Joan and I recently wrapped up the first season of “The Queen’s Gambit,” on Netflix.

The series is a fictional story regarding a young, female, chess playing savant, set in the 1960s. The show is great to look at - all the 1960s furniture, automobiles and fashion was great and the sheer number of actors smoking was shocking.

I have played chess, poorly, since I was in high school. I never had formal lessons and it shows. My training was more “This piece does this; that one does that,” and so on.

Strategy evaded me.

But I understood what was taking place on some of the games on “The Queen’s Gambit,” and felt the same frustration of some of the main character’s victims, as they realize that they are in a no-win situation and that in a few moves, they are destined to lose.

They extend a hand for a congratulatory handshake - and triumphant music plays.

I thought of those similarities when I would come to work and read the multitude of stories about the lawsuits that President Trump and his cast of supporters were filing, in the various states - the ‘swing’ states - where changing the outcome in that state could alter the final tally.

Each day there was a story about how this judge or that court had rebuffed claims of voter fraud, or improperly counted ballots, or ballots counted improperly. All while his representatives made more and more outrageous claims.

Kinda like getting your king pinned down in check by a rook on the edge of the board, with another rook sitting one row up, and only a pawn to hide behind to help you.

You can continue to move one square and then move back, possibly until the cows come home, but the outcome is already decided.

The plays have been made, the strategies have been tried and the game is over.

It’s time to extend a hand in congratulations and exit to a swell of music.