Doubled Pawns

The Queen's Gambit 1×3

Alma Wheatley: I asked for a pleasant room, and I believe they gave me one.

Beth Harmon: What about Russia?
Matt: The Soviets are murder. They eat Americans for breakfast there. I don't think there's been an American with a prayer against them in 20 years.
Mike: It's like ballet. They pay people to play chess.

Alma Wheatley: Beth… I was thinking… Perhaps you could give me 10%, as an agent's commission?
Beth Harmon: ... Let's make it 15%. Which would be 49 dollars and 54 cents.
Alma Wheatley: They told me at Methuen you were marvelous at math...

Miss Jean Blake: So, can you tell the readers of Life how it feels? I mean, to be a girl among all those men?
Beth Harmon: I don't mind it.
Miss Jean Blake: Isn't it intimidating? I mean, when I was a girl, I wasn't allowed to be competitive. I played with dolls.
Beth Harmon: Chess isn't always competitive.
Miss Jean Blake: No, but you play to win.
Beth Harmon: Yes, but chess can also be...
Miss Jean Blake: What?
Beth Harmon: Beautiful.

Miss Jean Blake: Do you imagine that you saw the king as a father, and the queen as a mother? I mean, one to attack, one to protect?
Beth Harmon: They're just pieces. And it was the board I noticed first.
Miss Jean Blake: The board?
Beth Harmon: Yes. It's an entire world of just 64 squares. I feel… Safe in it. I can control it, I can dominate it. And it's predictable. So, if I get hurt, I only have myself to blame.

Benny Watts: Your problem is your queen knight.

Beth Harmon: It was brutal. It's the kind of thing I did to other people.

Beth Harmon: I'd been thinking about doubled pawns.
Alma Wheatley: You were thinking about winning. What did you do?
Beth Harmon: I needed a counterthreat. A move that would stop him in his tracks, but there wasn't any. I spent half an hour studying the board, and decided that Benny's move was even sounder than I thought. I thought maybe I could trade my way out of it if he attacked too fast, but… He was careful. I had to retreat, but he kept coming. I wanted to scream.

Alma Wheatley: You can't finesse everything all the time. Nobody can.
Beth Harmon: You don't know anything about chess.
Alma Wheatley: I know what it feels like to lose.
Beth Harmon: Yeah, I bet you do.
Alma Wheatley: And now you do, too...

—
+ Quotes on the IMDb
+ Soundtrack