Highs
When was Beth’s highest point?
After winning the championship against Borgov. She felt the support from her friends and peers, proved to herself that she belongs in the chess world, and recognized that there is more to life than just chess.
When was Beth’s lowest point?
After Mr. Wheatley sold her the house, she lost all contact with her peers and friends. She shut herself in the house and drank an excessive amount of alcohol. Her physical and mental health were declining, as evidenced by Beth losing the easy match in the state tournament and her puffy face.
How did Beth overcome many of her challenges?
She relied on her friends, family, and peers to teach her, keep her on track for success, and support her. For example, Mr. Shaibel introduced Beth to the world of chess and supported her by giving her the opportunity to play at a high school and paying her first entrance fee for a competition. Additionally, Jolene helped get Beth back on track and healthy for her tournament in Russia, and Benny improved her skill and collaborated with Beth during the final tournament.
In the orphanage, what three factors made life enjoyable for Beth and why?
1) Playing chess with Mr. Shaibel: It was something she could think about to distract her from the negative aspects of her life. It also gave her a sense of purpose and pride. “She replayed those two games in her mind with the new moves, and won them both. She smiled happily to herself and fell asleep.” (Tevis 13)
2) Jolene: One of the main causes of Beth's sadness at the orphanage was her sense of loneliness, so Jolene provided a connection and relationship that Beth desperately needed. The strength of this bond is demonstrated later in the novel when Beth trusted only Jolene to help her out of her alcoholism and depression.
3) the tranquilizer pills: Although the overall effect of these pills were negative because they provided a gateway and introduction to addiction, they did have a somewhat positive effect on Beth in the beginning. They allowed her to fall asleep and cope with the massive change she experienced after moving to the orphanage.
How did Beth’s drug addiction influence her life?
In the very beginning, she took the pills in moderation and it had a positive effect of making Beth less anxious and helping her deal with the stress of becoming an orphan. However, she quickly became dependent on them to feel calm and focused, which is why she was so desperate to get the pills after they were prohibited and why Jolene gave her the pills before her competition at the high school. This continued for most of her life; when she felt stressed, she would turn to the unhealthy coping mechanism of drinking and taking the tranquilizers. Because of this, many of Beth’s relationships suffered and her mental and physical health were put at risk. However, in the end Beth was able to overcome this addiction, thus demonstrating her resilience and teaching Beth the importance of relationships. So, although Beth’s addiction contributed negatively to her life, it enabled her to grow as an individual and see the value in seeking help.
What is a "turning point" in chess and can you give an example of one in the novel?
Definition: The point where one player gains an advantage over the other. It is when the balance of the game shifts towards one player. This can occur after any move that is "susceptible of changing, more or less drastically, the quality of the position." (Demian, 2019)
Example: When Beth plays Benny Watts at the U.S. Championship, Benny makes a bold third move meant to confuse Beth, but she ignores it. This causes Benny to "put himself in trouble" (Tevis 155) and be on the defensive. Then, Beth makes an interesting decision to trade queens early in the game, and it becomes clear that she has the upper hand.
Did Mrs. Wheatley’s death have any positive influence on Beth’s life?
Although her death was overall a very negative event in Beth’s life, I think there is evidence that it did help Beth in certain ways. It showed Beth that life is fragile and can end abruptly when you don’t try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a consequence, Beth pushes herself to go to the gym with Jolene, eat healthier, and stop drinking as much. “But when she opened the refrigerator to find something for breakfast, she saw stacks of TV dinner and suddenly thought of the way Mrs. Wheatley’s pale legs had looked…” (Tevis 198)
How does Beth deal with her emotions throughout the novel?
When it comes to anger or frustration, Beth does not hesitate to speak her mind. When learning chess from Mr. Shaibel, confronting Benny about his disregard for her feelings, and turning down the donation from the Christian organization, we see that Beth’s desire to win drives her to openly express her emotions. However, when it comes to other emotions, like sadness, loneliness, and pain, Beth tends to bury them and conceal them from the people who care about her. The reader can observe this when Mrs. Wheatley died and Beth did not cry until she was alone (and also did not discuss her feelings with anyone). Her unwillingness to express emotions is probably due to her independent nature and lack of proper support as a child.
Were the high points Beth experienced outweighed by the low points?
No, definitely not. Although Beth did experience lots of tragedy early in her life, she has reached a much better physical, mental, and emotional place by the end of the novel. She has now gained many friendships, discovered other important parts to life other than competitive chess (maintaining relationships and playing chess recreationally to appreciate the beauty of the game), and is in a great place in her career. So although she may have had a rough start, from the age of 20 onward her life will be full of high points.
In the end, did going off the pills reduce Beth’s ability to play chess?
No, in fact, Beth played her best game when not taking any pills or drinking alcohol. So, why do some individuals think that addiction improves creativity and performance? "Individuals who are risk-taking... are more likely to experiment with drugs. Interestingly, these are the very attributes that spur creativity." (Denys, 2021) As shown in the novel, Beth is definitely a risk-taker. She loves bold moves and will turn down a draw and go for the win even if it is the less safe option. So, if this trait that corresponds with her creativity is the same one that increases her likelihood of addiction, then it makes sense how correlation could be mistaken for causation. In other words, it's not that addiction causes her to be creative, just that the traits that increase her creativity also increase her susceptibility to addiction.
Did the author draw on his own experiences when developing these low points?
Yes: "his parents left him behind in a convalescent home, where he spent months drugged on phenobarbital" (Wartik, 2020) He believes this was a major reason for his later alcoholism and addiction to cigarettes. He was able to recover with help from Alcoholics Anonymous and his family and friends. This clearly parallels Beth's experience at the orphanage, addiction, and later recovery by reaching out to people who can help.
How did Beth’s method of overcoming obstacles deviate from the typical depiction of chess players?
Chess, specifically American chess, culture tends to center around individualism, isolation, and competition. Chess players are depicted as being very stoic, alone, studious, and independent. Although Beth does have these qualities, she also portrays a different side of chess: collaboration and interdependence. In order to overcome personal and competitive obstacles, especially in the final tournament, Beth relies on help from friends and peers. She recognizes that she cannot do everything herself and that relationships are very valuable.