Emmys 2021: The Queens Gambit wins for outstanding limited or anthology series

The Queens Gambit, Netflix’s popular chess period drama, won the Emmy for outstanding limited or anthology series on Sunday at the Primetime Emmy Awards 2021.

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ features acclaimed actor Taylor-Joy as orphan chess prodigy Beth Harmon. The series revolves around Harmon and how she makes it to the top of the competitive chess world, which at that time was dominated by men, amid struggles including drug and alcohol addiction.

Emmys 2021: Kate Winslet wins actress in limited series for ‘Mare of Eastown’

The other nominations for the ‘outstanding limited or anthology series’ category included ‘I May Destroy You’, ‘Mare of Easttown’, ‘The
Underground Railroad’ and ‘WandaVision.’

According to Los Angeles Times, the drama series had earned 18 nods from the critics when the nominations were announced in July. The series started its run to the top prize at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, where it scored nine wins.

Meanwhile, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ director Scott Frank also received the award for Outstanding Directing For A Limited Or Anthology Series at Emmys 2021.

The director, however, is being criticised on the internet for his long speech. He spoke for about two minutes, despite the music trying to play him off.  

The Queen’s Gambit’ also won the Golden Globe award for the Best Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 2021. The show/motion picture was an instant hit when it came out and was a much-anticipated win for this category.  

The Queen’s Gambit is based on a 1983 novel, which focuses on the rise of fictional chess player Beth Harmon. In the show, Harmon (Taylor-Joy) is raised in an orphanage and eventually beats Russia’s finest players in the 1960s in Moscow at the height of the Cold War.

The series became Netflix’s most-viewed scripted limited series with over 62 million viewers in its first month of the release and was praised by ace Indian chess player Vishwanathan Anand himself.