Rebel Queen: The Cold War, Misogyny, and the Making of a Grandmaster

A real life Queen's Gambit, this captivating memoir tells the story the most renowned woman in chess history, Susan Polgar, taking on a sexist establishment, standing up to an authoritarian empire and rewriting the rules of what women could achieve against the oppressive backdrop of Cold War Eastern Europe.

Born to a poor Jewish family in Cold War Budapest, Susan Polgar had the odds stacked against her--from having few resources, to growing up in a sexist culture rife with vicious anti-Semitism. Yet her father subscribed to the belief that geniuses are not born, but created, so he set out to ensure her success in an unlikely field: chess.

At age 4, she won her first tournament. By 15, she was the top-rated female player in the world. She was the first woman ever to hold the men's Grandmaster title--chess's highest designation. The ensuing wins and accolades provided incredible highs to coincide with extreme lows as Polgar's celebrity brought backlash, including sabotage and state-sponsored intimidation.

REBEL QUEEN is the memoir of her improbable rise, offering a rare behind-the-scenes chess story and featuring some of the game's most legendary characters. Yet it is a narrative that transcends chess, the story of a genius, treated from birth as a second-class citizen, who thrilled against all odds. It is an incredible underdog story told by the woman who actually lived it.