Who is Vasily Borgov in The Queen's Gambit?

The world champion — the machine with tired eyes · The Board

Vasily Borgov (The world champion — the machine with tired eyes) is a character in The Queen's Gambit, part of The Board. Vasily Borgov is the world champion and the wall at the end of Beth's board: a Soviet machine of preparation who does not blunder, does not tire, and has been world-class since before she was born. The series grants him no villainy — in an elevator in Mexico City she overhears him calling her dangerous; in Moscow he studies her like weather. Their final game, and what he does when it ends, turns the antagonist into the sport's own dignity: the king tipped, the embrace, the applause he leads himself.

When does Vasily Borgov first appear?

Vasily Borgov first appears in Season 1, Episode 4 (“Middle Game”) of The Queen's Gambit (2020, Netflix).

Who is Vasily Borgov connected to?

Relationships already established when Vasily Borgov first appears — nothing from later episodes.

• Beth Harmon — The wall at the end of the board

Which group does Vasily Borgov belong to?

By the time Vasily Borgov appears, The Board also includes Benny Watts, Townes, Harry Beltik.

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