A real-life “Queen's Gambit”, the memoir of Susan Polgar, the most renowned woman in chess history, who took on a sexist establishment, stood up to an authoritarian empire and rewrote the rules of what women could achieve against the oppressive backdrop of Cold War Eastern Europe.
Born to a poor Jewish family in Cold War Budapest, Susan Polgar had the odds stacked against her, from having few resources, to growing up in a sexist culture rife with vicious anti-Semitism. Yet her father subscribed to the belief that geniuses are not born, but created, so he set out to ensure her success in an unlikely field: chess.
At age 4, she won her first tournament. By 15, she was the top-rated female player in the world. She was the first woman ever to hold the men's Grandmaster title, chess's highest designation. The ensuing wins and accolades provided incredible highs to coincide with extreme lows as Polgar's celebrity brought backlash, including sabotage and state-sponsored intimidation.
“The Rebel Queen” is the story of her improbable rise, offering a rare behind-the-scenes chess story and featuring some of the game's most legendary characters. Yet it is a narrative that transcends chess, the story of a genius, treated from birth as a second-class citizen, who thrilled against all odds. It is an incredible underdog story told by the woman who actually lived it.
Hungarian—born Susan Polgar is one of the most decorated female chess players ever. In 1984, at age 15, she became the youngest ever to earn the world #1 ranking. In 1986, she made history by qualifying for the Men's World Championship but was not allowed to play due to her gender.
In 1991, she broke the gender barrier again by being the first female in history to earn the Men's Grandmaster title by norms and rating. She is the only player in history to earn all 6 of the world's most prestigious chess crowns (world chess triple—crown, individual and team Olympiad gold, and world #1 ranking).
In addition to her storied career, Polgar founded the Susan Polgar Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization to promote chess, with all its educational, social and competitive benefits throughout the U.S., for young people of all ages, especially girls. After her professional playing career, she became the only woman to coach a men's division I collegiate team (Texas Tech 2007—2012 and Webster University 2012—2021). Her teams in the past 10 years have won more world championships, national titles, and Olympiad medals than all other collegiate chess programs in the United States combined, including a record 7 consecutive final four championships, and 9 consecutive years as the #1 ranked team in the nation. She became the first player to ever play 1,131 consecutive games, winning 1,112 wins! She also broke the record for 326 simultaneous games played with 309 wins, and the highest winning percentage (96.93%). In 2019 she was inducted to the Chess Hall of Fame. Susan was the subject of a National Geographic documentary, entitled "My Brilliant Brain."
