The Queen's Gambit (2020)

You do not need to know how the pieces move. Adapted from Walter Tevis's 1983 novel, it follows Beth Harmon, an orphan with a gift for chess, and makes every match readable through faces, pacing and Anya Taylor-Joy's stare. It is one complete story with no second season hanging over it, which makes it an easy yes for someone wary of open-ended series. The 1960s clothes and hotels are a treat, and the addiction subplot gives it more weight than a sports story. It also won the Emmy for best limited series, if a skeptic needs credentials.