Judit Polgár Reflects on Her Record-Breaking Chess Career

Queen of Chess, directed by Rory Kennedy and now streaming on Netflix, traces Judit Polgár's rise from a child prodigy to a record-setting grandmaster and features interviews with her family.

A new documentary, Queen of Chess, traces Judit Polgár's early rise and long career. The film, directed by Rory Kennedy, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and began streaming on Netflix on Feb. 6. It includes interviews with Polgár, her sisters Susan and Sofia, and their parents. The film also examines the intensive training led by their father, László, and the reactions that approach drew. Key facts: - Polgár won her first tournament at age 6 and became the world's top-ranked female player at age 12. - She became the youngest grandmaster at 15 years and 4 months, breaking a record that had stood for 33 years. - The film reports that the sisters were homeschooled to focus on chess and that László Polgár began training them from about age 5. - At 12, Polgár was part of Hungary's team that won gold at the 28th Chess Olympiad, and she did not lose a game in that event. - The film includes discussion of controversy over the family's methods, with Maurice Ashley shown describing them as "almost child abuse," and it notes archival remarks from figures such as Bobby Fischer; Polgár also defeated former world champion Garry Kasparov during her career. Summary: The film presents Polgár's record-setting achievements alongside conversations about her family's intensive training and the gender barriers she faced in chess. Queen of Chess is now streaming on Netflix. Undetermined at this time.