Before it became a hit miniseries, The Queen’s Gambit was a novel by American writer Walter Tevis. This quiz explores key facts about the book, its themes, and its place in his body of work.
In what year was Walter Tevis’s novel The Queen’s Gambit first published?
1990
1973
1983
1960
Which American author wrote the original novel The Queen’s Gambit?
Stephen King
John le Carre
George R. R. Martin
Walter Tevis
Which of the following novels is also written by Walter Tevis and centers on a different competitive game?
Ender’s Game
The Hustler
Moneyball
The Color Purple
In the novel The Queen’s Gambit, Beth Harmon is primarily described as which of the following?
An orphaned chess prodigy who struggles with addiction
A detective solving mysteries in New York
A musician touring Europe with a band
A scientist working on space travel
The title The Queen’s Gambit refers to which of the following?
A code name for a secret military mission
A fictional royal family
A card game played in Las Vegas
A well known chess opening where White offers a pawn
Which of these themes is strongly present in Walter Tevis’s novel The Queen’s Gambit?
Time travel and alternate universes
Alien invasion and space war
Genius, addiction, and the cost of obsession
Supernatural horror and ghosts
What is the primary setting of Beth Harmon’s childhood in the novel?
A boarding school in New York City
A military base overseas
An orphanage called Methuen Home for Girls
A farm in rural Texas
In the novel, as in the miniseries, Beth develops a dependence on what type of substance while at Methuen?
Tranquilizer pills
Cigars
Energy drinks
Performance enhancing injections
Which statement best describes the relationship between the novel and the Netflix miniseries The Queen’s Gambit?
The miniseries adapts a completely different book by Tevis
The miniseries is a direct sequel to the novel’s story
The miniseries is a close adaptation that follows the main plot and characters of the novel
The miniseries uses only the title and changes everything else
Which of these other Walter Tevis novels was also adapted into a well known film before The Queen’s Gambit became a series?
The Shining
Dune
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Old Man and the Sea
Starter
Starter: You know that The Queen’s Gambit started as a novel, but the finer details of Walter Tevis’s work are still a bit hazy.
Solid
Solid: You understand the basics of the novel, its publication, and its themes. A little more detail will turn you into a true Tevis expert.
Expert!
Expert: You clearly know Walter Tevis’s vision for The Queen’s Gambit and how the novel shaped the story long before the screen adaptation.
The novel The Queen’s Gambit shows how Walter Tevis blended character drama, chess realism, and addiction themes into one story. Knowing the book behind the show makes every scene feel even richer. The Queen’s Gambit Trivia Quizzes
