Judit Polgar

Judit Polgar (1976): the trailblazing super-GM who took on the open elite
Judit Polgar (born July 23, 1976, Budapest) is a Hungarian grandmaster widely regarded as the strongest female chess player in history. She built her career mainly in open (mixed) tournaments, becoming the only woman to reach the world Top 10, peaking at No. 8, and the only woman to cross 2700 Elo, with a peak rating of 2735.

In February, Netflix releases the documentary Queen of Chess (premiering Feb 6, 2026), spotlighting her rise and her battles against the chess establishment.

Key tournaments & milestones

• Hastings 1992-93 - Shared 1st, one of her early breakthrough wins in strong open company.
• Madrid International 1994 - 1st place, a landmark tournament victory vs a top GM field.
• Russia vs Rest of the World 2002 - Famous win vs Garry Kasparov (rapid), one of the most iconic results of her career.
• World Chess Championship (San Luis) 2005 - Final-stage participant, the only woman to play in a WC final-stage event of that era.
• Essent / Hoogeveen 2006 - Tournament success featuring two wins vs Veselin Topalov, then world No. 1.

Polgar became a GM in 1991 (age 15 years, 4 months) - at the time the youngest ever - setting the tone for a career defined by fearless, tactical chess against the very best.