Judit Polgar: The Powerhouse of Chess

In 1965, Laszlo Polgar wrote a bunch of letters to a woman named Klara. Laszlo was a hardcore believer in hard work.

He believed that anyone with hard work and perseverance could become a genius at any field. His mantra was “A genius is not born, but is educated and trained.” He believed in the power of nurture over nature

Laszlo was so into this idea that, he needed a wife ready to support this vision. While Klara wasn’t so firm, she believed that anyone with hard work could could advance their skills.

So the two married and after a few years they had 3 children: Judit, Sophia and Susan.

To test his theory, he decided that Chess would be the appropriate field. Along with her other two sisters, they were all homeschooled on chess.

Judit, the youngest of the 3 was the most determined. By age 5, she began beating her dad.

By age 9, she beat her first International Master(IM) and after a few years, she became the youngest player ever listed in the top 100 rankings.

By age 15, she became the youngest grandmaster ever, crushing all other records. She held the #1 spot for the top female player in the entire world for 27 YEARS.

Her victories over previous world champions like Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Vishwanathan Anand cemented her status as one of the GOATS.

Beyond chess, she emphasized the importance of physical fitness and mental well-being, understanding that chess is as much a psychological battle as it is a strategic one.

Although she retired in 2014, she founded the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation, which aiming to educate children and promote chess as a tool for learning and personal development. She has partnered with several schools to integrate chess into school curriculums.

Judit Polgar’s story is a testament of insane grit. Today she continues to promote chess and its benefits for young minds.