The Many Achievements of Judit Polgár

GM Judit Polgár gave a TED Talk in 2016 about her career in chess where she referred to chess as her “native language.” While it may not technically be her first language, she’s been showing the world how fluent she is since she was six. The amazing career of this elite grandmaster is full of firsts, records, and the undeniable truth that she is the best female chess player of all time.

In This House, We Make Geniuses

One of the more controversial facets of the Polgár sisters’ early life was their unconventional childhood. Their father, László Polgár, believed “geniuses are made, not born.” He theorized that any aptitude could be developed to prodigy level through intense study starting very early. He tested his theory on his own family, homeschooling his three daughters and providing chess lessons for many hours per day. Susan, Sofia, and Judit showed an early aptitude for chess, but this method has been a source of criticism.

This “experiment” made it difficult for the chess world to know what to make of the Polgárs as well. Many high-level players dismissed them as a novelty. To counter this, László insisted they play at the highest levels of competition. This meant the young girls were playing in opens against top male players. This was unusual in the 1980s and created additional friction with chess officials and the traditionalists in the Hungarian government.

A Prodigy by Any Standard: The Early Years

Judit spent many hours studying chess alongside her sisters in their apartment, learning to play her style of chess that Kasparov called “relentless aggression.” She began winning locally at age six, and the feeling of accomplishment drove her to study harder and win more.

In 1986, Judit won the unrated section of the New York Open. She won all but her final game, a draw, and took home a $1000 prize, a hefty sum at age 9. The adult grandmasters she played against didn’t know how to approach playing this small, serious child with the 2000+ ELO rating. Judit continued to crush opponents whether they played conservatively or recklessly.

In 1988, Judit became the youngest player (male or female) to have ever reached IM. Breaking this record made the chess establishment take her more seriously as a world contender. Also in 1988, the Polgár sisters and Ildiko Madl won the 28^th Chess Olympiad. The Soviet women’s team had powered their way to a string of consecutive gold medals, but 1988 saw the absence of GM Nona Gaprindashvili on the Soviet side. Twelve-year-old Judit finished with a 12 ½ - ½ record and the individual gold medal.

By 1989, Judit’s ELO rating was 2555. She was the top female player in the world and was chasing open rankings. In December 1991, she obtained her final GM norm by winning the Hungarian National Championship. At 15 years, 4 months old, she broke GM Bobby Fischer’s record to become the youngest GM in history, male or female. She was the fourth female chess grandmaster in history.

Breaking Records and Chasing Dreams

Reaching GM was not end of Judit Polgár’s goals, however. She wanted two more things. One, she wanted to break the Top Ten in world rankings. Two, she wanted a shot at the world title.

The Top Ten: Complete

In January 1996, Judit broke the Top Ten for the first time at age 20. She returned in 2003 and again in 2004, reaching #8 and holding it for almost two years. This ranking wasn’t just about bragging rights, either; it was the magic wand that produced invitations to more prestigious events. Her aggressive playing style and bold moves gave her a win over then world champion GM Anatoly Karpov in 1998, and she took the US Open title in the same year.

World Championship: So, So Close

In 2001, Judit was playing elite-level chess. She drew the reigning world champion GM Garry Kasparov twice at Linares. As she played at this level, however, losses began to affect her ratings. The invitations slowed.

In 2005, after returning from the birth of her son, Judit had another hot streak and regained her ratings points, hitting her highest mark, 2735. (This remains the record for women in chess and is “Super GM” level.) In September 2005, she was the first woman to ever play in the final stage of the World Chess Championship. Time constraints on her preparation proved to be devastating, and she finished last of eight.

In 2010, GM Polgár made another attempt at the title. She built her rating over 2700 again and achieved a four-way tie for first at the 2011 European Individual Chess Championship. It was not meant to be, however, and she stepped away from competition several years later.

A Rivalry: Polgár vs. Kasparov

While Judit Polgár never took the title from Kasparov, she did play the world champ multiple times. Kasparov initially discounted the prodigy as a novelty. When she was invited to Linares in 1994, the teenager had her chance to show him what she could do. Unfortunately, this match is infamous for a overlooked touch-move violation on the part of Kasparov. This unexpected and unfair occurrence threw Judit off for the rest of the tournament.

The next few years saw repeated matches between the two, with Judit coming shy of catching her “white whale” until 2002. In the Russia vs. the Rest of the World match, GM Polgár used one of Kasparov’s own lines to triumph over the world champion. Kasparov resigned. As career highlights go, that one’s pretty outstanding.

Stepping Back from Competitive Chess

Judit Polgár achieved many of her goals, including breaking the top ten in overall world rankings. She retired from competitive chess in 2014, but she continues to play exhibitions and participate in events. Fans are curious about whether she would compete for the women’s world title, but she hasn’t expressed a desire to do so. She has stated that she would rather not do so “just to do it.”

GM Polgár was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2021. She is unquestionably the most accomplished female player in history. Judit has beaten 11 current or former world champions at blitz or classical chess, including Magnus Carlsen. She has eight Olympic medals, including the golds won in 1988. She was the world's top-ranked woman for 26 years, from age 12 to 38.

The Judit Polgár Foundation was formed in 2012 “to draw attention to the connections between chess and education, science, culture, and sport.” The Foundation promotes chess worldwide and particularly in Hungary as a way for children to develop their full potential. The Foundation's primary focus is a chess curriculum called Chess Palace. Judit and her team developed this fantasy adventure in chess to teach chess and critical thinking to elementary school kids. Additionally, anyone may learn from one of her many books, such as "Master Your Chess with Judit Polgar."

Not Like the Movies: Challenges Overcome

If you watched The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix, one thing rang a bit false in the portrayal of a female chess prodigy. Some of it was just a little too…easy. Invitations to tournaments and access to the highest levels were not something real life players could take for granted. Judit Polgár faced several major challenges to overcome.

Political Tensions: Surprisingly, the Communist regime in Hungary actively stood in their way. László Polgár’s experimental educational methods were designed to make his children exceptional, in opposition to the Communist ideal of equal and identical opportunity. Further, the young Polgár sisters played against men, something the Hungarian Chess Federation expressly discouraged. The government and chess authorities harassed and threatened the family, using things like denied travel visas as leverage.

Balancing Family and Chess: The 2000s saw Judit’s career interrupted by the births of her children in 2004 and 2006. Women's chess ability often peaks in their 30s, and interruptions immediately affected her ratings and ranking. After briefly being listed as “Inactive” in 2004 during her maternity leave with her first, she achieved her peak rating of 2735 in 2005. The arrival of her daughter in 2006 again affected her rating, and her world ranking dropped from #8 to the mid-50s.

Bias in Chess: While chess has come a long way in its support and acceptance of women at all levels, the 1980s was still rife with misogyny. Elite players like Fischer and Kasparov made disparaging remarks about women in chess. Many believed that women would never outcompete men. As GM Polgár proved herself to be a tough, brilliant competitor, however, the opinions of other elite players grew more positive about both her and women in chess generally.

The Consummate Grandmaster

In the same TED Talk, GM Polgár said, “Checkmate is always fun.” Her love of the game shines through when she talks about it. She may not have snagged the world championship crown, but she has used her trademark qualities of practice, perseverance, and passion to break down barriers and promote chess worldwide. As the Netflix documentary based on her life states, she is truly a “Queen of Chess.”