Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon (photo: Netflix) By Stephen Volan for the December 2020 issue of The Ryder magazine [Note: This article differs from the published original, having been slightly edited by the author for clarity.] One of the most talked-about new television shows in the unruly year of 2020 is the surprise hit series The Queen’s Gambit, released in October to strong reviews and rapturous public embrace.