Beth Harmon’s journey from an orphan who had never seen a chess board in her life to a chess prodigy who is literally the best chess player in the world is an impressive one, and many people came in and out of Beth’s life throughout her character arc on The Queen’s Gambit.
But, one of the most important people in Beth’s life is her sometimes rival, sometimes friend, and occasionally something more than friend Harry Beltik. Their romance was a central element of the series, but did they actually belong together, or were they really a bad match?
10 Perfect Together: Harry Didn’t Mind Beth Being A Star
Although the initial showdown between Beth and Harry wasn’t exactly friendly, Harry does deserve a lot of credit for not only recognizing what a powerhouse Beth was, but for not being particularly envious or competitive about it.
Most people would have some trouble dealing with a significant other who outshone them so much, but Harry was actually incredibly supportive of Beth and recognized that she was a star.
9 Weren’t A Match: Harry Might Fade Into The Background
Harry certainly didn’t seem to mind the fact that Beth was so far out of his league in terms of chess talent, but that’s no guarantee that he and Beth would have been fine with that chasm forever.
By the time the series concluded, Harry was essentially living a normal life while Beth was reaching the top of the chess ladder, and that level of difference may have been to hard for them to overcome.
8 Perfect Together: Harry Liked Her Before She Was A Hotshot
Even in her very first chess tournament, Beth made a real name for herself, and Harry wound up with a lot of egg on his face for underestimating her so drastically.
However, later on Harry makes it clear that this was the moment he started developing feelings for Beth. It means something that Harry liked her when she was still just an unknown chess nerd.
7 Weren’t A Match: Harry May Have Had A Fantasy Version Of Beth In Mind
It’s a good sign for the longevity of their potential relationship that Harry didn’t just like Beth because she was a celebrity in the chess world.
But on the flip side of that, the fact that Harry nursed a crush on her for so long before they actually became a thing could be a warning sign for future problems, as he may have built up a fantasy version of Beth in his head that might not match reality.
6 Perfect Together: Harry Was There When She Needed Him
Beth may have been a superstar in the world of competitive chess, and she did undoubtedly develop some real friendships and connections through the chess world, but it’s very telling that Harry was the only person who actually showed up for Beth when her mother died.
Harry has already proven that he’s someone that can be relied on and has proven that he cares about Beth as a person when not a lot of people have done the same for her.
5 Weren’t A Match: They Were Already Growing Apart
Harry was undoubtedly a pretty extraordinary chess player in his own right, but when he and Beth start developing romantic feelings for each other, Harry is already coming to the realization that the world of competitive chess isn’t his passion anymore.
Beth seems to only get more and more passionate as the series goes on, so the fact that their paths were already diverging so drastically doesn’t seem like a great sign.
4 Perfect Together: Harry Could Expand Beth’s Focus
But on the other hand, the fact that Harry is pulling himself out of the competitive chess world by the time he starts advising and coaching Beth on how to further succeed in it might be for the best.
This dynamic could actually be beneficial to both of them, as Beth desperately needs something to share her focus on besides chess, and it allows Harry to participate in one of his passions without it still being his entire life.
3 Weren’t A Match: They Wanted Different Things In Life
The Queen’s Gambit does occasionally acknowledge that Beth, and all of the other hotshot chess players like her, will have to find a life outside of chess at some point.
But given that Beth has finally gotten to the top of the game, it doesn’t seem like she’ll be ending her career anytime soon. And now that she and Harry have both established very different paths in life, it might be hard for them to stay together.
2 Perfect Together: He Sincerely Wanted To Help Beth
Unfortunately for Beth Harmon, there really aren’t a lot of people in her life that she can rely on completely. She does have friends and she did have an adoptive mother who, despite her instability, did seem to genuinely love her.
But Harry is a very kind and stable person who sincerely wants Beth to be the best that she can be, and not just when it comes to competitive chess.
1 Weren’t A Match: He Was Kinda Sexist
To be fair to Harry, it’s clear that he does have genuine respect for Beth after seeing how talented she truly is.
However, after Beth defeats him for the first time, he essentially says that she’s good at chess… for a girl. Beth is already in a heavily male-dominated business and social circle, so she really doesn’t need to be dating a guy who thinks less of women too.
