Below is my interview with New In Chess. It’s published in the latest edition.
Name: Susan Polgar
Date of birth: April 19, 1969
Place of birth: Budapest, Hungary
Current Elo: 2577
Place of residence: Lubbock, TX
What is your favourite colour?
Red and Black.
What kind of food makes you happy?
Sweet.
And what drink?
Freshly squeezed fruit juices.
Who is your favourite author?
Ferenc (Franz) Molnar.
What was the best or most interesting book you ever read?
Animal Farm by George Orwell.
What is your all-time favourite movie?
Coming to America and Pretty Woman.
What is your favourite TV series?
How I Met Your Mother.
Do you have a favourite actor?
Richard Gere and Ben Stiller
And a favourite actress?
Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bullock.
What music do you like to listen to?
I like all sorts of music, but Pop or Modern Country would be at the top of my list.
Do you have a favourite painter or artist?
Just to name two: Michelangelo and Vasarely.
Who are the three greatest chess players of all time?
There are many who I admire, but if I have to pick just three, Capablanca, Alekhine and Bobby Fischer.
What do you see as your best result ever?
Becoming the first woman to earn the GM title based on traditional requirements.
What was the best game you ever played?
One of my all time favourites is against Chiburdanidze at the Calvia Olympiad in 2004.
Who is your favourite chess player of all time and why?
Bobby Fischer, because he almost single-handedly revolutionized chess, despite his short comings.
Is there a chess book that had a profound influence on you?
Capablanca’s Best Games (in Hungarian translation).
What was the most exciting chess game you ever saw?
There are many, one is surely Kasparov – Topalov (Wijk aan Zee, 1999).
What is the best chess country in the world?
Holland and Spain.
Do chess players have typical shortcomings?
Don’t like being interviewed.
What is it that you appreciate most in a person?
Honesty, integrity, and trust.
What is it that you dislike in a person?
Dishonesty and envy.
Do you have any superstitions concerning chess?
Not really.
Who or what would you like to be if you weren’t yourself?
Jane living with Tarzan in the jungle 🙂
Which three people would you like to invite for dinner?
Bill Gates, Simon Cowell, Hugh Grant, to three separate dinners 🙂
Is there something you’d love to learn?
To play the piano. Maybe one day when I will have more time.
What is your greatest fear?
Getting sick.
What would you save from your house if it were on fire?
Other than my family, my computer, with lots of music in it.
If you could change one thing in the chess world, what would it be?
Chess should be more of a mainstream sport. There should be entertaining chess “shows” on TV. That in turn would popularize chess and could greatly improve the lives of many chess players.
What is the stupidest rule in chess?
Stalemate.
What will be the nationality of the 2050 chess world champion?
Hard to tell, maybe Chinese!?
Is a knowledge of chess useful in everyday life?
Absolutely. That is why I am so passionate to try to get chess in the schools as an educational tool.
What is the best thing that was ever said about chess?
Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy. – Siegbert Tarrasch
Susan I was watching your video tonite Winning Chess the Easy Way Bobby Fischer’s Most Brilliant Instructional Games and Combinations 3 times in a row. Every time I watch it I learn something new! I love Paul’s tie at the beginning! In any event I love this interview and I will give you my answers to just four of the questions:
Who are the three greatest chess players of all time?
Paul Morphy, Capablanca, Fischer
Who is your favourite chess player of all time and why?
Kasparov he played and played all comers and still was best player in world for 20 years!
Is there a chess book that had a profound influence on you?
Fischer’s My 60 Memorable Games! I still learn every time I go over it again.
What was the most exciting chess game you ever saw?
This one is very tough to answer! There have been so many great games I have to think about this one……………….wait, it says that I have seen not played over……….
It has to be that one year we had Ray Solomon on board one at Amateur Team Championship. Every single game he played he was smashing everyone he played in brilliant tactical fashion! I copied some of his openings on the next round after watching him play and won also just like he did! I wonder what ever happened to such a brilliant player. He reminded me of Tal.
Nice interview. Coming to America is one of my favorite movies too. An absolute riot.
Well, you certainly get my vote when you say the stupidest rule in chess is stalemate. Is it ever!
The next stupidest rule is 3 move repetition can be claimed to be a draw. It should be that the second player has to vary or lose.
Get rid of these two drawing rules and draws would be cut by a third, I reckon.
And it would not be so certain that chess, perfectly played, would actually be a draw.
In addition, in events where it is impractical to employ Sofia Rules, have it that no draw offers are allowed before move 50.
That combined with no 3-move repetition draw would make it considerably more trouble to have prearranged draws!
I read this the other day. Another “Coming to America” fan.
Shabazz