Trama

Suddenly plunged into a confusing new life in suburbia, teenage Beth studies her high school classmates and hatches a plan to enter a chess tournament.

Helen bars Beth from playing chess and asks Shaibel not to meet her anymore.

Beth is adopted as a teenager by Lexington couple Alma (Marielle Heller) (Alma's biological child died sometime before Beth's adoption, and she develops a worsening alcoholism that begins to influence Beth) and Allston Wheatley (Patrick Kennedy). Alma is unhappy, while Allston is emotionally distant and frequently absent for his sales job. Beth thinks Allston doesn't like her, but Alma assures her that adopting Beth was Allston's idea. Alma pays Beth 40 c a week allowance, so she can save up and buy a chess set. The orphanage pays $80/yr for Beth's expenses, but Alma uses that up in her alcoholic habits.

At her new high school, Beth is bullied by the popular girls from the "Apple Pi Club" for her drab clothes and obvious intelligence. Margaret (Dolores Carbonari) is Beth's high school classmate and they both hate each other. Beth steals tranquilizers from her mother (the same kind that she was given at the orphanage), and again begins to visualize chess positions on the ceiling. From the school library she gets a book on Jose Capablanca, a chess grand master. She learns what a grand master is.. She also steals a chess magazine (from a pharmacy) and learns about the upcoming Kentucky State Championship. Alma wont allow Beth to work and stops her allowance as the money in the house is not enough..

Short of money, she writes to Mr. Shaibel, who sends her $5 for the entrance fee (She promises to pay back $10, if she wins any prizes at all. First prize is $100, second prize is $50). She surprises the organizers by cruising through her early games (The open category has 3 guys with ratings over 1800 and Beth was expected to be eaten alive), and develops a crush on a young man named Townes (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd). Annette Packer (Eloise Webb), a friendly teenager who becomes Beth's first tournament opponent and also teaches her about playing clocks. Beth learns that it takes 30 games and a 4 months wait to get a chess player rating. Unless she gets a rating, she cant play the best players. After the second day of the tournament (in which Beth beats Townes, who came in 5th at the US Open) (she also has her first period and Annette helps her out with a tampon), Beth comes home to find that Allston has deserted her and Alma. Beth fears that she will be sent back to the orphanage, but Alma tells her they will lie so she can stay.

During her final game of the tournament against state champion Harry Beltik (Harry Melling), Beth becomes flustered by his late arrival (Harry basically shows that he doesn't respect Beth and is taking the match too casually. Harry yawns quite frequently) and runs to the restroom (after she is almost in tears), where she takes a tranquilizer pill to help win the game. Beth wins the $100. She pays Shaibel $10 and uses the rest to buy the chess set, books on chess and new stylish clothes. Alma plans to take Beth to a tournament in Cincinnati where substantial prize money ($500) is on offer.