Georgian chess legend Nona Gaprindashvili has filed a $5 million defamation suit against Netflix, saying her depiction in the hit TV show The Queen's Gambit was 'sexist and belittling'. A copy of the lawsuit filed on Thursday with a California court accuses Netflix of distorting Gaprindashvili's achievements in the fictional series.

It says the show falsely suggested that the former female world champion never played competitive chess with men, and states that Gaprindashvili, now 80, competed against dozens of top male players, beating 28 of them. "Netflix brazenly and deliberately lied about Gaprindashvili's achievements. The allegation that Gaprindashvili 'has never faced men' is manifestly false, as well as being grossly sexist and belittling," read the lawsuit. It further added, "Piling on additional insult to injury, Netflix described Gaprindashvili as Russian, despite knowing that she was Georgian."

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Netflix said in a statement, "we have only the utmost respect for Ms Gaprindashvili and her illustrious career, but we believe this claim has no merit and will vigorously defend the case."

The Queen's Gambit, based on a 1983 novel by Walter Tevis, tells the story of young orphan Beth Harmon who becomes the world's best chess player in the Cold War era.