“Ugly, Fat, Useless”- Female World Chess Champion Reveals How She Blocked Out Harsh Comments to Focus on Career

Published 03/17/2022, 1:07 PM EDT

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There will always be some people trying to bring you down, but that shouldn’t stop you from achieving greatness. Nor should it define you as an athlete or a chess player. The Hungarian Grand Master Susan Polgar ditched many such voices in her course of becoming the female world chess champion. She is indeed one of the greatest chess Grand Masters the world has ever seen.

While for most people finding their passion is a tricky journey, for Susan, it was her father who led everything in order for her to be a remarkable chess Grand Master. Her father Laszlo Polgar believed that great performers were made, not born. Hence, since the day Susan was born, he changed every part of her environment to fit her as a chess player, and the rest is history.

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A chess player that overcame every obstacle

Susan Polgar’s story is fascinating, but it was not as simple and easy as it looks. Even though her father planned everything about her journey, it was she who traveled through it. The Hungarian Grand Master recalls all the challenges she faced in her path of becoming one of the most incredible chess players ever.

She said, “I lost count on how many times in my life I’ve been called ugly, stupid, fat, useless, no brain, no talent, or far worse, by fans, opponents, and even chess politicians, etc.”

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Susan further added, “If I let these words bother me then I would not be here today. A champion has to block everything out!”

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Susan Polgar is a champion

The Hungarian Grand Master, Susan Polgar’s, story is very inspiring. Like any other human being, she went through many life challenges but never gave up on her dreams. She was the women’s world chess champion from 1996 to 1999. Furthermore, she has won 12 chess Olympiad medals, including 5 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze.

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Now, Susan is a chess coach, writer, and promoter. However, the champion still has same energy and zeal as she had at the age of 15 when she became a Grand Master.

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Written by:

Saurav Panwar

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Saurav Panwar is a US Sports writer at EssentiallySports. A postgraduate in Media and Communication Studies, he shares a profound love for creative direction and filmmaking. Saurav is also an avid reader and a literature devotee whose fandom spreads from classics to sci-fi, non-fiction, plays, comics, and much more.
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Edited by:

Pritam Priyedarshi