"Queen of the Kings Game" by Women's World Champion GM
Zsuzsa Polgar and Jacob Shutzman, 1997 CompChess, Softcover,
Figurine Algebraic Notation, 352pp., $24.95

Is there a chessplayer in the world today who is not familiar with
the Sisters Polgar? The three geniuses making their marks in the
male dominated world of world-class chess are unlike any
previously. And, lest you have forgotten, it was a team composed
of the three sisters, Zsuzsa (then age 19), Sophia (14) and Judith
(12) who won the Women's Olympiad in 1988 in Thessaloniki,
much to the consternation of the Soviets.

Although we have heard of the protective intensity of the parents in
the raising of their daughters, there has not been an in-depth
biographical look at any one (or all) of them. This book, by the
reigning Women's World Champion Zsusza Polgar, the oldest
sister, attempts to change that.

The book is essentially divided into two sections: The first sixty
percent or so of the book may be characterized as
biographical/anecdotal, while the remaining forty percent contains
forty-nine annotated games, including all thirteen from Zsuzsa's
successful bid to become world champion.

As might be expected, the first part of the book deals with the early
development of Zsuzsa and her sisters, with some insight into the
unique educational perspective brought to bear by her father. There
are even a few pages written by Laszlo himself. Zsuzsa's husband,
Jacob Shutzman, is the one to whom most of the text is attributed,
and, it is complemented nicely by many interesting photographs.

The many trials and tribulations of the Polgars are described as
Zsuzsa's career becomes more and more successful. The battles
with the government, the prejudice against women and Jews and
the corrupt ineptitude of FIDE all presented substantial obstacles,
according to the authors. 

There is no doubt, to some extent, that all this was (and is) true.
Zsuzsa Polgar, one of the strongest grandmasters of our time and
the current women's titleholder, should have a great and
fascinating story to tell. The unfortunate problem is the WAYthis story
is told. This manuscript was and is badly in need of a
competent editor. It jumps from topic to topic without regard to
chronology or theme, it is occasionally difficult to follow who is
narrating, Zsuzsa or her husband, and it pursues the random subject
without properly finishing it, leaving the reader dangling. We have already
seen a review or two of this book. We wonder if we were reading
the same book. It is very disappointing; her compelling story 
could have been delivered so much more effectively and coherently...

One of the world champion's "favorite twenty-five..." 
Zsuzsa Polgar - Peter Hardicsay Hungary, 1985 
The next game is one of my-all time favorites. In the Hungarian
Chess magazine "Sakkelet" it was declared one of the most
brilliant games of the year by Grandmaster Istvan Bilek. 
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e6 4.Nc3 exd5 5.cxd5 d6 
This is the Benoni Defense, known as one of the sharpest openings. 
6.Nf3 g6 7.Bf4 a6 8.e4 
Instead of Black's next move, 8...b5 would be more advisable and
consistent with his plans.
8...Bg7 9.Qa4+ Bd7 
The only move, except moving the King. On either 9...b5 or
9...Qd7, 10.Bb5 would be possible thanks to the pinned a6 pawn. 
10.Qb3 Bg4 
Probably the best is 10...Bc8, but somehow it does not look too
appetizing ... 
11.Qxb7 Bxf3 12.Qxa8 
A few months prior to this game, my opponent won a game with
this very same line (so far), which continued 12.gxf3 Nh5. Then,
after the Bishop retreats from attacking the d6 pawn by 13.Be3 (or
13.Bg3 Nxg3 14.hxg3 Nd7), 13...Nd7 is already possible, with
good compensation.
12...Nxe4 
This was so far all planned by Hardicsay, and he was very pleased
with his position. I guess he assumed that I had fallen into his
"home cooked" variation. 
13.Rc1! 
Somehow this simple move had eluded all the analysts before; they
had considered Black's position to be better, for example after
13.Nxe4 Bxe4. 
13...Bd4 
Black's Bishop would not have a good retreat after 13...Nxc3
14.bxc3 Be4 15.f3 Bf5 16.g4.
14.Rc2 Defending the "cheap" mate threat on f2. 
14...Nxf2 
On the more natural 14...Nxc3, the best answer is 15.gxf3, also
with a winning position. 
15.Rxf2 Bxf2+ 16.Kxf2 Bg4 (See Diagram) 
I now convert my material advantage into a powerful attack against
the Black King. 
17.Bb5+! 
This is the beginning of a Paul Morphy-style combination.
(Morphy was a legendary American chess player who lived in the
19th century and played in a sensational style.) 
17...axb5 18.Rel+ Kf8 
There is no escape on the other side either: if 18...Kd7, 19.Qb7+
Qc7 20.Re7+! wins the Queen.
19.Bh6+ Kg8 20.Re7! 
It's obviously a matter of taste, but I loved this move. Black
becomes paralyzed. It stops Qh4+, which could give Black some
"breathing space". At the same time it threatens 21.Rb7 (later). My
Bishop on the corner (h6) is extremely powerful.
20...Bd7 
Although I had calculated my next move long before this point, I
paused for couple of seconds, took a deep breath, and then played: 
21.Qxb8! 
After this move, my opponent almost fell off his chair. To play this
move was a great aesthetic pleasure for me. Although I must admit
it's not the only win in the position, it is the most majestic one! The
other win was 21.Ne4 Qxe7 22.Qxb8+ Be8 23.Qxe8+! Qxe8
24.Nf6 mate.
21...Qxb8 22.Ne4 
Yes, ending the combination with an unexpectedly quiet move ...
and there is an inevitable mate in one (23.Nf6). 1-0

This book, in spite of its poor style, probably deserves to be read, 
because it is by and about one of the most unique personalities 
in the game today. But her story deserved much better. A steady, 
guiding editorial hand could have turned this into one of the 
great books of the year.