Where to stream the new documentary about the legendary female chess player Judit Polgar?
NETFLIX
Background on historical male attitudes towards women in chess?
Before Judit Polgar there were a lot of sexist piggy wiggys from the world of Chess saying that women were not mentally suitable for the game. However help was at hand to prove the establishment wrong.
What did Judit Polger achieve?
Judit Polgar and her sisters were home-schooled and trained by her father to be the best players they could be to prove that it was nurture that made the genius, rather than nature. The sisters were all good players, all 3 managed to win the Female chess olympiad as a team but Judit was the best one of the three.
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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