Judit Polgár has been named the most influential female chess player of the past hundred years, while her sister, Zsuzsa Polgár, was recognised as the top female chess coach.
According to a press release sent to Telex, these accolades were awarded as part of the centennial celebration of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), which honoured key figures in the chess world across 18 different categories. FIDE’s relevant committees nominated individuals and organisations in each category, with the winners decided by a vote.
Judit Polgár named most influential female chess player
In the “Best Female Chess Player” category, there were ten nominees, all of them former world champions. Judit Polgár was up against legends such as Nona Gaprindashvili and Vera Menchik, with the Hungarian grandmaster ultimately claiming victory.
Polgár, who earned her grandmaster title at just 15, is the only woman to have ever ranked among the top 10 players in the world.
“Judit Polgár is widely regarded as the strongest female chess player of all time. She became a Grandmaster at 15, breaking Bobby Fischer’s record, and was the youngest player to enter the FIDE top 100 at age 12. She is the only woman to surpass a 2700 Elo rating, reaching a peak world ranking of No. 8 in 2004,” FIDE wrote about her.
Judit’s sister, Zsuzsa Polgár, was honoured as the best female chess coach. A four-time world chess champion between 1996 and 1999, she became the highest-ranked female player at the age of 15 and, in 1991, was only the third woman to receive the prestigious grandmaster title from FIDE.
#FIDE100 #Award – Best Player Woman
A special award for me, which I received in the presence of my parents, sisters and my husband in my hometown. ❤I owe my success to my perseverance, my fighting spirit and my creativity, for which I can be grateful to my family.#gratitude pic.twitter.com/uTgbP30GVu— Judit Polgar (@GMJuditPolgar) September 19, 2024
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Wow, such great and intelligent Hungarian female success stories. We need more women like these in Hungary.
This is a gross misrepresentation of what this award is about. If you had taken the time (about 1 minute) to actually read the official award description posted on the FIDE Awards 2024 website, you’d see the following:
AWARD DESCRIPTION
Awarded to the best female player recognized as the world’s top chess competitor in her time. A player who has contributed to the development of chess both through play and promotion of the game, who has set a good example to other players and, preferably, who has gained recognition beyond the chess world.
Not to take anything away from the significance of this award, there is nothing here about being “the most influential female chess player of the past hundred years.”
https://100.fide.com/fide-awards-2024-best-female-player/