yes, thank you.

You know you could come along to the folklórico.

I understand the costumes alone are worth the price of admission.

- It's such a beautiful day. - It's been raining the last two days.

Has it?

I hadn't noticed.

The tournament starts tomorrow. I need to work on these endgames.

You know, perhaps, Beth, you have to work on yourself.

Chess is not all there is.

It's what I know.

My experience has taught me what you know isn't always what's important.

And what's important?

Living and growing.

Living your life.

- With a sleazy Mexican salesman. - Treating yourself. Adventure.

You haven't visited Bellas Artes, or even been to Chapultepec Park.

The zoo there is delightful.

You've taken all of your meals in this room,

you've had your nose buried in a chess book.

Shouldn't you just relax the day before the tournament?

Think about something other than chess?

Mother.

Tomorrow, at ten o'clock, I play black against Octavio Marenco.

That means he gets to move first.

Yes. I know what playing black means.

He's 34 and an International Grandmaster.

If I lose, we'll be paying for this trip…

This adventure…

Out of capital.

If I win, I'll be playing someone even better than Marenco in the afternoon.

I need to study my endgame.

You're what they call an intuitive player, are you not?

Yes, I have been called that before.

Sometimes, the moves come to me.

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.

I think you just don't like Manuel.

Manuel is all right.

But he doesn't come by to see me.

That's irrelevant.

You need to relax.

There's no player in the world as gifted as you are.

I haven't the remotest idea what faculties a person needs

in order to play chess well,

but I am convinced that relaxation can only improve them.

- Una cerveza Corona, por favor. - Sí.

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 careful.

Cerveza?

Let's play.

Shit.

You can turn on the light. I'm now awake.

I'm sorry.

I seem to have caught a virus.

I don't know if I'll be able to watch your match in the morning.

It's all right.

You'll tell me all about it?

Sure.

Every move?

Of course.

Hi, boys.

- Hey. - Hey.

Lovely night for a swim.

This is Juan Alberto Diaz

coming to you live from the Mexico City Invitational Chess Tournament

at the Palacio Azteca where

the big story has been the seventeen-year-old

from Lexington, Kentucky, Elizabeth Harmon.

Neither of us spoke the other's language.

He opened with a pawn to king four.

I played pawn to queen's bishop four.

In 31 moves, I had his king in a mating net.

You're a wonder.

Undefeated, this morning she played

the Queen's Gambit Declined

against the Austrian, Diedrich.

Facing relentless pressure in the middle of the board,

Harmon had him on his heels from the start.

She did it mostly with pawns,

and crushed his position as one might crush an egg.

Diedrich played well,

made no blunders or anything that could properly be called a mistake,

but Harmon moved with such deadly accuracy, such measured control,

that his position was hopeless

by the 23rd move.

Impressive play by this young woman.

Borgov retreats his knight,

but he's really attacking the black knight.

This is a very interesting position.

It is dangerous for both sides.

How is Black going to answer the threat?

Will he defend himself or counter attack?

It could go either way.

Mother?

Out here.

Fresh air feels nice, doesn't it?

Aren't you going out?

No, Manuel's not coming tonight.

He had business in Oaxaca.

Oh.

How long will he be gone?

At least until we leave.

I'm sorry.

I've never been to Oaxaca, but…

I imagine it resembles Denver.

We can have dinner together.

You can take me to one of the places you know.

Of course.

It was fun while it lasted.

Good afternoon.

I am Georgi Girev.

Beth Harmon.

I'm honored.

It's been five hours.

Perhaps we should adjourn now.

You must seal your move.

Miss Harmon must seal her move now.

Play will resume tomorrow at ten, before your regular matches.

Miss Harmon.

Yes?

May I ask you something?

In America, I'm told that one sees films inside the car.

Is this true?

Drive-ins.

You mean drive-in movies?

Yes, Elvis Presley movies.

Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor…

That happens?

It does.

I would dig that.

Pawn to rook five.

For you, Beth Harmon…

I resign the old-fashioned way.

I've never been to a drive-in, either.

I should not have let you do that.

With the rook.

No.

But you won't let the next one that tries it.

How old were you when you started playing?

Four.

I was district champion at seven.

I will be world champion one day.

When?

In three years.

You'll be 16 in three years.

If you win…

What will you do next?

I-I don't understand.

If you're world champion at 16…

What will you do with the rest of your life?

I don't understand.

You're the best I've ever played.

Until you play Borgov.

Beth.

Look what I found.

Everyone, this is Elizabeth Harmon, the US Champion.

Co-Champion.

I'm sorry I missed your match,

but the bath was so lovely.

I soaked the entire afternoon.

I'm glad.

- You look better. - I feel better.

- Are you hungry? - Starving.

Thank you. You play beautiful, señora.

Thank you.

So much for your stage fright.

I play fine as long as it's for fun.

Where shall we go?

Any one of the new places you've been to?

Mm-hm.

Let's eat in the room.

You wanna grab it? Here.

In Moscow, she'll be jet-lagged. We can destroy her then.

She's getting better.

Have to deal with her here or in Paris

before she gets too strong.

There's talk she's a drunk.

Her game is almost all attack.

So she doesn't always watch her back.

When she blunders, she gets angry,

and can be dangerous.

- Like all women. - She's an orphan. A survivor.

She's like us... Losing is not an option for her.

Otherwise, what would her life be?

Those two guys, they're number two and three in the world.

- And those guys? - KGB.

Make sure Borgov doesn't run away.

Will you save a seat for my mother?

- Yeah. - Yeah.

You may start your opponent's clock.

Pawn to king four.

She always plays the Sicilian to that opening.

It's the most common opening for White in the game of chess,

and Borgov has been called the "Master of the Sicilian."

Harmon moves pawn to queen bishop four,

hoping to play him on ground that's fresh for both of them,

that won't give him the advantage of his superior knowledge.

And now Borgov has brought out his king's knight to bishop three,

…and Harmon,

of course, brings hers to queen bishop three,

attacking the center.

But Borgov moves his bishop to knight five,

signaling he's going to play the Closed Sicilian,

not the Open.

Please do not disturb the players.

The Rossolimo. A rare opening…

Harmon pushes her pawn

to rook three, attacking Borgov's bishop.

Borgov castles.

Harmon must now decide

to open the game or keep it closed.

White has the advantage.

Since it always has the first move, it always has the advantage.

I read that when computers learn to play chess,

and play against other computers,

White will always win because of the first move.

Like tic-tac-toe.

Borgov's not a machine.

That you know of.

I didn't expect it.

No one really plays it.

It threw me off.

Just like he knew it would.

From that point on, the whole game was like a foregone conclusion. I…

I couldn't fight this feeling that I'd already lost.

Like in the books,

where you know the outcome, but you play it out

just to see how it would happen, and…

I mean, every move he made was so…

Obvious, so…

Unimaginative, so bureaucratic.

And the whole time, I'd look at his face,

and there was no doubt.

No weakness.

I'm so glad you didn't see it.

Mother?

I'm sorry.

What was it?

Hepatitis, possibly.

We will know tomorrow.

Could you give me a tranquilizer?

- Yes. I have a sedative. - I don't want a sedative.

Could I have a prescription for Librium?

You don't need a prescription to buy Librium in Mexico.

I suggest meprobamate.

There's a farmacia here in the hotel.

Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

Allow us to help you with any arrangements.

Signing papers, dealing with authorities.

And, of course, the bill will be taken care of.

- Thank you. - Including the liquor bill,

which was significant.

Though, I'm sure none of the many margaritas she consumed

was the culprit in your mother's untimely passing.

She did mention something about the quality of the tequila.

Again…

Whatever we can do to help.

I need to find him.

Hello?

I have your call.

From Denver.

Thank you.

This is Allston Wheatley.

It's Beth, Mr. Wheatley.

Beth?

Your daughter.

- Elizabeth Harmon. - And you're in Mexico?

It's about Mrs. Wheatley.

How is Alma? Is she there with you?

She's dead.

She died this morning.

- Mr. Wheatley... - Can't you handle this?

I-I can't be going off to Mexico.

There's an autopsy in the morning, and I have to buy new plane tickets…

I mean, I have to get a new ticket for myself.

- I don't know where to bury her. - Call Durgin Brothers in Lexington.

There's a family plot in her maiden name, Benson.

What about the house?

Look, I don't want any part of this.

I got problems enough in Denver.

Get her up to Kentucky and bury her, and the house is yours. Just…

Make the mortgage payments.

You need money?

I don't know. I don't know how much it'll cost.

I heard you're doing all right. The child-prodigy thing.

Can't you charge it or something?

I'll ask the hotel.

Good, you do that. I'm strapped for cash right now,

but call Second National Bank and ask for Mr. Erlich.

That's E-R-L-I-C-H.

Say you can have the house. He knows how to reach me.

Don't you want to know how she died?

What was it?

Hepatitis.

I think. We'll know tomorrow.

Yeah.

She was sick a lot.

Más.