Overview
The extraordinary, inspiring, and enthralling life story of the legendary grandmaster Judit Polgár, the greatest female chess player of all time
Judit Polgár was born in communist Hungary in 1976. Her family lived modestly, but her father, László, had unconventional, exceptional ideas about education. He believed genius could be cultivated in children. So in the face of enormous opposition, he and his wife, Klára, embarked on a mission to raise their three daughters—Sofia, Susan, and Judit—as chess prodigies. Judit spent her childhood in a small Budapest apartment, which became an improvised experimental laboratory dedicated entirely to her chess education.
With intensive training and the support of her devoted parents, Judit took the brutal, male-dominated world of elite chess by storm. Her rise through the ranks had no precedent. Astonishingly, at the age of just fifteen years and four months, she broke Bobby Fischer’s record to become the youngest chess grandmaster ever. Judit would go on to be the number-one-ranked woman in the sport for over twenty-five years, and the only woman ever to be ranked top ten in the world. During her singular career, she faced off on more than one occasion with many highly ranked men who doubted her, not only that Judit belonged at the table opposite them but that women could compete against men at all. Over the course of her long, illustrious career—during which she became famous for her audacious, aggressive style of play—Judit would go on to defeat eleven world champions.
The story of Judit’s astonishing achievements has almost no parallel. Her life offers deep insight into the nature of genius across different domains and fields. Much has been said about Judit and her family—including in the recent Netflix documentary Queen of Chess—but never has she told the full story of her extreme but ultimately joyful childhood and family life herself. None of her success would have been possible without the constant and unconditional love and support of her parents, and of her mother, in particular. Judit is a mother herself, and her career has evolved from grandmaster to leading educator, as she takes the language of chess and applies it to the mission of unlocking potential in children.
Queen’s Move is a memoir destined to be read for generations. It is a rare window into the mesmerizing, virtuoso world of high-level professional chess, as well as a heroic story of a woman entering a world traditionally run by men and competing with the very best—never accepting that she should be put in a separate category.
Judit Polgár was born in communist Hungary in 1976. Her family lived modestly, but her father, László, had unconventional, exceptional ideas about education. He believed genius could be cultivated in children. So in the face of enormous opposition, he and his wife, Klára, embarked on a mission to raise their three daughters—Sofia, Susan, and Judit—as chess prodigies. Judit spent her childhood in a small Budapest apartment, which became an improvised experimental laboratory dedicated entirely to her chess education.
With intensive training and the support of her devoted parents, Judit took the brutal, male-dominated world of elite chess by storm. Her rise through the ranks had no precedent. Astonishingly, at the age of just fifteen years and four months, she broke Bobby Fischer’s record to become the youngest chess grandmaster ever. Judit would go on to be the number-one-ranked woman in the sport for over twenty-five years, and the only woman ever to be ranked top ten in the world. During her singular career, she faced off on more than one occasion with many highly ranked men who doubted her, not only that Judit belonged at the table opposite them but that women could compete against men at all. Over the course of her long, illustrious career—during which she became famous for her audacious, aggressive style of play—Judit would go on to defeat eleven world champions.
The story of Judit’s astonishing achievements has almost no parallel. Her life offers deep insight into the nature of genius across different domains and fields. Much has been said about Judit and her family—including in the recent Netflix documentary Queen of Chess—but never has she told the full story of her extreme but ultimately joyful childhood and family life herself. None of her success would have been possible without the constant and unconditional love and support of her parents, and of her mother, in particular. Judit is a mother herself, and her career has evolved from grandmaster to leading educator, as she takes the language of chess and applies it to the mission of unlocking potential in children.
Queen’s Move is a memoir destined to be read for generations. It is a rare window into the mesmerizing, virtuoso world of high-level professional chess, as well as a heroic story of a woman entering a world traditionally run by men and competing with the very best—never accepting that she should be put in a separate category.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry Queen's Move (A Memoir), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of Queen's Move (A Memoir).