Thanks in part to him underestimating her, she is able to beat him, earning respect in the chess community for the first time. Harry is first high-level ranking chess player Beth goes against. It seems very clear that what Beth needs in her life is true and loyal friends who act as the family she was denied. When they meet again, she is maintaining her sobriety despite the pressure of playing in Russia, and she is able to accept him telling her he's gay without heartbreak. He, like a chess board, is a puzzle to be solved, hence her long-time attachment to him as opposed to the other men in her life, whom she has figured out. She admits to Cleo that she's still in love with Townes many years later. Most people surrounding her are troubled, sardonic, or detached, whereas Townes brings warmth and sincerity, which awakens a part of her dormant since childhood: one that desperately wants to be taken care of. Though this creates distance between them, Townes still remains one of the most gentle influences in Beth's life. When Beth and Townes adjourn to his hotel room in Las Vegas for some photographs, she meets his handsome roommate and assumes that they are lovers - something that's more or less confirmed in the final episode. He is one of the first players to be gracious to her when she shows up to compete, encouraging her to go for the big games. Townes is a kind, perceptive journalist to whom Beth forms a strong attachment.
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