Chess icon Judit Polgár hopes that the new Netflix documentary about her career will inspire girls. “I look forward to seeing more girls play chess and more girls pursue the big dream of becoming the best chess players they can be” she told “Der Spiegel”. “I want to convince parents and coaches that talented girls deserve support and can reach their full potential. Chess is for everyone”.
On February 6, Netflix released the documentary ”Die Königin des Schachs” (“The Queen of Chess”). The film follows Polgár’s rise to the top of the chess world, her break‑through in a male‑dominated arena, and her historic victory over the world’s No. 1 player, Garry Kasparov.
Polgár is the best female chess player ever. She became the first-and so far the only-woman to break into the top 10 of the overall world ranking and to compete in a Candidates tournament for the open world championship. Today, no woman occupies a spot in the top 100 of the overall rating list.
Now Polgár is campaigning for the International Chess Federation to eliminate the female‑specific titles it introduced, such as Women Grandmaster. “The big question is why there are no more women following in my footsteps” she told “Der Spiegel” last year. “One problem is that the standards are too low. Everyone wants an easy path-human, of course. If we tell girls they can take the easy way and reward them with titles, they’ll naturally choose that path”. She added that schools also do not distinguish grades or diplomas by gender.
