Player Profile: Judit Polgar

Introduction In a world long ruled by male grandmasters, Judit Polgár emerged as a bold disruptor. Fierce, strategic, and fearless, she didn’t aim to be the best woman in chess — she set out to beat the very best, period.

Born on July 23, 1976, in Budapest, Hungary, Judit was the youngest of the three Polgár sisters. Her father, László Polgár, believed that "geniuses are made, not born" and homeschooled his daughters, focusing on chess from an early age.

Judit was trained in the same vein and László's theory was bearing practical results. She began defeating adult male players as early as age 9, and by age 12, she was ranked among the world’s top 100. A memorable game which took place in the late 1986, 10-year-old Judit defeated 52-year-old Romanian IM Dolfi Drimer in the Adsteam Lidums International Tournament in Adelaide, Australia.

Judit was 12 years old when she achieved the International Masters title beating records of Garry Kasparov and Bobby Fischer who achieved the feat aged 14. At 15 years and 4 months, she became the youngest grandmaster, surpassing Bobby Fischer’s record.

Judit Polgár’s career was marked by fearless attacks and a tactical brilliance that stunned even the greatest players of her time. She was one of the few to defeat Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, and even a young Magnus Carlsen - all World Champions.