Greatest Female Chess Player Ever Exclusively for VL: I Defeated 11 Male World Champions

Večernji List was honored to host Judit Polgár, the undisputed greatest female chess player of all time, following our recent interview with chess legend Garry Kasparov. Polgár, a singular talent who consistently ranked among the world's top 10 players for 26 years, joined us via video call from Warsaw, where she is attending a Grand Chess Tour event.

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I have great memories from many competitions, but if I have to choose, one of the most special was certainly participating in the Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki where, with my older sisters, I won gold for Hungary. I was only 12 years old then, and at that Olympiad, I had 12 wins and one draw in 13 matches.

Polgár is set to be the star attraction at the upcoming Sunset Sports Festival in Zadar. Previous festivals have featured sporting giants from American football, European football, and even MMA. She anticipates discussing her remarkable journey, her pioneering career, and her historic ascent in a male-dominated sport.

Her achievements are legendary: becoming the youngest Grandmaster in history at 12, surpassing records set by Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov. She holds a special place for the 1988 Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki, where she, alongside her sisters, secured a gold medal for Hungary. At just 16, she defeated Boris Spassky, and her consistent presence in the top echelons of world chess was a monumental feat.

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It is difficult to choose one, but I remember very well that I beat Anand several times, and the victory against Karpov was also a great one.

Polgár's career is marked by victories over 11 male world champions, including Kasparov, Karpov, Spassky, Anand, and Carlsen. While each win holds significance, she fondly recalls multiple victories against Anand and a particularly memorable win against Karpov. Her 2002 victory over a formidable Garry Kasparov created a historic atmosphere, a testament to her unparalleled skill.

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For me, it was a less important game than the two in which I drew with him at a time when he was in terrible form. Of course, when I beat him in 2002, it was something special, a historic atmosphere was created around it. And in that match, he didn't have much of a chance, which was quite unexpected.