Most of the cast of the show didn't know how to play chess—the choreography of each game and the playing style of each character were planned out by real-life chess consultants and coaches. Then actors had to memorize how and when to place each piece for specific shots. Apparently, many of the matches and players were inspired by famous real-life chess players.

For instance, Harry Beltik's playing style was based on the Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen. "We each choose a character," the actor Harry Melling told Vulture in an interview. "I focused on a real chess player, Magnus Carlsen. He's very interesting because he's very quick and his hands are very straight in line with the pieces."