| 1 | Beth | Harmon | Orphan who discovers chess |
|
| | Mr. | Fergussen | Kind orphanage worker, dispenses pills |
|
| | Jolene | DeWitt | Worldly wise black orphan who befriends Beth |
|
| | Mr. | Shaibel | Janitor who teaches Beth chess moves |
Scholar' mate (Fool's mate), Queen's gambit, Levenfish variation |
| | Mr. | Schell | Teacher at orphanage | |
| | Miss | Hadley | Science teacher at orphanage |
|
| | Mr. | Espero | English teacher at orphanage |
|
| | Mr. | Ganz | High school teacher, chess club coach |
Najdorf |
| 2 | Helen | Deardorff | Severe head of orphanage |
|
| | | Gladys | Another orphan | |
| | Shirly | | From the HS chess club | |
| | Charles | Levy | One of opponent at HS chess club |
|
| | Miss | Lonsdale | Chapel leader | |
| 3 | Alma | Wheatley | Adopts Beth | |
| | Miss | Farley | Social worker |
Sicilian defense, Ruy Lopez opening |
| | Mrs. | MacArthur | Jr. High math teacher |
|
| | Sue | Ann | Apple Pi sorority member |
King's gambit |
| | Mr. | Bradley | Bookstore merchant | |
| | Margaret | | Apple Pi sorority member | |
| 4 | Annette | Packer | First tournament opponent |
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| | Harry | Beltik | Kentucky state champion |
|
| | | Cullen | Beltik's opponent | |
| | | Cooke | Beth's second opponent (1500 rating) |
|
| | | Kaplan | Beth's third opponent (1694 rating) |
|
| | | Klein | (1794 rating) | |
| | | Townes | (1724 rating) |
Dragon variation |
| | | Goldmann | Another tournament
opponent | |
| | | Sizmore | Prior state champion | |
| 5 | | Rudolph | A master |
Caro-Kann defense, |
| | Jean | Balke | Photographer, former player |
|
| | Benny | Watts | International grandmaster |
|
| 7 | Eileen | | Pot smoker | |
| | Barbara | | Pot smoker | |
| | Tim | | Beth's first | |
| 8 | Manuel | Cordoba | Mrs. Wheatley's Mexican boyfriend |
|
| | Octavio | Marenco | international grandmaster |
|
| | Vaslily | Borgov | World champion | |
| | Diedrich | | Australian player | |
| | Georgi | Girev | Young Russian player | |
| | | Solomon | Another tournament victim |
Benoni defense, King's Indian defense |
| 9 | Phillip | Resnais | Middle aged grandmaster |
|
| 11 | Hilton | Wexler | With Levertov | |
| | Arthur | Levertov | Grandmaster pick up game |
|
| | Jenny | Barns | With Levertov | |
| 12 | Reti | Opening | Dutch opponent | |
| | Michael | Chennault | Lawyer for Allston Wheatley |
|
| | Alsoton | Wheatley | Beth's adoptive father |
|
| | Ed | Spencer | Chess journalist | |
| 13 | | Foster | Beat Beth | |
| | Crawford | Walker | Christian Crusade director |
|
| | Hilda | Shaibel | The janitor's sister | |
| | Mrs. | Blocker | Representative of the Christian Crusade |
|
| | Miss | Dodge | Representative of the Christian Crusade |
|
| | | O'Malley | State Dept. for possible funding |
|
| | Mr. | Booth | Escort for trip to Russia | |
| | | Laev | Russian player | |
| | | Duhamel | Russian player | |
| | | Luchenko | Russian player | |
| | | Flento | Russian player | |
| | | Hellstrom | Russian player | |
