Life lessons Young Professionals can take from "The Queen's Gambit"

Imagine a girl who lost her mother to suicide. Her father did not want her and her adoptive mother lost her life to alcohol. The girl became an addict herself at the age of 9. [Spoiler alert!] Now imagine the same girl defeating the Russian World Champion and winning the prestigious Moscow International. Sounds impossible? This actually happened in the new hit series called “The Queen’s Gambit”. Now let’s take a look at the 5 life lessons we can take from this brilliantly well written show!

Get the right mentor:

Mr. Shaibel was Beth’s mentor. He taught her the basics of chess. He introduced Beth to Mr. Ganz who allowed her to play against his best players at the chess club. Mr. Shaibel also paid the 5 dollars entry fee for Beth at her first competition. Had Beth not stumbled upon Mr. Shaibel in the basement, probably her life would’ve turned out very different. This proves how much a good mentor impacts our life. That is why, it is crucial to find the right mentor in your workplace and allow them to help plan out your career.

Have confidence in your passion and turn it into a career:

Beth’s mother was a very talented piano player. However, she could not pursue it professionally because of her stage fright. This led her to live an unhappy life which was dependent on alcohol and substances. On the other hand, Beth had a great passion for chess. But she was ridiculed and demotivated at every step of her career. However, Beth followed her passion and allowed her game to speak for itself. This philosophy of Beth should be applied in our life as well. If we don’t stand up and fight for our passion, there is a high chance we will end up as unhappy as her mother.

Talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships:

All the prominent rivals of Beth ultimately became her mentors and helped improve her game. Harry Beltik (our very own Dudley from Harry Potter) taught Beth ways to beat her competitor Benny. Later on, Benny personally trained Beth for the Paris tournament. On the night before Beth's biggest match, Benny assembled the entire team and helped Beth analyze the adjourned position of her game with Borgov. This shows us what true teamwork looks like. As Benny beautifully worded it, “The Russians win because they play together. The Americans lose because they are too individual.”

Play your line:

“You should always play your line, never his. You play what's best for you.”- This was probably one of the best lines from the series. Sicilian Defense was Beth’s signature move. However, it was also Borgov's main strength. But Benny still encouraged Beth to go forward with it during the Paris tournament. This lesson teaches us to focus on our competitive advantage. During every recruitment, you will be asked the question - “Why you?” So, find your ikigai and make yourself the best at that trait, my friend!

Failure in competitions is okay:

Beth did not have an easy career. Her perfect winning streak was broken when she was easily defeated by Benny. Borgov defeated her twice even after months of preparation. However, Beth did not give up. With the help of some amazing friends and her own hard work, she finally defeated Borgov in the championship. So, next time you lose a business competition you prepared really well for, get up and get ready for your next battle instead of whining for the loss.

Beth’s life was really messed up. But she did not allow the challenges to define her. So, if she could make it even after so many hurdles, what’s your excuse? So, tragic life like Alma or world champion like Beth- what will you pursue? The decision is yours!