- Original name:
- Zsuzsanna PolgĂĄr
- Born:
- April 19, 1969, Budapest, Hung. (age 57)
- Awards And Honors:
- International Grandmaster (1991)
- Notable Family Members:
- sister Judit PolgĂĄr
Susan Polgar
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Who is Susan Polgar?
Susan Polgar (born April 19, 1969) is a Hungarian-born American chess player. In 1996, she won the womenâs world championship from Xie Jun of China, but was later stripped of her title in 1999 by the FĂ©dĂ©ration Internationale des Ăchecs (FIDE) for failing to agree to match conditions.
At age 4, Polgar won the under-11 chess championship of Budapest. Playing first board for the Hungarian womenâs chess team with her sisters, she led Hungary to gold medals at the 1988 and 1990 Chess Olympiads. Polgar earned the International Grandmaster (GM) title in 1991 and is considered one of the best female players of all time, after her sister Judit.
The Susan Polgar Foundation, a nonprofit, was formed in 2004 to promote chess among girls in the United States.
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What is Susan Polgar known for in the world of chess?
Susan Polgar is a Hungarian-born American chess player notable for winning the womenâs world championship in 1996. At age 4, she won the under-11 chess championship of Budapest. Polgar attained the International Master title in 1984 and the International Grandmaster title in 1991. Along with her sisters, ZsĂłfia (Sofia) and Judit PolgĂĄr, Susan led the Hungarian womenâs chess team to gold medals at the 1988 and 1990 Chess Olympiads.
The Susan Polgar Foundation was formed in 2004 to promote chess among girls in the United States through tournaments and scholarships. In 2007, she became the first chairman of the United States Chess Federation's executive board and director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) at Texas Tech University.
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When did Susan Polgar start playing chess, and how did she become famous?
Susan Polgar began playing chess at age 4, winning the under-11 chess championship of Budapest with a perfect score. She gained international recognition at age 15, becoming the top-ranked female player.
Polgar, along with her sisters ZsĂłfia and Judit, led the Hungarian women's chess team to gold medals at the 1988 and 1990 Chess Olympiads. In 1991, she earned the (menâs) International Grandmaster title. Polgar won the womenâs world championship in 1996. The Susan Polgar Foundation, founded in 2004, promotes chess among girls in the United States.
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What major achievements has Susan Polgar accomplished in her chess career?
Susan Polgar, a Hungarian-born American chess player, has had a remarkable career. At age 4, she won the under-11 chess championship of Budapest. In 1981, though only 12, she won the girlâs under-16 section of the FIDE World Youth Chess Festival for Peace. Polgar attained the International Master (IM) title in 1984 and the International Grandmaster (GM) title in 1991.
She led the Hungarian womenâs chess team, along with her sisters ZsĂłfia and Judit, to gold medals at the 1988 and 1990 Chess Olympiads. In 1996, Susan Polgar won the womenâs world championship from Xie Jun of China, but was later stripped of her title in 1999 by FIDE. The Susan Polgar Foundation was established in 2004 to promote chess among girls in the United States.
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How did Susan Polgar help promote women's participation in chess?
Susan Polgar has significantly promoted women's participation in chess through various initiatives. In 2004, she established the Susan Polgar Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing chess among girls in the United States. The foundation sponsors numerous tournaments, notably the annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, which has awarded full scholastic scholarships to winners. Additionally, Polgar became the first chairman of the United States Chess Federation in 2007 and also directed the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) at Texas Tech University.
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What roles has Susan Polgar taken on besides being a chess player, such as coaching or organizing tournaments?
After her career as a chess player, Susan Polgar took on roles to promote the game, especially among girls in the United States. In 2004, she established the Susan Polgar Foundation, a nonprofit that sponsors tournaments like the annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, which awards scholastic scholarships to winners. In 2007, Polgar became the first chairman of the United States Chess Federation's executive board and the director of the Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. She also started a regular Internet blog, Polgar Chess Daily News and Information, in 2005.
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Susan Polgar (born April 19, 1969, Budapest, Hung.) is a Hungarian-born American chess player who won the womenâs world championship in 1996 from Xie Jun of China. In 1999, Polgar was stripped of her title by the FĂ©dĂ©ration Internationale des Ăchecs (FIDE; the international chess organization) for failing to agree to match conditions.
Hungarian years
At 4 years of age, Polgar won the under-11 chess championship of Budapest with a perfect score of 10â0. Although she was only 12 at the time, Polgar won the girlâs under-16 section of the 1981 FIDE World Youth Chess Festival for Peace, held in Embalse, Arg. Polgar attained the (menâs) International Master (IM) title in 1984. In a much criticized move, FIDE added 100 rating points to every female chess player except for Polgar at the end of 1986, which had the immediate effect of keeping a Russian atop the January 1987 womenâs rating list instead of Polgar and a long-term effect of causing a noticeable inflation in all chess ratings.
Playing first board for the Hungarian womenâs chess team, along with her younger sisters ZsĂłfia (Sofia) and Judit PolgĂĄr on the lower boards, Susan Polgar led Hungary to gold medals at the 1988 Chess Olympiad, held in ThessalonĂki, Greece, and the 1990 Chess Olympiad, held in Novi Sad, Yugos. Susan Polgar earned the (menâs) International Grandmaster (GM) title in 1991 and, after her sister Judit, is generally considered the best female player of all time.
With Judit slated to make a run at the menâs world championship, Susan Polgar pursued the womenâs championship by winning the 1992 Womenâs Candidates Tournament, held in Shanghai, China, to determine a challenger to Xie Jun. Polgar finished ahead of two Georgians, the former champion Maya Chiburdanidze and the runner-up Nana Ioseliani, with whom she was required to play a match for the right to face Xie. Their eight-game match, which was played in 1993 in Monaco, ended with two wins apiece and three draws, forcing a two-game extension that was split, leading to yet another two-game extension, which also was split. At that point, FIDE decided to determine the winner with a lottery, which Ioseliani won.
Without Judit, who was playing first board for the Hungarian menâs team, Susan and ZsĂłfia, on first and second boards respectively, led Hungary to the womenâs silver medal at the 1994 Chess Olympiad, held in Moscow.
American world champion
Susan Polgar married Jacob Shutzman, an American computer consultant, in 1994 and moved to New York City, where the two opened a private chess club. Polgar renewed her quest for the world championship; the first step was accomplished by sharing first place with Maya Chiburdanidze at the 1994 Womenâs Candidate Tournament, held in Tilburg, Neth. In their 1995 play-off, held in St. Petersburg, Russia, Polgar defeated Chiburdanidze by a score of 4 wins, 3 draws, and 0 losses. In 1996, at JaĂ©n, Spain, Polgar defeated Xie Jun for the world title by a score of 6 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses. Following her victory, Polgar collaborated with her husband in writing her autobiography, Queen of the Kings Game (1997).
FIDE failed to find funding for the womenâs world championship in 1998, and Polgar proceeded with plans to have a child. Funding was later obtained, and FIDE rescheduled the match to take place in China in 1999. Polgar was denied a deferment for her pregnancy and lost the title when she refused to comply with match conditions.
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Polgar returned to active chess play in 2003, and she played first board for the United States womenâs team at the 2004 FIDE Chess Olympiad, held in CalviĂ , Majorca, Spain. The U.S. team took the silver medal, and Polgar won the gold medal for her individual performance. Polgar extended her record streak to 56 consecutive games without a loss in Chess Olympiads. In 2006 Polgar won the FIDE Womenâs World Cup, defeating Elisabeth PĂ€htz of Germany in the final match by a score of 1 win, 1 draw, and 0 losses.
Chess promoter
The nonprofit Susan Polgar Foundation was formed in 2004 to promote chess among girls in the United States. It sponsors many tournaments, including the annual Susan Polgar National Invitational for Girls, which has awarded full scholastic scholarships to winners. In 2005 Polgar started a regular Internet blog, Polgar Chess Daily News and Information. In 2007 Polgar ran for the executive board of the United States Chess Federation and was elected its first chairman. In 2007 she also became director of the new Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE), located at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.