Queen of Chess documentary on Netflix revisits Judit Polgár and echoes The Queen's Gambit

Netflix released Queen of Chess on February 6, 2026; the 93-minute documentary directed by Rory Kennedy chronicles Hungarian grandmaster Judit Polgár’s life and is frequently compared to the fictional The Queen's Gambit.

Queen of Chess is a new Netflix documentary that profiles Hungarian grandmaster Judit Polgár and draws frequent comparisons to the popular miniseries The Queen's Gambit. The Queen's Gambit (2020) is credited with bringing many new players and fans to chess, and the documentary presents a real-life counterpart in Polgár. Queen of Chess uses archival footage and present-day interviews to trace Polgár's upbringing, competitive career, and the barriers she faced in a male-dominated sport. Critical response to the film is described as mixed in the article, and the documentary was released on February 6, 2026. Key details: - Release date: February 6, 2026; runtime: 93 minutes. - Director: Rory Kennedy; writers: Mark Bailey and Keven McAlester; producers include Rory Kennedy, Keven McAlester, and Mark Bailey. - Subject: Judit Polgár, who became a grandmaster at age 15 and retired from competitive play in 2014. - The film combines archival footage and present-day interviews to chart Polgár’s rise, her unusual early training under her father, and the pressures she faced. - The article notes parallels between Polgár’s story and The Queen’s Gambit, including themes of a father figure shaping a prodigy and high-profile rivalries (the piece references Garry Kasparov). Summary: The documentary frames Judit Polgár’s career as a real-world story that echoes elements of The Queen’s Gambit and highlights both her competitive achievements and the gendered challenges she encountered. Undetermined at this time.