Susan Polgar Honored in New York City

International magnate and Texas Tech University chess ambassador Susan Polgar was a featured honoree during a Women’s History Month celebration hosted by New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr.

Polgar, director of Texas Tech’s Susan Polgar Institute for Chess Excellence (SPICE) and coach of the Knight Raiders, was one of five city leaders honored at the event, co-sponsored by the Women’s City Club of New York and The League of Women Voters of the City of New York.

“Ms. Polgar captured her first world title by winning the World Chess Championships for girls under 16 at the age of 12 in 1982,” Thompson said.

“In 1986, Ms. Polgar broke the gender barrier in becoming the first woman in history to qualify for the Men’s World Chess Championship at the age of 16. Though she qualified, her gender kept her from participating, and in response the World Chess Federation eventually was forced to change its rules and admit women players. She earned a men’s Grandmaster title five years later.”

Other honorees included Della Britton Baeza, President and CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Inc., Pamela S. Brier, President of the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, Dr. Susan H. Fuhrman, President of Teachers College at Columbia University in Manhattan, and Anita Lo, chef and restauranteur.

Honorees were chosen based on factors including their expertise in a given field, colleague and peer respect, and their commitment to public service. Thompson said the event honors figures who have struggled to expand opportunity for women.

“It was an honor to be in the company of other ladies who are so very accomplished,” Polgar said. “I’ve spent my entire life fighting for women’s rights through chess, proving that women deserve equal chances and women are equally capable in chess and other mental activities.”

Polgar has won four women’s World Chess Championships, five Olympic gold medals, and is the only world champion in history to win the triple-crown (classical, blitz and rapid women’s world championships). At the age of 21, she was the first woman to earn the Grandmaster title. Through SPICE, she heads chess outreach and research into chess education.

As comptroller, Thompson is the Chief Financial Officer of the City of New York. He advises the mayor and City Council on the city’s financial condition and makes recommendations on city programs and operations, fiscal policies, and financial transactions, managing close to $105 billion.

 

Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, (806) 742-2136. Photo by Artie Limmer.