A famed chess icon is accusing Netflix of defamation over a line in Emmy-nominated ‘The Queen’s Gambit’

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A famed chess icon is accusing Netflix of defamation over a line in Emmy-nominated ‘The Queen’s Gambit’
Beth Harmon practices chess in a hotel room. Phil Bray/Netflix
  • The chess icon Nona Gaprindashvili is suing Netflix over a line in the series "The Queen's Gambit."
  • During the show's final episode, a character says Gaprindashvili "has never faced men."
  • The lawsuit asserts that Gaprindashvili has "beat some of the best male chess players in the world."
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Famed Georgian chess icon Nona Gaprindashvili filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix on Wednesday, over a line in the Emmy-nominated series, 'The Queen's Gambit,' according to the AV Club.

Gaprindashvili claimed in the suit that the show minimized her achievements to portray Beth Harmon, the show's protagonist, as more skillful.

The line in question comes in the final episode during a chess competition in Russia, where a commentator says, "There's Nona Gaprindashvili, but she's the female world champion and has never faced men."

The suit states, "Gaprindashvili is a pioneer of women's chess and a much-loved icon in her native country of Georgia," adding that, "throughout her extraordinary career, she won many championships, beat some of the best male chess players in the world, and was the first woman in history to achieve the status of international chess grandmaster among men."

"The Queen's Gambit" is nominated for 18 Emmys ahead of the award show broadcast Sunday, September 19.

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