# The Queen's Gambit (miniseries)

> Netflix reported 62 million households as its chess drama drove a retail and playing boom.

- Owner: Netflix (distributor); Scott Frank and Allan Scott (creators)
- Kind: Series
- Sector: Entertainment
- Seed date: 2020-10-23
- Observed peak date: Week of Nov 2, 2020
- Date basis: Observed peak within the documented measurement window; not an all-time maximum. Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.
- Spread Score: 79 (Breakout), v1.2
- Mechanics: Platform jump, Press loop, Sell-out loop, Newsjacking, Controversy

## Summary

Netflix released the miniseries in October and reported 62 million household starts in 28 days. Viewers moved into chess apps, forums and retail; Tevis’s novel reached bestseller lists. Wikipedia’s strongest week ended November 2.

## Timeline

- 2020-09-24 — Netflix (YouTube) — Netflix released the trailer and announced an October 23 premiere.
- 2020-10-20 — Time (Press) — Time reviewed the miniseries ahead of its Netflix premiere.
- 2020-10-23 — Netflix (Open web) — Netflix released the miniseries about Beth Harmon’s rise through competitive chess.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/developers).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/the-queens-gambit

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “The Queen's Gambit (miniseries).” Case HIS-01178. Spread Score v1.2: 79/100. Updated 2026-10-22. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01178