Queen of Chess (Netflix) – Review
Where to Stream: Netflix
Background: Sexism in Chess
Before Judit Polgár came along, many leading figures in chess openly claimed that women simply lacked the mental ability to compete with men at the highest level. Those attitudes were widespread throughout much of the chess establishment.
Judit Polgár’s remarkable career proved just how wrong they were.
What Did Judit Polgár Achieve?
Judit Polgár and her sisters, Susan Polgár and Sofia Polgár, were homeschooled by their father, László Polgár. His belief was that genius is created through education and hard work rather than being something people are simply born with.
The experiment was extraordinary. All three sisters became outstanding chess players and helped Hungary win the Women’s Chess Olympiad.
Judit, however, reached an entirely different level.
She became the youngest Grandmaster in history at the age of 15, breaking Bobby Fischer’s long-standing record. She later became the only woman ever to break into the world’s top 10 rankings, reaching a peak ranking of World No. 8.
During her career she defeated numerous world champions, including Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen, demonstrating that she could compete with—and beat—the very best players in the world. She retired from competitive chess in 2014 but remains an influential figure in the game.
More importantly than any individual victory, Judit permanently changed attitudes towards women in elite chess. She wasn’t a novelty or a publicity story—she was a genuine contender capable of winning the biggest tournaments.
Is Queen of Chess Worth Watching?
Absolutely.
Seeing Judit consistently outplay many of the world’s strongest male chess players is genuinely inspiring. The documentary also introduces the whole Polgár family, who come across as warm, intelligent and immensely likeable. It doesn’t take long to find yourself rooting for them.
The film opens by showing archive interviews featuring famous chess figures—including Bobby Fischer—expressing dismissive and sexist views about women in chess. This provides the backdrop against which Judit’s achievements become even more remarkable.
You certainly don’t have to be a chess player—or a woman—to enjoy this documentary. Anyone who enjoys stories about determination, breaking barriers and achieving against the odds will find plenty to admire.
One female chess player interviewed in the film says:
“If Judit can do it, then what is stopping me?”
That perhaps sums up Judit Polgár’s greatest legacy. She shattered one of the biggest glass ceilings in sport and inspired generations of girls to believe they belonged at the highest level of chess.
Hopefully, as opportunities continue to grow, there will be many more Judit Polgárs in the future.
Rating: 9/10
As a player she has defeated the best that the male species can offer including Gary Kasparov, considered to be the best of all time. Also, she has beaten Magnus Carlsen, the current world number 1, if AI is correct, so she was a formidable player at her peak.
However, she probably can still play well despite retirement.
Most importantly, she became a Grandmaster and peaked at the number 8 player in the traditionally male, more competitive side of the game. Before Judit, gender was strictly segregated into male and female in the chess world.
Most importantly, she beat Bobby Fischer’s record by becoming a grandmaster at the age of 15. That made her and the female species in Chess taken more seriously. She was not a novelty and was not there to make up the numbers. Judit was a real threat to the more competitive male league.
Is the documentary Queen Of Chess good to watch.
Yes it is, seeing a woman outplaying all these male chess players was inspiring. Also, Judit and her sisters were all extremely likeable, and it didn’t take the viewer long to warm to them and be on Judit’s and the rest of the Polgars side.
The documentary started with interviews and extracts from Chess grandees such as Bobby Fischer casually dismissing women as Chess players as unsuitable to play against men.
You don’t have to be a woman to appreciate Judith’s story. You can be any gender and enjoy it as all three sisters and the family are all interesting and were ‘good company’. Also and it is nice seeing people achieve against the odds.
As one competitive female chess player said, in the documentary, said, ‘If Judit can do it, then what is stopping me?’ Judit had broken a glass ceiling in the chess world.
Hopefully, as the chess world opens up, there will be lots more Judits.
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