The Queen's Gambit Fans Need To Know About Vera Menchik

Before The Queen's Gambit there was Vera Menchik, who was one of the best players in the world in the early 20th century and paved the way for women's chess. She lived a fascinating life from almost the day she was born, so let’s take a look at the incredible story of Vera Menchik.

Vera Menchik was born in Moscow in 1906. Early in the 20th century Russia was still an empire, and her family was relatively comfortable. Her family owned a prosperous mill and lived in a large apartment in Moscow, and Menchik and her sister both attended a private school.

Then, when Menchik was 11 years old in 1917, the October Revolution toppled Tsar Nicholas II. The sudden collapse of not just the government but of every single element of the state transformed Russia into pure chaos. Menchik and her family witnessed the rapid unraveling of society as different governments formed and fell, and different political and military factions squared off in a civil war that lasted more than five years.

And Menchik's home wasn't insulated from the chaos. There were hurried trials and mass executions, and often citizens had no idea who was actually in charge on a given day.

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Life during the Russian Revolution | 0:00
The language of chess | 0:58
First World Women’s Chess Champion | 1:56
A chess trailblazer | 2:43
A true grandmaster | 4:10
First woman chess hall of famer | 4:53
A tragic end | 5:33

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