Chess.com has unveiled an exciting online chess showdown where Grandmaster Judit Polgar will face off against the global community. The match coincides with the Netflix debut of her documentary, Queen of Chess, on February 6. Polgar, a chess legend, will play with the white pieces in a daily game decided by community votes.
Chess.com is inviting players worldwide to participate in "Judit Polgar vs. The World," a historic single game of daily chess. Grandmaster Judit Polgar, recognized as the strongest female player in history, will make the opening move on February 6. This event aligns with the release of her documentary, Queen of Chess, on Netflix, which chronicles her journey as a Hungarian prodigy challenging the male-dominated chess world. The film has been selected for screening at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
The match format allows 24 hours per move, with the community's moves determined by vote. National Master Dane Mattson will provide insights to guide participants. Polgar expressed enthusiasm, stating, "I look forward to this new challenge, playing a game against the global chess community. I challenge everyone to sign up and contribute, and I'm excited to see what the community plays!"
This is the fourth installment in Chess.com's series of community versus grandmaster matches, following clashes with Viswanathan Anand in 2024, Magnus Carlsen, and Levy Rozman. Each previous event set records for the largest chess games and drew coverage from outlets like The Guardian, AP Press, and Times of India.
Polgar's legacy includes victories over world champions such as Anand, Anatoly Karpov, and Garry Kasparov, alongside her role in breaking gender barriers in chess. Despite retiring from competitive play in 2014, she remains influential through the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation and the annual Global Chess Festival, promoting chess education for children. NM Sam Copeland, Chess.com's Head of Community, remarked, "Since the 1980s when she broke onto the tournament scene as one of the greatest chess prodigies, Judit Polgar has been an incredible player, teacher, role model, and promoter of the game of chess. Chess is extremely fortunate to have Judit, and the Chess.com community is fortunate to have an opportunity to play against her!"
Participants can register now and vote on the first move while watching the documentary trailer.
