Today, we will learn about Judit Polgar, a Hungarian chess grandmaster who is considered the strongest female chess player of all time.
Polgar’s father Laszlo, an educational psychologist, believed that any child is capable of achieving exceptional things if trained in a specialist subject from a young age. He attempted to prove this with his three daughters who were all home-schooled, with chess at the center of their education. The Polgar sisters faced obstacles from the very beginning, first from the socialist government (which opposed home schooling) and later from the Hungarian chess federation.
All three sisters (Susan, Judit, and Sofia) achieved remarkable success, but Judit was always the outstanding talent. At just 12, she was already ranked number 55 in the world, and at age 15, she became the youngest grandmaster up to that point in history. Judit has rarely played in women's-specific tournaments and has never competed for the Women's World Championship: "I always say that women should have the self-confidence that they are as good as male players, but only if they are willing to work and take it seriously as much as male players."
During her peak years, she recorded wins against almost all the leading players of her generation, and famously changed the opinion of Kasparov.
In 1989, Kasparov claimed, "Chess does not fit women properly. It’s a fight, you know? Women are weaker fighters." But by the end of Polgar’s career he had revised that view, writing that based upon her games, "if to play like a girl meant anything in chess, it would mean relentless aggression."
Polgar is now retired from full-time competition after a life of achievement in chess. Below is a link if you wish to watch her TedTalk where she talks about her chess journey
Once upon a time, at age 11, Judit defeated a GRANDMASTER. Legend has it that after losing this game, the GM was banging his head against an elevator wall. We feel your pain, man....
Overall, Judit is a very aggressive and tricky chess player. She has revolutionized the chess field, especially for women, and truly lives up to the hype. I encourage you to take a look at her amazing sisters, Susan and Sofia, who also accomplished incredible things. I hope you learned that hard work plays a larger role than natural talent, so stay on that grind and never give up!
Today, we will learn about Judit Polgar, a Hungarian chess grandmaster who is considered the strongest female chess player of all time.
Polgar’s father Laszlo, an educational psychologist, believed that any child is capable of achieving exceptional things if trained in a specialist subject from a young age. He attempted to prove this with his three daughters who were all home-schooled, with chess at the center of their education. The Polgar sisters faced obstacles from the very beginning, first from the socialist government (which opposed home schooling) and later from the Hungarian chess federation.
All three sisters (Susan, Judit, and Sofia) achieved remarkable success, but Judit was always the outstanding talent. At just 12, she was already ranked number 55 in the world, and at age 15, she became the youngest grandmaster up to that point in history. Judit has rarely played in women's-specific tournaments and has never competed for the Women's World Championship: "I always say that women should have the self-confidence that they are as good as male players, but only if they are willing to work and take it seriously as much as male players."
During her peak years, she recorded wins against almost all the leading players of her generation, and famously changed the opinion of Kasparov.
In 1989, Kasparov claimed, "Chess does not fit women properly. It’s a fight, you know? Women are weaker fighters." But by the end of Polgar’s career he had revised that view, writing that based upon her games, "if to play like a girl meant anything in chess, it would mean relentless aggression."
Polgar is now retired from full-time competition after a life of achievement in chess. Below is a link if you wish to watch her TedTalk where she talks about her chess journey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-ttu7dyBCU
Once upon a time, at age 11, Judit defeated a GRANDMASTER. Legend has it that after losing this game, the GM was banging his head against an elevator wall. We feel your pain, man....
Overall, Judit is a very aggressive and tricky chess player. She has revolutionized the chess field, especially for women, and truly lives up to the hype. I encourage you to take a look at her amazing sisters, Susan and Sofia, who also accomplished incredible things. I hope you learned that hard work plays a larger role than natural talent, so stay on that grind and never give up!