45 Facts About Susan Polgar

Susan Polgar won eleven medals at the Women's Chess Olympiad.

Susan Polgar served as the Chairperson or co-chair of the FIDE Commission for Women's Chess from 2008 until late 2018.

Susan Polgar was born and brought up in Budapest, Hungary, to a Hungarian-Jewish family.

In 1994, Susan Polgar married computer consultant Jacob Shutzman, and moved to New York.

In November 1986, FIDE decided to grant 100 bonus Elo rating points to all active female players except Susan Polgar, which knocked her from the top spot in the January 1987 FIDE ratings list.

The rationale was that the FIDE ratings of women were not commensurate with the ratings of the men because the women tended to play in women-only tournaments, Susan Polgar being an exception because up to that point she had played mainly against men.

In January 1991, Susan Polgar became the third woman awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE, after Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidze.

Susan Polgar was the youngest woman to become grandmaster at the time, but this record was broken by Judit in December 1991.

In 1992, Susan Polgar won both the Women's World Blitz and the Women's World Rapid Championship.

Susan Polgar entered the candidates' cycle for the 1993 Women's World Championship and was eliminated after the candidates' final match with Nana Ioseliani.

Susan Polgar became the Women's World Champion at her second attempt in 1996.

Susan Polgar felt that she did not have sufficient time to recuperate, and secondly because the match was to be held entirely in China, the home country of her challenger.

Susan Polgar wanted a larger prize fund matching at least the minimum stipulated by FIDE regulations at the time.

In March 2001, the case was settled, with Susan Polgar withdrawing her claims and FIDE agreeing to pay Susan Polgar's attorney's fees in the amount of $25,000.

Susan Polgar has not participated in subsequent Women's World Championship cycles.

In 2002 Susan Polgar changed her national federation from Hungary to the United States.

In that same year, Susan Polgar became the first woman to win the US Open Blitz Championship, against a field which included seven grandmasters.

Susan Polgar won that title again in 2005 and in 2006.

Susan Polgar helped train and played the top board for the United States women's team at the 2004 Chess Olympiad held in October in Calvia on the island of Mallorca, Spain.

Susan Polgar has a total of eleven Olympiad medals: four gold, four silver, and three bronze.

Susan Polgar has played 56 games in the Women's Olympiads, never losing a game.

In July 2005, Susan Polgar gave a large simultaneous exhibition in Palm Beach, Florida, breaking four world records: the largest number of simultaneous games played ; consecutive games played ; highest number of games won ; and highest percentage of wins.

In June 2006, Susan Polgar organized and played in the 2006 New York City Mayor's Cup, a 30-minute competition and the highest-rated double round-robin tournament in US history.

Susan Polgar finished second, behind Gata Kamsky and ahead of Alexander Onischuk, Boris Gulko, Ildar Ibragimov, and Alexander Stripunsky.

In July 2006, Susan Polgar represented the US in a side event to the Football World Cup in Dresden, Germany.

Susan Polgar won the event by defeating Elisabeth Pahtz in the final.

Susan Polgar switched her federation affiliation back to Hungary in June 2019.

In 1997, Susan Polgar founded the Susan Polgar Chess Center in Forest Hills, New York, to give chess training to children.

Susan Polgar founded the SPICE Institute in Texas in 2007 and began coaching the Texas Tech Knight Raiders in 2007 as well.

In 2007, Susan Polgar signed on as the head coach for the Texas Tech Knight Raiders chess team.

In 2010, as the head coach for the Texas Tech Knight Raiders chess team, Susan Polgar became the first woman to lead a chess team to the Final Four.

On May 12,2007, Susan Polgar was the undergraduate commencement speaker at Texas Tech University.

In 2007 Texas Tech and Susan Polgar hosted the first SPICE Cup which has since become the highest rated international round robin chess tournament held in the United States.

Susan Polgar has written several books, often in conjunction with Paul Truong, her business manager and husband:.

Susan Polgar is a chess journalist, with columns in Chess Life, Chess Life for Kids, ChessCafe, Chess Horizons, Georgia Chess, Chessville, Empire Chess, School Mates, Europe Echecs, and others.

Susan Polgar publishes a blog titled Chess Daily News with daily updates about chess news and daily chess exercise problems.

Susan Polgar has released a series of instructional chess videos.

Susan Polgar was elected as the first ever chairman of the USCF.

On October 2,2007, one of the candidates for the executive board position, who had been defeated by Susan Polgar, filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the 2007 election, alleging misconduct.

Susan Polgar filed suit against the USCF, who counter-sued, with both sides issuing a variety of allegations.

Susan Polgar subsequently published a statement asserting that the board members who voted in favor of this request made a number of misrepresentations.

In 2014, Susan Polgar was awarded the Furman Symeon medal, which is given annually to the best chess coach who works with both male and female players.

In 2016, Susan Polgar was involved in the Iran hijab controversy due to an erroneous report by the Telegraph Media Group that she was supporting the mandatory requirement of international women players to conform to Iranian dress code in her role with the FIDE women's commission.

Susan Polgar immediately stated that she was misquoted in the Telegraph article.

In March 2019, Susan Polgar was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in St Louis, Missouri.