Mention the name "Polgar" to any chess player, and you're bound to see a gleam of recognition, and perhaps envy, in their eye. Susan Polgar is the oldest of three Hungarian sisters (Judit and Sofia are both highly ranked players) who have revolutionized the world of chess, blazing a path for women as career players and upholding a level of talent and professionalism as the world looks to them as the female faces of the game. Susan, who holds the highly-esteemed title of Grandmaster, the first woman ever to do so, has taken her chess-playing prowess and notoriety and used it to promote and teach New Yorkers about the game with the Polgar Chess Center in Queens.

The 4-time Women's World Chess Champion got an early start, winning tournaments as early as age 4, and by age 15 was the highest ranking female chess player in the world (a title she still maintains). Her victories are quite staggering in stature and scope, ranging from Olympic wins to awards for Best Chess Column and Chess Educator of the Year. Whether you know what the Ruy Lopez is or not, her Center will have you, providing a welcoming, encouraging atmosphere for newcomers as well as more seasoned players, and by spreading the word about this centuries-old game, Polgar is helping infuse new life into it.

Why did you decide to open the Polgar Chess Center? What types of people attend and who else do you hope to attract to the Center?
Owning a chess center was a childhood dream of mine. I love chess and from my 30 plus years of experience, I discovered that chess can help children of all ages do better in school as well as develop many important life skills. Research around the world has supported my belief. That is why my chess center serves as a training ground for countless children since 1997. It is like a community service.

The club has members from the age of 4 to over 70. Most of these members are from New York but some even come from out of state and many players from around the world have visited my club. It is amazing that people from all ethnic groups, social backgrounds, genders, ages, and religions, etc. come to my club to play and learn. That is what I hope to do: unite people through chess. [read the full length interview] For the latest weekly tournament schedule and lecture schedules, and more information about Polgar and the Chess Center, visit their website.

03 April, 2006
FIDE made public the list of the best chess players of the world. The list is topped by the world champion Veselin Topalov from Bulgaria.

The top ten is the following:
1. Topalov - 2804
2. Anand - 2803
3. Aronyan - 2756
4. Svidler - 2743
5. Leko - 2738
6. Ponomaryov - 2738
7. Morosevich - 2730
8. Karmic - 2729
9. Gelfand - 2727
10.Ivanhoe - 2723

Chess is becoming more popular with U.S. children, the Crossville, Tenn.-based U.S. Chess Federation says.

"Scholastic chess is experiencing a real resurgence," said Jerry Nash, scholastic director of the federation. "And that's just the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to kids playing chess."

The organization has 45,000 members who are 18 and under. Last year, 5,300 children participated at the Super Nationals tournament, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Several studies have shown children benefit intellectually from playing chess, and there is anecdotal evidence from parents and teachers that chess has helped students develop higher-level thinking skills and perform better in school, said Rourke O'Brien, president of America's Foundation for Chess, The non-profit organization trains teachers to bring chess into classrooms.

Although chess is significantly less expensive than most other childhood activities, parents of competitive chess players can spend $30 to $200 an hour on private coaches.