a chess grandmaster who is considered the greatest female chess player of all time. She competed against both men and women and was ranked eighth in the world. Hungary, 21st century
Must Know
Hungarian chess grandmaster, considered the best female chess player of all time. She was taught chess by her older sister Susan, also a world champion. At 15, after winning the Hungarian Championship, she was the youngest player to achieve the title of Grandmaster. Throughout her entire career, Polgar rarely participated in women’s tournaments and played against many male competitors; she is the only woman that ever qualified to the men’s world championship. She defeated many famous grandmasters, including Gary Kasparov, becoming the first female in history to defeat the No. 1 ranked active male player in the world. In 2015, she was appointed the captain and head coach of the Hungarian men’s team.
