Georgian chess player Nonna Gabrindashvili, 80, is suing streaming service Netflix for $5 million (CHF4.65 million) in compensation for her role in the hit mini-series “The Queen’s Gambit”.
The portrayal of her person is “sexist and insulting,” according to the complaint that Gabrindashvili filed with a California court.
The complaint criticized “Netflix boldly and knowingly lied about Gaprindashvili’s accomplishments.” The claim by one of the characters in the series that the Georgian did not compete with men in chess tournaments was “proved wrong”. To make matters worse, Gabrindashvili was described in The Queen’s Gambit as Russian, not Georgian.
At the age of 20, she won the Women’s World Chess Championship
In a statement, Netflix said the company “has great respect for Ms. Gaprindashvili and her remarkable career.”
Gabrindashvili, born in Zugdidi, western Georgia in 1941, began playing chess at the age of 13. At the age of twenty she won the Women’s World Chess Championship. She defended her title four times before it was stolen from her in 1978 by another Georgian, then 17-year-old Maya Chiburdanidze.
Chess boards are suddenly in demand all over the world
In the same year, Gabrindashvili was the first woman to be declared a Grand Manager by the International Chess Federation (Fide).
“Queen’s Gambit” is the most successful mini-series on Netflix. According to the streaming service, 62 million households watched the story of fictional chess genius Beth Harmon in just the first 28 days.
The series starring Anya Taylor-Joy has boosted chessboard sales worldwide and is a favorite at this year’s Emmy Awards for Best Mini Series. (AFP)
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