The men at Susan Polgar’s first chess club laughed when she showed up. She was just four years old and needed a stack of books to see over the board. But she quickly proved she wasn’t someone to underestimate. Long before The Queen’s Gambit, Polgar was challenging a chess world that didn’t believe women belonged at the highest levels. We speak with Susan herself about her life’s work and the barriers she broke along the way.
Guest Information:
- Susan Polgar, chess grandmaster, author, The Rebel Queen.
Born in Hungary in 1969, Susan Polgar wasn’t supposed to be a world champion and she wasn’t supposed to beat men at their own game. She started playing chess at just four years old and was still a child the first time her father took her to play at a local chess club.
Polgar has dealt with harassment, heckling, bias and more. But through it all, she did what she knew best: She played the game. She also credits her grandmother with giving her strength and perspective.
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