Queen of Chess

The story of Judit Polgar: raised by her father, alongside her two sisters, to become a chess prodigy, then refusing to play in the women's category, competing directly against men and reaching the world's elite. Rory Kennedy directed. The documentary runs on two axes: the father's experiment and the years of encounters with Garry Kasparov. The father's plan is the most contested part. Laszlo Polgar argued that genius could be produced by education rather than born, and schooled his three daughters at home to prove it. The film shows both the thesis and its cost. The Kasparov material carries the real tension, taking the world champion's attitude to a female opponent and their games one by one. It premiered at Sundance on 27 January 2026 and reached Netflix on 6 February. A dedicated consultant worked on the accuracy of the chess; the board positions come from real games. Who it is for: viewers who like chess history and documentaries about one person changing an institution. Who it is not for: complete newcomers to the game, for whom some passages stay technical.