Chess: Judit Polgar still an icon nearly a decade after retirement

The Hungarian gave up competitive play in 2014 but her online commentaries show that she is as sharp as ever

There is an eternal argument over whether Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov or Magnus Carlsen is the all-time No 1 in men’s chess, but there is no debate about the No 1 woman. Judit Polgar, whose peak career rating was 2735 and who for more than a decade was ranked among or close to the world top 10 grandmasters, was and is in a league of her own, nearly 100 points ahead of her nearest challenger, Hou Yifan, who is herself clearly the all-time No 2.

Although Polgar is now a mother of two and no longer plays competitively, she has forged a new reputation as a high class commentator on major events, noted especially for her sharp and rapid spotting of hidden tactical resources. This week she has been online, along with England’s Jovanka Houska, reporting on the all-Chinese €500,000 world title match in Chongqing where Ju Wenjun is defending her crown against Lei Tingjie in a 12-game series.

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