Fact meets fiction as a custodian and chess coach stars in the ‘real’ Queen's Gambit
There’s no doubt the Netflix series, "The Queen’s Gambit", made chess cool. The fictional tale of chess phenom Beth Harmon, who was launched on the road to stardom by school janitor Mr. Shaibel, was a huge success. But well before the award-winning show hit the screens, real-life custodian David Bishop was coaching students in chess in Hampden, Maine.
David is a caretaker and chess coach at George B. Weatherbee Elementary School and Reeds Brook Middle School. His passion for chess started early, and he jumped at the chance to share his knowledge with students.
David’s teams have each had success on the state and national level, and his dedication has earned him a Chess Educator of the Year award from the University of Texas at Dallas. However, it’s his impact on students that he finds most gratifying.
“Some of the kids in our teams, they don't have an opportunity to play another sport,” says Bishop. “They either don't want to or they can't. And chess fits the bill for them. Chess makes them part of a team, and in our case, lately, a championship team. So, it does a lot of things for them as far as their confidence.”
Watch the video below to see the real-life custodian chess coach in action.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch this custodian coach chess like Netflix's 'Queen's Gambit'
