Beth out-analyses a hustler's Caro-Kann lecture
In the Cincinnati lobby a cocky player dismisses the Caro-Kann; Beth names the 1935 game he is showing and finds the win he missed.
Benny Watts
Every The Queen's Gambit moment featuring Benny Watts, in story order. Played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster.
19 moments · 33 min
Benny Watts: 'you shouldn't have castled'
The US Champion introduces himself and, from a printed game alone, points out the flaw in Beth's win over Beltik before walking off.
Beth loses to Benny: the exchange of queens
Beth narrates the final game move by move: the captured center pawn, the forced queen trade and the mating net she never saw coming.
Beth meets Benny Watts again: get past me first
At the US Championship, Benny greets Beth over her Borgov loss, rails against cheap plastic boards, and promises he stands between her and Moscow.
Benny's interview and the knife
Benny tells a reporter to read his book and get in shape, then invites Beth to speed chess; she asks why he carries a knife. For protection.
Five bucks a game: Benny's speed chess hustle
Benny sends Weiss for coffee, orders apple juice in a milk glass, and beats Beth at blitz again and again at five dollars a game.
You attack like Alekhine: Benny and Beth before the final game
Benny apologizes for the hustle, calls Beth the best player here, and the two trade notes on playing whole games in their heads.
Raging inwardly: Benny loses in thirty moves and mentions Moscow
Beth has beaten Benny and can outdrink him too; he says the US winner goes to the Moscow Invitational, which she never knew.
Come to New York: Benny offers to train Beth
Benny warns Beth she'll be washed up by 21 if she keeps drinking, offers his living room and a drive to New York, and settles the sex question.
Beth and Benny play blind chess on the drive to New York
Benny and Beth call out a Sicilian line from memory in the car and bicker about reading footnotes while Beth starts to feel carsick.
Benny's crash course: workmanlike chess and the Soviet team
Benny diagnoses Beth as bored by ordinary chess, she spots an error Reuben Fine missed, and he explains why the Soviets win: they help each other.
Beth solves Hilton's favorite problem in seconds
Benny's friends arrive with Cleo in tow; Beth, who says she finds chess problems irrelevant, cracks a mate-in-three almost instantly.
Beth beats Benny and his friends in a speed-chess simultaneous
Benny proposes a simul with speed chess to get an edge; Beth bets ten dollars on every board, wins, and makes them go again and again.
Nobody has done that to Benny in fifteen years
After the guests leave, a stunned Benny admits not even Borgov has beaten him like that, and Beth asks whether he still likes her hair.
Pillow talk: Benny tells Beth to play the Sicilian against Borgov
In bed, Benny's mind goes straight back to chess: play your own line, never his, and nobody says check at the big tournaments. Beth is unimpressed.
Benny calls after Paris and Beth says she wants to get drunk
On the phone Benny begs Beth to come to New York instead of being alone; she thanks him for everything and admits she does not know what she is doing.
Christian Crusade's letter and Benny's advice to take the money
A religious group offers to fund Beth's trip to the USSR; Benny tells her they want her to beat Communists for Jesus and says he misses her.
Benny hangs up on Beth: maybe is a loser's word
Beth phones Benny for Moscow money and company; he explodes at her for choosing drink over him and tells her never to call again.
Benny, Harry, Matt and Mike call from New York: go beat him
The morning of the adjourned game, Benny's crew has worked the position all night and phones Moscow with variations, ending with Benny's send-off.