You know that feeling when the credits roll on a seven-episode bender and you're just sitting there in the dark? Total silence. Your brain is still whirring with Sicilian Defenses and 1960s wallpaper patterns, and honestly, nothing else on your watchlist looks good enough. That was the collective experience of about 62 million households when Beth Harmon first stared down Vasily Borgov.
It wasn't really about chess, was it?
It was about the obsession. That jagged, uncomfortable, brilliant focus that makes a person great and miserable at the exact same time. Finding shows like The Queen's Gambit isn't as simple as searching for "board game dramas." You're looking for that specific cocktail of "prodigy with a vice" and "period-accurate aesthetic" that feels like a warm hug and a panic attack.
The Best Shows Like The Queen's Gambit for That Specific Vibe
If you’re hunting for that high-stakes, "I will destroy you with my brain" energy, you’ve actually got some heavy hitters to choose from. Some are old. Some are brand new for 2026.
Godless (Netflix)
This is the most logical jumping-off point because it’s basically the spiritual sibling to Beth’s story. Why? Because it was written and directed by Scott Frank, the same guy who gave us The Queen's Gambit. It’s a limited series, so it won’t eat up a month of your life.
It’s a Western, which sounds like a hard pivot from chess, but the DNA is identical. You’ve got a town of women in the 1880s defending their home against a gang of outlaws. Thomas Brodie-Sangster (our favorite chess cowboy, Benny Watts) even shows up as a quick-draw deputy. It’s cinematic, patient, and focuses on people who are underestimated—much like a young girl in a basement learning moves from a janitor.
Industry (HBO/Max)
Think Beth Harmon, but instead of tranquilizers and 64 squares, it’s cocaine and high-frequency trading. Currently in its fourth season as of 2026, Industry follows a group of young graduates fighting for permanent spots at a top-tier investment bank in London.
The "chess" here is international finance. It is brutal. Harper Stern, the show’s lead, is every bit as calculating and self-destructive as Beth. If you liked the "outsider entering a male-dominated arena" aspect, this is your next obsession. Just be warned: it’s much "sweatier" and more cynical than the relatively polished world of grandmasters.
👉 See also: Why Joey Badass 1999 Album Still Feels Like the Future of New York Hip-Hop
Adolescence (Netflix)
This one just cleaned up at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards, and for good reason. It’s a four-part British crime drama that feels incredibly urgent. It follows 13-year-old Jamie Miller, a boy who is either a victim of circumstance or a chillingly brilliant mind, as he's accused of murder.
What makes it a "Gambit" match? The technical execution. The whole thing is shot in one continuous take per episode. That sense of "nowhere to hide" mirrors those close-ups of Beth’s face when she’s losing a match. It’s a masterclass in tension.
When You Want the Genius, But Not the Game
Sometimes you don't care about the competition; you just want to watch a genius fall apart and put themselves back together.
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime): If the 1950s/60s styling was your favorite part, Midge Maisel is Beth’s fast-talking, stand-up comedy counterpart. The costumes are incredible, and the "becoming the best in a world that hates you" arc is basically the same.
- A Thousand Blows (Disney+/Hulu): Moving into early 2026, Steven Knight (the Peaky Blinders creator) has brought us this gritty look at the illegal boxing world of Victorian London. It captures that "sport-as-war" feeling perfectly.
- March Comes in Like a Lion (Netflix/Crunchyroll): This is an anime, but stay with me. It’s about a professional Shogi player (Japanese chess) who is a lonely orphan dealing with heavy depression. It is arguably the most accurate portrayal of a professional player's internal monologue ever put to screen.
The "Obsessed Protagonist" Hall of Fame
Beth Harmon belongs to a very specific club of characters. These are people who don't just "do" a thing; they are the thing.
Mad Men is the obvious ancestor here. Don Draper and Beth Harmon could probably share a silent drink and understand each other perfectly. They both use their craft to mask a deep, hollow loneliness. The 1960s setting in Mad Men isn't just window dressing; it's a character in itself, just like it was in Beth’s world.
Then there’s The Bear. I know, it’s about a kitchen. But the way Carmy looks at a plate of food is exactly how Beth looks at the ceiling when she’s hallucinating chess pieces. It’s that crushing weight of excellence. You see the cost of being the "best." It usually costs you everything else.
What to Watch Next: Actionable Steps
Don't just scroll aimlessly. Pick your "flavor" of The Queen's Gambit and dive in:
- For the 1960s aesthetic: Start Mad Men or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
- For the high-stakes competition: Go for Industry or the movie Pawn Sacrifice (Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer).
- For the Scott Frank "Touch": Watch Godless. It’s only seven episodes.
- For the "Prodigy in Trouble" vibe: Check out the 2025/2026 award-winner Adolescence.
Honestly, we're probably never getting a second season of Beth's story. That's a good thing. It was a perfect, self-contained tragedy. But the "chess" of life—that feeling of needing to be three moves ahead just to survive—is all over these other shows. Pick one, turn off your phone, and let the obsession take over again.