Chess icon Judit Polgár says she hopes a new Netflix documentary about her career will inspire more girls to pick up the game. “I’m looking forward to seeing more girls play chess and to more girls chasing the big dream of becoming the best they can be” she told Germany’s “Spiegel”. “I want to convince parents and coaches that talented girls deserve support and can reach their full potential. Chess is for everyone”.
The film, titled “The Queen of Chess” and released on Netflix on February 6, chronicles Polgár’s climb to the top of the chess world. It shows how she broke through in a male‑dominated arena and ultimately became the first woman in history to beat the world’s highest‑ranked player, Garry Kasparov.
Polgár is widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time. She became the first-and still the only-woman to enter the top ten of the mixed world rankings and even played in a Candidates’ tournament for the open world championship. Today no woman ranks inside the world’s top 100.
She is now lobbying the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to scrap women‑only titles such as Women Grandmaster. “The big question is: why are there no women stepping into my shoes?” Polgár asked the “Spiegel” last year. “I think one of the problems is that expectations are too low. Everyone wants the easy route, and that’s natural human behavior. If we tell girls that they can take the easy path and be rewarded with titles, they will take it. That’s why we need to change the narrative”. Polgár also pointed out that schools no longer separate grades or qualifications by gender, underscoring the need for equal opportunities without pigeonholing.