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B2 · 4,000 words · French

Le Jeu de la Dame

Scott Frank

The Queen's Gambit is the 2020 Netflix miniseries created by Scott Frank and Allan Scott, based on Walter Tevis's 1983 novel. In 1950s Kentucky, the orphaned Beth Harmon is sent to the Methuen Home for Girls, where the custodian, Mr. Shaibel, teaches her chess in the basement. She turns out to be a prodigy. Adopted as a teenager by Alma Wheatley, Beth begins winning tournaments across America and abroad while struggling with a dependence on tranquilizers and alcohol. Over the 1960s her ambition leads her toward the world's best players, above all the Soviet champion Vasily Borgov.

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Words you’ll meet

The words readers of this text looked up most, each with its meaning and the line it comes from.

vint / vɛ̃ /verb

came

Elle en vint à rechercher cette sensation.

She came to seek out this sensation.

devinrent / dəvɛ̃ʁ /verb

to grow to be, to change into a state

D'autres devinrent des amis.

Others became friends.

se transformerpasser àaboutir à

parties / paʁti /noun

a game or match played

Les autres joueurs étaient encore plongés dans leurs premières parties.

The other players were still engrossed in their first games.

jeumatchrencontre

le tournoi / lə turne /noun

tournament

Beth vit une publicité pour un tournoi d'échecs.

Beth saw an advertisement for a chess tournament.

compétitionmatch

semblait / sɑ̃.blɛ /verb

seemed

la douleur de la mort de sa mère semblait s'éloigner.

the pain of his mother's death seemed to recede.

un orphelinat / œ̃ ɔʁfəlina /noun

orphanage

Beth fut placée dans un orphelinat public.

Beth was placed in a public orphanage.

vif / vif /adjective

sharp

Son esprit était vif.

His mind was sharp.

coups / ku /noun

moves

l'esprit déjà trois coups en avance.

her mind already three moves ahead.

mouvementsactionsstratégies

pneus / pnø /noun

tires

Le silence était lourd, seulement brisé par le bruit des pneus sur l'asphalte.

The silence was heavy, broken only by the sound of tires on the asphalt.

rouevéhicule

déroulèrent / se de.ʁul /verb

go

Mais les choses ne se déroulèrent pas comme elle l'espérait.

But things didn't go as she had hoped.

happenoccurunfold

affronté / afʁɔ̃te /verb

faced

Beth avait affronté de nombreuses batailles.

Beth had faced many battles.

pourtant / puʁ.tɑ̃ /adverb

yet

Et pourtant, même parmi ces maîtres, Beth se distinguait.

And yet, even among those masters, Beth stood out.

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