Sofia Polgar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sofia Polgar |
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Polgar in 2004
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| Country | Hungary |
| Born | November 2, 1974 Budapest, Hungary |
| Title | International Master (1990) Woman Grandmaster (1990) |
| FIDE rating | 2450 (August 2025) [inactive] |
| Peak rating | 2505 (July 1998) |
Sofia Polgar (born November 2, 1974) is a Hungarian and Israeli chess player, teacher, and artist. She is a former chess prodigy, which means she was exceptionally talented at chess from a very young age. Sofia holds the high-ranking chess titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM).
She is the middle sister of two other world-famous chess players, Susan and Judit. Together, they are known as the Polgár sisters. Sofia has won many awards for Hungary in the Chess Olympiad, which is like the Olympics for chess.
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A Family of Chess Champions
Sofia Polgar was born in Budapest, Hungary, to a Jewish family. Her father, László Polgár, had a special idea about raising children. He believed that "geniuses are made, not born." This means he thought anyone could become an expert in something if they started learning very early.
To test his theory, László and his wife Klara decided to teach their three daughters at home. They chose chess as the main subject. The Polgár sisters spent many hours every day studying and playing chess. They also learned the international language Esperanto.
Early Success in Chess
The experiment worked. As a young girl, Sofia quickly became a powerful player. In 1986, at the World Youth Chess Championship, she finished second overall in the under-14 age group. She was named the world under-14 girls champion.
The Famous 'Sack of Rome'
In 1989, when Sofia was only 14, she amazed everyone at a tournament in Rome. She played against many experienced Grandmasters, the highest title in chess. Sofia won the tournament with an incredible score of 8½ points out of 9.
Her performance was so strong that it was considered one of the best in chess history. This amazing event became known as the "Sack of Rome."
Competing for Hungary
Sofia played for the Hungarian national team in four Chess Olympiads. She and her sisters helped their team win several medals.
- 1988: Team gold medal.
- 1990: Team gold medal and an individual gold medal for her amazing performance on her board.
- 1994: Team silver medal and another individual gold medal. She also had the best rating performance of any player in the event.
- 1996: Individual bronze medal.
For a while, Sofia was ranked as the sixth-strongest female chess player in the world. She even beat the famous player Viktor Korchnoi in a game of fast chess.
Personal Life
On February 7, 1999, Sofia married Yona Kosashvili, who is also a chess Grandmaster from Israel. After getting married, she moved to Israel. They have two sons, Alon and Yoav.
The family lived in Toronto, Canada, for a few years while her husband studied medicine. In 2012, they moved back to Israel and now live near Tel Aviv.
Books and Art
Besides playing chess, Sofia is also a talented artist and author. She has written and illustrated books to help teach chess to children.
- Her 2023 autobiography, Amazing Artist – Dangerous Tactician, tells the story of her life and her family. It includes many of her chess games and her own artwork.
- She co-wrote My First Chess Club 2020, a book for young readers with her watercolor illustrations.
- Sofia also helped illustrate her sister Judit's award-winning Chess Palace book series. These books are used in schools in Hungary to help students learn problem-solving and strategic thinking through chess.
See also
In Spanish: Zsófia Polgár para niños
- List of Jewish chess players
