Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgár is a living legend. Considered the world’s best female chess player and drawing comparisons to the fictional star of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit , Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at just 15 years old, breaking Bobby Fischer’s record at the time. She was also the youngest player ever to break into The International Chess Federation’s ( FIDE ) top 100 players list at the age of 12; and most recently, she took home the title of the best woman player in history at the FIDE 100 Awards gala, marking the centenary of the Federation.
The award ceremony took place in Budapest, a city that is synonymous with chess excellence and artistry. Polgár—who was born in Budapest—was an ideal choice for Gresham Palace’s new Chess Masterclass experience, which allows guests to come face to face with the champion in a private lesson. “Chess has a huge history in Hungary and is part of the culture,” says Polgár.
“It practically goes back 200 years. And we always had an elite player recognized around the world—mostly men, but for a lot of decades, women as well.” After the debut of The Queen’s Gambit in 2020 and the popularity of the 45th Chess Olympiad in September 2024, the timing for the partnership felt right.
“Chess is very popular all over the world now,” says Polgár, who credits the Netflix show for increas.