Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Compelling underdog docu set in chess world; discrimination.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Queen of Chess
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
QUEEN OF CHESS Judit Polgar was raised, alongside her two sisters, to become chess prodigies. Her father homeschooled his daughters and had them training and studying chess for 8 or 9 hours a day because he believed that was the way to create a genius. He also envisioned this as one of the only ways out of 1970s Hungary, then under authoritarian rule, and a viable path for his children to have a better life. As the girls grew, they became world-renowned chess champions. The Hungarian government eventually had to relent and let them travel internationally for matches. With her strong desire to win and aggressive style of play, Judit led the siblings and went on to become the top female player in the world at the age of 12, a title she held for 26 years. Judit, her family, chess players like Garry Kasparov, and other commentators sit for interviews.
Is It Any Good?
An absorbing underdog story with a strong female hero, this chess documentary contains life lessons as well as history lessons. Queen of Chess tells two stories—the "experiment" Judit's father conducted of homeschooling his three daughters and subjecting them to hours of chess training every day of the week, as well as Judit's career-long rivalry with Garry Kasparov. The film and its subjects resist a clear answer on whether the experiment was fair, but Judit defied widespread sexism in the sport, overcame the limitations of growing up in Eastern Europe before the fall of the Berlin Wall, and, among many other achievements (spoiler alert!), finally beat Kasparov. Set to an '80s femme punk soundtrack, this is a gripping account of her story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Judit demonstrated perseverance in her trailblazing chess career, as documented in Queen of Chess. What are some specific scenes in the film that show that character strength in action?
What is your opinion of how the girls were raised? What do you see as the pros and cons?
What did you learn about Hungary in the 1970s? Where could you go for more information?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 6, 2026
- Cast : Judit Polgár , Garry Kasparov , László Polgár
- Director : Rory Kennedy
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Competition , Family Stories , History
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Run time : 95 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : February 6, 2026
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