I’m fascinated by the life of Judith Polgar, considered the best woman chess player in the world. Her life is quite amazing, especially considering her childhood in Hungary, a communist country. Her family was poor but her father was determined that she and her sisters would become the best chess players. Her parents were a happy couple and supportive of one another and their ambitions for their children. That is always a good ingredient for success. Although they were poor, playing chess was something they could afford. She and her two sisters became master chess players still as children, in spite of the extreme challenges faced living in a communist regime.
She started playing when she was 5 years old and by 12 years old she was already competing on a professional level against Russians and other internationally known men's players. Their lifestyle was extremely intense. Chess was an everyday activity with tutors all day long, including weekends. I wonder since they lived in a communist country if it was better to play chess all day than to live under such an extreme regime.
Chess is dominated by men, not just men but super intelligent and arrogant men. Bobby Fisher once made the comment that “women don't have a good head to play chess”.
One time she was competing against a world famous Russian player Garry Kasparov. He cheated in one of the moves and she confronted him. That took a lot of courage! Can you imagine confronting the best Russian player in the world at that time, and you are only a girl?
Women have come a long way but we still have a long way to go... Men can dismiss us and with a superior attitude they put us down with no mercy. I tried to not let this bother me but it is hard not to be affected by that attitude. Fortunately not all men do that. The ones that respect us are generally intelligent and they don't need to prove anything. I love those men.
The stars aligned for her, and she is HAPPILY married. I feel that is a great achievement. Finding love and support from a man makes life happier and helps us to feel more fulfilled, more complete. Although being single is not a bad thing. Single men and women can be as happy, although scientists say humans do better when we live as a couple.
Judith Polgar is a woman that I admire for her determination, for her intelligence, and her achievements in a man's world, all while being a gentle person. She is all of those things in one package. But most of all, she proves that women are more than reproductive bodies with nice shoes. She competes in a man’s world and comes out on top.
I’m passionate about chess also and about a kind man who together we can say to life, “Checkmate”.
What do you think about Judith Polgar? Please write to me at my email address
GuadalupeJ4K@gmail.com.