Top 25 Judit Polgar Quotes

My style became very technical. I sacrificed a lot of things. I was always hunting for the king, for the mate. I’d forget about my other pieces. Until a point it worked, and I won games that way.

I love chess very much. I love the game, the challenges. I could motivate myself as I was curious about how to improve every game. In chess, it’s very clear that if you make a mistake you are punished. If you play well, you win.

But at least if you are with your kid in a playground, be there mentally as well as physically, even for 20 minutes. Focus means everything to a child.

Being professional means 100% is not enough. Number one, two and three in my life was chess. The reality for women is, when a child comes into the picture, priorities change.

The biggest challenge is to fulfill your own ideas about yourself.

I do hope in Ireland children in schools can experience the richness of chess and it’s positive effects.

I met Bobby Fischer in 1993 when he moved to Europe. I have mixed feelings about it. He was an idol, but not a healthy minded man.

Chess can open up a kid’s brain, and develop it in a playful creative way. They can learn playfully about creative, strategic, and logical thinking, and quick problem-solving.

Of course I got angry when I lost and maybe would cry in my hotel room afterwards. But I would never show it. I didn’t want the men’s pity. I didn’t want to share my pain with them.

I have no problem with other women, but if I had played against ladies there would be a huge gap between the two of us.

My life story is very special. I was raised with a special family as both my parents are teachers. They decided before I was born that I was going to be a chess champion.

From the moment of my birth on 23 July 1976, I became involved f in an educational research project. Even before I came into the world, my parents had already decided: I would be a chess champion.

It’s very important where you put your goals.

I had some superstitions when I was little. And a winning pen is always a good thing to have.

I had a gold medal in olympics at 12. At 14 or 15 I had my career set before me. Because I started so early, I had this daily training. It developed a focus. It became so natural that it was like a native language for me to play chess. That’s why I didn’t feel pressure.

I was very lucky to be a part of a family where I got all the support I needed and I think this was essential for me to be able to reach my results.

You see, in chess we have styles – like in any other field. There are also fashions in the kinds of systems that people play. So I’m trying to know my opponent as much as possible.

On the highest level, of course there’s a lot of competitiveness and drive in the players. They really want to win. But it’s normal that the players are also just friends. Even very close friends. Or rivals, but in a healthy way.

My father believed that the higher you put your goal, the higher you reach. That was the main reason me and my sisters were playing mostly against male competitors.

My husband supports me a lot – he would probably go higher in his field if he didn’t.

Without work, talent is lost.

I’m convinced that if my goal hadn’t been to be in the absolute best category I can, I would not have been able to be for 26 years the number one in the ladies’ category.

I started to become internationally successful starting at the age of 9.

How you lose matters. Don’t be afraid of losing – it paralyzes you.

We had to cope with the media writing things which were not true, which were insulting. At around 13 I decided I was just not going to pay attention.