In the Queen's Gambit the main character, Beth Harmon, is an aspiring chess player who grew up in an orphanage and is now on her way of becoming the most successful chess player in the US. Her character falls into the female gaze because she is no way sexualized, and is also going on a downward spiral of dealing with a drug addiction and despite that gets through it by herself by going to win chess tournaments against men who think they are better than her.