Mallory’s blue dress

The blue dress which Mallory changes out of symbolizes her desire to fit into the chess world. Mallory’s desire to diminish her femininity is a direct result of the objectification she experienced the night before when the male chess players openly sexualized her.

The Corpse Bride dress

Mallory’s decision to don her Corpse Bride dress at the Challengers tournament symbolizes her return to her truest self. In wearing her favorite dress, Mallory signifies her opposition to her sexist critics. In doing so, she preserves her integrity.

The tic-tac-toe sheet

Mal is flattered when she notices that Nolan preserved the sheet of paper they used to play tic-tac-toe in Toronto. That he should value the sheet so much points to his affection for Mallory.

Nolan Sawyer

In Mallory’s eyes, Nolan represents her fear of success. The memory of beating Nolan in...