Quotes from Judit Polgar

How you lose matters. Don't be afraid of losing - it paralyzes you.

We had to cope with the media writing things which were not true, which were insulting. At around 13 I decided I was just not going to pay attention.

I started to become internationally successful starting at the age of 9.

I had some superstitions when I was little. And a winning pen is always a good thing to have.

My husband supports me a lot - he would probably go higher in his field if he didn't.

Of course I got angry when I lost and maybe would cry in my hotel room afterwards. But I would never show it. I didn't want the men's pity. I didn't want to share my pain with them.

But at least if you are with your kid in a playground, be there mentally as well as physically, even for 20 minutes. Focus means everything to a child.

My sister Susan, who was the first one, was pretty good in mathematics and then chess, and my father chose chess because it was easier to measure the results.

There is no better training for chess than swimming. On a Friday evening I like to put in a good long session of breaststroke at the pool near where I live in Budapest with my husband, Gusztav, and my two children.

I want to show how rich chess is and what kind of history it has, through culture, literature, and education.

Without work, talent is lost.

Competitions last about 10 days or two weeks. I was homeschooled, so in this way I could train on a daily basis for many hours. And then I was traveling all over the world.

Whenever I speak to parents or to kids, I always encourage them that if they believe, if they do the work, if they are really dedicated, then they can do it. No matter whether they are a boy or a girl.

I believe that for the audience the best way to give the commentating is to avoid going into the deep, deep details.

My life story is very special. I was raised with a special family as both my parents are teachers. They decided before I was born that I was going to be a chess champion.

Being professional means 100% is not enough. Number one, two and three in my life was chess. The reality for women is, when a child comes into the picture, priorities change.

One can say that in the last decades chess has become more of a sport than of a science. I see it from an artistic point of view.

And maybe some people do it too much, are too selfish and concentrated on chess. But I think that in all professions you can find a lot of people like that.

I don't think I could ever say that I will never play again, because even if I felt I could never play in top-class tournaments again because I don't have time for the preparation, after a while you might one day think: 'maybe, maybe, maybe... why not?'

I love chess very much. I love the game, the challenges. I could motivate myself as I was curious about how to improve every game. In chess, it's very clear that if you make a mistake you are punished. If you play well, you win.

Chess demolishes differences. It's a language of different generations.

Chess can open up a kid's brain, and develop it in a playful creative way. They can learn playfully about creative, strategic, and logical thinking, and quick problem-solving.

My style became very technical. I sacrificed a lot of things. I was always hunting for the king, for the mate. I'd forget about my other pieces. Until a point it worked, and I won games that way.

I started playing chess in the Eighties, but it is only recently that people have begun to appreciate the importance of physical exercise for chess players. You really need to be in good condition to be able to sit for four to six hours and still maintain your concentration.