Morning Brew - ☕️ Checkmate

Good news, Essentials readers! With 99% of precincts reporting, I’m ready to make a projection that we’re almost done with this never-ending week. I’ve been staring at the TV and my freezer for three days straight, and now all my dreams involve the electoral smart board.

— Rachel Cantor

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Thanks to the new Netflix limited series, The Queen’s Gambit, all the chess club whizzes are now the most popular kids in school. It’s the hottest sports show right now (yes, chess is a sport) with a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and a “would watch again” on Rachel’s ranking system. A little more on the show and on knights and bishops: 

• Some behind-the-scenes facts about the show. Warning: spoilers ahead. 
• Meet Magnus Carlsen, known as the “Mozart of chess.” Here’s his 60 Minutes segment.
• No need to play pick-up at Washington Square Park when you can learn online at Chess.com. 
• If you don’t actually want to move the pieces, watch the pros stream on Twitch. 
• The classic 1960s costumes from the series (as well as the ones from The Crown) are on display at the Brooklyn Museum. You can take a virtual tour here. 

Tidy up: I’ve normalized the brown stains on all my coffee mugs, but there’s actually a way to get rid of them. You can find this tip and more with these surprising cleaning hacks. 

True or false: Success and burnout go hand in hand. Find out here. 

Mind over matter: When the headlines won’t stop or you find yourself flustered in Costco, try one of these three different breathing methods. 

Real talk: whatever happened to talking to real people online?

Thanks to bots, fake accounts, and shady algorithms, the line between real and fake has become so blurry, not even laser eye surgery could save us.

The real solution? Voice. 

Voice is building social as it should be: a place free of bots and all the fake stuff—so real people like you can have real conversations.

While Voice is currently invite-only, Brew readers are getting early access. 

Sign up if you’re Not A Bot™.

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If you’re in need of comfort: Replace your daily dose of doomscrolling with a glass of red wine and a puzzle in front of a homey crackling fire scene.

If you’re always on the move: Instead of listening to Spotify’s Motivation Mix playlist, try posing as an undercover CIA agent with this new running app. 

If you’re bored: After you’ve made your way through our Essentials movie recs, attend a show at the virtual Geffen Playhouse. The L.A. theater has a stacked lineup of online performances, including an interactive murder mystery and your holiday favorite, A Christmas Carol.

If you're into drama: Three words. Eight letters. Say it, and I’m yours—a new read. Cecily von Ziegesar, author of Gossip Girl (a personal fave), is moving on to the scandalous lives of Cobble Hill’s families in her upcoming novel. 

If you’re looking for cheap eats: Sometimes you just don’t have any mental energy left to prepare the homemade mushroom lasagna sitting in your NYT Cooking recipe box. Hence, you should always keep at least one of these 12 top-notch frozen pizzas in your freezer. 

Dine in: Make a reservation at the tiny chipmunk restaurant. 

Something sweet: I typically only eat vanilla frosting, but I’m open to the new hot cocoa frosting flavor. 

Best for last: These are the best last lines in literature. End of story. 

Calculate: Find out your personal carbon history. 

Say cheese: In middle school, your profile pic was the be all, end all. If only I had this profile pic maker to help a girl out.

Artie Photography (Artie Ng) / Getty Images

Wouldn’t it be nice to just escape to Santorini, Greece, and watch the sunset while munching on a huge chunk of fresh feta? Plus, it’s full of blue and white homes, the best color combo.

Can we start the weekend early this week? Please.