sports
February 6, 2026
Queen of Chess review
She was raised as part of a prodigy-breeding psychological experiment, took on the chess patriarchy and beat her idol Garry Kasparov. So why isn’t there more depth to this documentary?
TL;DR
- Judit Polgár won her first chess tournament at age six, receiving an electronic chess computer.
- Her father, László Polgár, an educational psychologist, believed "geniuses are made, not born" and subjected Judit to a rigorous, experimental training regime.
- The family faced challenges from the communist regime, which confiscated their passports, and from pervasive sexism in the chess world.
- Polgár had a notable rivalry with Garry Kasparov, whom she defeated in their 14th game.
- The documentary "Queen of Chess" is noted for its energetic but superficial portrayal of Polgár's life, with critics suggesting a lack of emotional depth.
- Polgár reflects on the need to prove herself "10 times more than if I’d been born as a boy" and touches on the complexity of her relationship with her father and his experiment.
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