False Claims by Polgar
Polgar propaganda constantly claims that Polgar is a "Four Times
Woman's World Champion". This is not true. She only won the Woman's
World Championship one time. That was in 1996.
Now that she has been elected, this allegation appears on the USCF
website. It will be interesting to see if this appears in Chess Life,
where everybody will know that it is false.
Several more false claims about Polgar appear. Here is part of a USCF
Press Release at:
http://beta.uschess.org/frontend/press_33_97.php
"Former Women's World Champion Susan Polgar has just been elected as
the first ever Chairman of the USCF. Grandmaster Susan Polgar is the
winner of four Women's World Championships and ten Olympiad medals (5
Gold, 4 Silver and 1 Bronze). She was the first woman to break the
gender barrier to earn the Grandmaster title with the same
qualifications as her male counterpart. She was also the first woman
to qualify for the Men's World Championship cycle. Susan became the #1
woman player in the world at the age of 15 and has remained in the top
3 for 23 straight years."
Much of this is not true.
She was not the first woman to qualify for the Men's World
Championship cycle. Pia Cramling was. Pia Cramling qualified from the
Championship of Sweden and played in the zonal tournament in about
1981.
It is true that Susan should have been allowed to qualify after
finishing tied for second in the 1986 Hungarian Championship, but
Hungary would not allow her to play, sending Csom instead. I was
personally involved in this incident, so I know all about it. I agree
that Polgar was cheated and she should have been allowed to play in
the zonal. However, in any case she would not have been the first
woman to qualify as Cramling had qualified five years before her.
Also, she has not been in the top three women in the world for 23
straight years because she is not in the top three now. She has been
largely inactive since 1992. Currently, the top three women in the
world are Judit Polgar, Humpy Koneru and Pia Cramling. Susan Polgar is
not listed since she has not played since 2004. Before 2004, she had
not played in 8 years since 1996. Naturally, during these long periods
when she is not playing, she cannot claim to be one of the "Top Three
Players" in the world.
http://www.fide.com/ratings/top.phtml?list=women
Now that she has been elected, one wonders whether these false claims
will appear in Chess Life magazine, where they will be the subject of
ridicule.
Sam Sloan