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Susan Polgar
S Polgar 
Photograph courtesy of www.SusanPolgar.com    

Number of games in database: 1,017
Years covered: 1976 to 2006
Highest rating achieved in database: 2577
Overall record: +325 -169 =426 (58.5%)*
   * Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games in the database. 97 exhibition games, blitz/rapid, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

MOST PLAYED OPENINGS
With the White pieces:
 Queen's Pawn Game (88) 
    A46 A41 D05 A40 D02
 King's Indian (70) 
    E62 E60 E71 E67 E97
 Queen's Indian (45) 
    E14 E15 E16 E12 E17
 Queen's Gambit Declined (35) 
    D37 D30 D38 D35 D31
 Grunfeld (30) 
    D85 D87 D86 D80 D76
 Semi-Slav (27) 
    D47 D43 D45 D46
With the Black pieces:
 Sicilian (116) 
    B32 B33 B22 B30 B25
 King's Indian (58) 
    E92 E80 E66 E62 E81
 Queen's Gambit Accepted (56) 
    D20 D21 D24 D26 D27
 Ruy Lopez (33) 
    C67 C60 C97 C99 C84
 English, 1 c4 e5 (26) 
    A25 A20 A27 A28 A21
 French Defense (21) 
    C07 C05 C00 C19 C02
Repertoire Explorer

NOTABLE GAMES: [what is this?]
   S Polgar vs P Hardicsay, 1985 1-0
   J Horvath vs S Polgar, 1981 0-1
   I De Los Santos vs S Polgar, 1990 0-1
   S Polgar vs Chiburdanidze, 2004 1-0
   S Polgar vs Z Kiss, 1980 1-0
   I Hausner vs S Polgar, 1983 0-1
   S Polgar vs J Costa, 1987 1-0
   S Polgar vs V Dimitrov, 1984 1-0
   S Polgar vs Yudasin, 1991 1-0
   S Polgar vs Thi Thanh Huong Mai, 1990 1-0

NOTABLE TOURNAMENTS: [what is this?]
   Leon (1989)
   Novi Sad Olympiad (Women) (1990)
   Calvia Olympiad (Women) (2004)
   Tilburg Candidates (Women) (1994)
   Portoroz/Nova Gorica (1991)
   Moscow Olympiad (Women) (1994)
   Women-Veterans (1993)
   Thessaloniki Olympiad (Women) (1988)
   Aruba (1992)
   Plaza (1988)
   Women-Veterans (1992)
   San Sebastian Open (1991)
   Australian Open 1986/87 (1986)
   Reykjavik Open (1988)
   World Junior Championship (1989)

GAME COLLECTIONS: [what is this?]
   Polgars Powers Originally Compiled by wanabe2000 by enog
   Polgars Powers Originally Compiled by Okavango
   Polgars Powers Originally Compiled by wanabe2000 by fredthebear
   Polgar Power Originally Compiled by wanabe2000 by rpn4
   Polgar Power Originally Compiled by wanabe2000 by Patca63
   Zsuzsa (Susan), Zsofia, and Judit Polgar by wanabe2000
   0ZeR0's collected games volume 94 by 0ZeR0
   Zsuzsa! by larrewl
   Melody Amber 1993 by amadeus
   Zsuzsa Polgar by Carlos Javier
   1994 (women's) candidates tournament by gauer
   vaskolon's favorite games by vaskolon
   Women WCC Index [1996: S. Polgar - Xie Jun] by chessmoron
   1989 World Junior chess championship by gauer

Search Sacrifice Explorer for Susan Polgar
Search Google for Susan Polgar
FIDE player card for Susan Polgar

SUSAN POLGAR
(born Apr-19-1969, 56 years old) Hungary
PRONUNCIATION:
[what is this?]

GM (and WIM) Zsuzsa (Susan) Polgár was born in Budapest, Hungary, and along with her two younger sisters, Judit Polgar and Sofia Polgar, she was taught chess by her father, Laszlo Polgár. By 1984 she became the top-rated woman chess player in the world. Later that year, FIDE, in a controversial decision, granted 100 rating points to every female player except Zsuzsa.

In 1991, Susan achieved the men's grandmaster title, and later that year, her sister Judit Polgar earned the title as well. She is a FIDE Senior Trainer. In 1996, Susan won the Women's World Championship, but refused to defend her title in 1999 against Jun Xie, because she believed the conditions were unfair. In 2004 she competed in the 36th Chess Olympiad, winning gold medals for points and for the highest performance rating. In total, she has won ten Olympiad medals during her career, and has never lost a single game in any Olympiad. Her highest-ever FIDE rating (2577) was achieved on the January 2005 list. This list also returned her to her position as the number one active female player in the world. In 2005, she broke Andrew D Martin 's 2004 world record by playing 326 opponents in a simultaneous exhibition, with a 309 wins, 14 draws and 3 losses for a 96.93% result.* This record stood for 5 years before being broken by Kiril Georgiev.

Susan lived for many years in New York City, where she ran the Polgár Chess Center (http://www.polgarchess.com). She also resided in Lubbock, Texas, where she served as coach to the Texas Tech University chess team - but has since moved to the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. She is one of the best-selling chess authors worldwide, and she speaks seven languages fluently. She posts at Chessgames as User: Susan Polgar. She is the mother of National Master Tom Polgar-Shutzman.

* http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...

Wikipedia article: Susan Polgar

Last updated: 2023-01-17 21:09:36

Try our new games table.

 page 1 of 41; games 1-25 of 1,017  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. NN vs S Polgar  0-191976BudapestC20 King's Pawn Game
2. J Gruz vs S Polgar 0-1311977BudapestC02 French, Advance
3. S Polgar vs Endrody 1-0251977BudapestB08 Pirc, Classical
4. S Polgar vs Sirko 1-0281977BudapestB21 Sicilian, 2.f4 and 2.d4
5. I Pataky vs S Polgar 0-1191978corrA02 Bird's Opening
6. G Mathe vs S Polgar 0-1231979HUNA58 Benko Gambit
7. I Zsogony vs S Polgar  0-1271979HUN-ch sf (Women)A56 Benoni Defense
8. S Polgar vs E Mate 1-0251979Hungarian Championship (Women)B06 Robatsch
9. S Polgar vs Koronghi  1-0421980HUNA42 Modern Defense, Averbakh System
10. S Polgar vs J Kelemen 1-0761980BudapestE15 Queen's Indian
11. S Polgar vs Z Kiss 1-0361980BudapestE87 King's Indian, Samisch, Orthodox
12. S Polgar vs T Pfeifer  1-0321980HUND58 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) Syst
13. Smirnov vs S Polgar 0-1351981TetevenA27 English, Three Knights System
14. S Polgar vs Cirakov 1-0211981TargovisteA88 Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation with c6
15. L Meyer vs S Polgar 0-1191981ENGC07 French, Tarrasch
16. B Vujic vs S Polgar 0-1361981PanonijaC00 French Defense
17. J Horvath vs S Polgar 0-1221981HUNC00 French Defense
18. S Polgar vs S Horvath  1-0401981BudapestA87 Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation
19. S Polgar vs E Ivanov 1-0151981Varna OpenA57 Benko Gambit
20. S Lalic vs S Polgar  0-1361981Wch u16gC07 French, Tarrasch
21. T Needham vs S Polgar 0-1231981Wch u16gB33 Sicilian
22. S Polgar vs J Harmsen  1-0241981Wch u16gA87 Dutch, Leningrad, Main Variation
23. S Polgar vs J Leszczynska  1-0591981Wch u16gD58 Queen's Gambit Declined, Tartakower (Makagonov-Bondarevsky) Syst
24. G Czeripp vs S Polgar  ½-½391981HUN-OpenC07 French, Tarrasch
25. Le Clercq vs S Polgar 0-1131982LondonB22 Sicilian, Alapin
 page 1 of 41; games 1-25 of 1,017  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2) | Polgar wins | Polgar loses  

Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 258 OF 264 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Apr-19-12  joeyj: Happy Birthday Coach GM Susan Polgar !!!
Apr-19-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  moronovich: Happy Birthday !
Apr-19-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Stonehenge: Happy Birthday :)
Apr-19-12  Megadeth: Happy Birthday GM Susan Polgar!
Apr-19-12  Bobby Fiske: Happy birthday and many thanks to the hardest working chess ambassador in the world!
Apr-30-12  joeyj:

World’s Youngest To Attain GM, 2600, 2700, 2800 and WC

Read more:
http://chessaccount.wordpress.com/2...

Jun-26-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: Here's a recent article about her move of the former Texas Tech chess team to Webster University: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/...
Aug-29-12  gregory2188: Thanks a lot GM Susan! From GM So die hard! More power!
Aug-31-12  PhilFeeley: A good reason for gettin' outta Texas (Lubbock county even):

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/1...

Dec-15-12  Karpova: Just finished Judit's book and it's awesome! She's done a great job and I'm eagerly awaiting the next volumes!
Dec-15-12  happyjuggler0: <Karpova> I am happy to hear it. Perhaps it makes more sense if you post that comment on Judit's page instead of her sister's. ;)
Dec-15-12  Nicocobas: <Karpova> What's the title?
Dec-15-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: Does Susan post here anymore? I'm trying to put the timeline on memorable chess events in my life. I played Susan in a simul when she first came to the states, I believe it was in the early 80's. The simul was at the Boylston Chess club, Boston, Ma. Can anyone help with maybe the exact year /and or date?...thanks in advance!!!!
Dec-15-12  Jim Bartle: She posts once in a while on the Wesley So page.
Dec-15-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: allright, thanks.
Dec-16-12  Karpova: <Nicobas> there will be more volumes under the topic 'Judit Polgar Teaches Chess' and the first volume is titled 'How I beat Fischer's record' and covers her early career until 1991 when she became a GM.
Feb-13-13  waustad: I was looking to buy bulk chess sets and thought that she used to do that from her blog, but the link to the store doesn't work anymore. I thought I'd buy around 20 sets, put several in watering holes I frequent, keep a couple for parts sets and donate the rest to schools in the area.
Feb-19-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  Ron: The March 2013 issue of Wired magazine, which is out on newsstands, has an interesting article about Susan Polgar. She departed Texas Tech and became the chess coach for Webster University in Missouri. Strong, collegiate chess players have emigrated to Webster University.
Feb-20-13  IndigoViolet: <I'm trying to put the timeline on memorable chess events in my life. I played Susan in a simul when she first came to the states, I believe it was in the early 80's. The simul was at the Boylston Chess club, Boston, Ma. Can anyone help with maybe the exact year /and or date?>

So memorable that you've forgotten when it happened? Was Susan really giving simuls in the early 80s? I don't think I'd even heard of her before 1986/87.

Feb-21-13  Granny O Doul: 1985 was when she first came to the USA, for the New York Open international. Pal Benko had already written her up in Chess Life several years before that.
Feb-21-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <IndigoViolet> Yes, she had just visited the United States, and I believe she played a series of simuls, Boylston Chess Club in Boston, Ma. was one of them. I basically rediscovered chess in 1978 during the Karpov/Korchnoi World Championship Match, and then joined the USCF. Jimmy Rizzitano had a simul in 1980/former World Champion Petrosian gave one at the Boylston Chess Club I believe in 1982, then I believe it was 1983 that Zsuzsa gave one there as well. I saved the game score but have misplaced it over the years.
Mar-19-13  MMan: The mention of the 1985 New York International reminded me of something.

This tournament was the end of a three-year period in which she was not allowed to compete outside the Soviet bloc. From the New York Times report of the event:

"For three years, she said, the Hungarian Chess Federation had refused to let her travel abroad. 'I could play only in Soviet-bloc countries,' she said.

'They are angry at me because I will not play in women's tournaments, and because I entered some of the male tournaments without permission,' she said. 'So they have disciplined me.'

But, to her surprise, the federation allowed her to travel to New York."

OK, she became the top-ranked woman in the world during this period. According to Sam Sloan's website, she played mostly in Bulgaria.

Are there any details of what events she played? Were they grandmaster events? Weekend swisses? I don't suppose crosstables or such are available? Other than the odd game from "Targoviste" there doesn't seem to be much I can find in books or on the internet.

Apr-05-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: Here's another piece about college team chess, with Susan Polgar featured as "diva coach": http://www.washingtonpost.com/local...
Apr-05-13  waustad: A followup on what I was looking for, I bought several through this site (actually they were the intemediary for the USCF) and have done some of what I planned. The price has gone up a lot in the last few years, so the number punchased shrunk.
Apr-05-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  Joshka: <MMan> Well if this report is correct, she was banned from visiting the United States from 1983-1985/so the simul I posted about must have taken place in 1982 or earlier. I also have a bit of memory that makes me believe it even could have been 1979. My residence changed from 1979 to 1980, and thinking about this simul I correlate it to the location in which I was living in 1979.
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