Judit Polgar to be inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame

by ChessBase
12/3/2022 – Judit Polgar of Hungary, the strongest female chess player of all time, will be inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame during the 6th Annual Strategy Across the Board Gala hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club and World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) on Saturday, December 3 in Saint Louis, Missouri. | Photo: Bill Hook / Jana Maskova (Czechoslovakia) vs. Judit Polgar (Hungary) at the 1988 Thessaloniki, Greece, Chess Olympiad 1988

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Press release by the World Chess Hall of Fame

Judit Polgar of Hungary, the strongest female chess player of all time, will be inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame during the 6th Annual Strategy Across the Board Gala hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club and World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) on Saturday, December 3, 2022, in Saint Louis, MO. 

The Hungarian legend said:

It is a great honour to be recognized for my decade-long contributions to the sport that I love as both a chess player and my work promoting chess, its benefits as an educational tool, and encouraging women's orientation towards chess.

We must continue to work to ensure that more girls experience this ancient game's beauty, knowledge, and benefits. I take every opportunity to convey the message to girls and people around them: strive to make the most of their talents. Because if we do not limit girls, if we encourage and inspire them to persevere and build their confidence, they will succeed in any field of life.

Judit PolgarJudit Polgar is universally recognized as the strongest female player of all time. She was first rated in the top 100 players in the world at age 12 when she won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympiad in Thessaloniki. This performance also catapulted Judit to the world's number 1 ranking for women, a position that she maintained for the next 26 years. Judit broke Bobby Fischer’s record as the youngest grandmaster in 1991. 

The 1990 Chess Olympiad in Novi Sad was the last women-only tournament in which Judit would ever participate. Polgar is the only woman to have ever reached the Candidates stage in the world, and to have been rated over 2700, reaching a peak of 2735 in 2005. During her career, she defeated 11 current or former world champions in rapid or classical chess. Polgar was a member of the 2014 silver medal-winning Hungarian Olympiad team and won seven other medals in Olympiads.

“Judit Polgar represents the global impact and inclusivity chess has to offer,” said FIDE Special Projects Manager and History Committee Chairman Willy Iclicki. “We are proud to have her join an illustrious list of other trailblazers who have contributed to shaping and defining the legacy of chess.”

“We are excited to recognize Judit’s numerous achievements and contributions to the sport of chess,” said Shannon Bailey, Chief Curator of the World Chess Hall of Fame. “Her dedication to advancing chess while breaking down barriers for girls and women is an inspiration, and we’re proud to honor her on permanent display at the World Chess Hall of Fame.”

Judit joins two other exceptional chess players who were also inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame’s 2021 class earlier this fall, including Miguel Najdorf, whose name is associated with one of the most famous openings in chess, the Najdorf Variation of the Sicilian Defense, in addition to being one of the most successful performers in Chess Olympiad history and Eugene Torre, a trailblazer for Asian chess for half a century, achieving a number of continental milestones including the first grandmaster, first to defeat a reigning world champion, and first to reach the Candidates stage of the World Championship.

Judit Polgar, Inside Chess

Inside Chess, Vol 1, No. 8 - April 20, 1988 | Collection of the World Chess Hall of Fame, gift of John Donaldson

Inductees of the World Chess Hall of Fame are nominated by the International Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs or FIDE) and are chosen for their impact on the sport and have included players, authors, journalists, scholars, organizers and supporters of the game. Each player is commemorated at the World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis with a plaque bearing their image and biography. 

To learn more, visit www.worldchesshof.org. For media interviews or a press kit, please contact Brian Flowers at brian.flowers@worldchesshof.org or (314) 243-1571.


About Grandmaster Judit Polgar

Judit Polgar
(1976-     ) 

Judit PolgarJudit Polgar is universally recognized as the strongest female player of all time. She was first rated in the top 100 players in the world at age 12 when she won three gold medals at the 1988 Olympiad in Thessaloniki. This performance also catapulted Judit to the world's number 1 ranking for women, a position that she maintained for the next 26 years. Judit broke Bobby Fischer’s record as the youngest grandmaster in 1991. Polgar is the only woman to have ever reached the Candidates stage in the world, and to have been rated over 2700, reaching a peak of 2735 in 2005. During her career, she defeated 11 current or former world champions in rapid or classical chess. Polgar was a member of the 2014 silver medal-winning Hungarian Olympiad team and won seven other medals in Olympiads.


About the Chess Halls of Fame

The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) celebrates the accomplishments of the game's greatest players from the United States and across the globe. The institution houses both the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame. New inductees are honored in an annual ceremony, which has been held in Saint Louis, Missouri, since 2011. Since 2012, the inductions have been held during the opening ceremonies for the annual U.S. Chess Championship and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships.

About the Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club (STLCC) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the Club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.

Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit saintlouischessclub.org.


How Inductees Are Chosen

Each year, candidates for induction to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame are nominated by the US Chess Recognitions Committee. which includes leading chess historians. The Committee’s selections are sent to the US Chess Executive Board for review, and the Board's recommendations are then forwarded to the US Chess Trust. whose Trustees have the official authority to determine inductees into the US Chess Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony takes place at the World Chess Hall of Fame or at the annual US Chess Awards luncheon. A representative of the US Chess Trust performs the official induction, using the official Hall of Fame gavel.

Representatives of the World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, or FIDE) nominate and select new candidates for induction into the World Chess Hall of Fame. Members of the World Chess Hall of Fame are chosen for their total contribution to the sport. Players as well as others who have made an impact as authors, journalists, organizers and in other ways are eligible for induction.


About the US Chess Trust

The US Chess Trust is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Through the Trust, the Samford Fellowships have helped develop our nation’s top young chess players. Typically, nine of 12 players in the U.S. Championship are former or current Samford Fellows.

The Trust sponsors the senior, junior and girls’ national invitational events for state champions at the annual U.S. Open and provides numerous college scholarships. For more information, visit uschesstrust.org.

About US Chess

The US Chess Federation (US Chess) is the official governing body and nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization for chess players and chess supporters in the United States. Our mission is to empower people, enrich lives, and enhance communities through chess. Our vision is that chess is recognized as an essential tool that is inclusive, benefits education and rehabilitation, and promotes recreation and friendly competition.

US Chess represents the United States in the World Chess Federation (FIDE), connecting our members to chess players around the world. Founded in 1939 with the merger of the American Chess Federation and the National Chess Federation, US Chess has grown to serve over 93,000 members and 2,000 affiliated chess clubs and organizations today. For more information, visit uschess.org.

About the World Chess Hall of Fame

The World Chess Hall of Fame (WCHOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building awareness of the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Florida. The WCHOF is located at 4652 Maryland Avenue, housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business, featuring World Chess Hall of Fame inductees, United States Chess Hall of Fame inductees selected by the U.S. Chess Trust, displays of artifacts from the permanent collection and exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games and rich cultural history of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national and international audiences. For more information, visit worldchesshof.org


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