COMMUNITY & CULTURE
Photo by Bryan Schraier to St . Louis , becoming the head coach at Webster University and reestablishing SPICE on campus .
But even with years of preeminence as a player and now coach , Polgar said she has continued to encounter roadblocks , not unlike the ones she experienced as a young girl .
“ The reality is … I ’ ve come to the acceptance that I ’ ll always have an accent , that people will immediately know that I ’ m an immigrant , that I ’ m not American-born ,” she noted .
Polgar said that while college sports is a big deal , and collegiate chess is more mainstream , being a female coach in Division One can still be a challenge .
“ It ’ s a double whammy being a woman and an immigrant . If you would take my resume - without my name - and you compare it to anybody ’ s , it ’ s a no-brainer ,” she said . “ And yet , I ’ m not in the Chess Hall of Fame . If I were a man , I ’ d have been inducted a long time ago .”
Not to despair , Polgar said she uses her setbacks as a motivation to work harder - a philosophy she also imparts to her students .
“ There will always be jealousy and in some cases , unfairness , but don ’ t let those things distract you - use them to motivate you and show it on the board ,” she stressed .
Polgar ’ s methods are working - and winning . Webster ’ s chess team has won five consecutive Final Four National Championships , and is ranked the No . 1 team in the country .
“ The competition is getting stronger every year , and everybody expects us to win , but all of our competitors are trying hard not to let that happen ,” she said .
There are 20 players on the Webster team , eight of whom are grandmasters . The team is very diverse , with players hailing from all backgrounds and from a number of countries all over the world - a point that ’ s not lost on Polgar , who has fought her entire life to be recognized for her achievements and their place in history .
“ I tell my team - just like I tell my own kids - you can compensate for a lot with hard work .”
Next up for her and her team is the Final Four this spring in New York City , but don ’ t expect her to discuss strategy . After all , a grandmaster never reveals her next move .
SAVVY I SOPHISTICATED I SASSY 81