Queen of Chess - Judit Polgar and Purling

Queen of Chess - Judit Polgar and Purling limited edition chess set with Alabaster stone board

Purling and Judit Polgar are releasing a limited edition of only 25 numbered sets: the “Queen of Chess” in Copper and Sky Blue, which includes two additional hand-painted queens. Each Queen is hand-painted and hand-gilded with 22k gold by artist and Purling Creative Director Gosia Łapsa-Malawska, creating an organic finish where no two pieces are exactly alike. Two distinct colourways, each carrying profound symbolism: The Greek Rosa Terra Queen (The Foundation)
A rich, warm, terracotta-rose earth tone inspired by the soil of Greece.
This is a direct tribute to Greece as the launching pad of Judit’s global legacy - the historic 1988 Thessaloniki Olympiad. The Sky Blue Queen (The Horizon)
A vibrant, expansive teal-blue.
This embodies your lifelong philosophy that “the sky is the limit.” It represents Judit’s refusal to be confined by traditional gender divisions, her fearless determination to shatter the ultimate glass ceiling, and her historic ascent into the absolute World Top 10. The 22k Gold (The Triumph & The Jubilee)
The gold serves a dual purpose. It celebrates Judit’s 50th Birthday Anniversary ( Golden Jubilee), whilst simultaneously honouring the pure Olympic Gold she brought home from Thessaloniki. Queen of Chess uniting both the classic and contemporary, incorporating hand turned and carved Staunton inspired design chess pieces, featuring Purling's unique Knight design.Our luxury hardwood pieces are produced to a high standard and are hand painted and finished in London, with each piece receiving two layers of base coat primer, two coats of high gloss paint and two layers of crystal-clear lacquer to produce a deep, glossy and durable finish.Each piece is completed with a beautiful Italian Napa leather base felt featuring the Purling logo embossed in 18 carat gold and each set features four Queens for effortless pawn promotion.The chess pieces are paired with an Italian alabaster stone board, measuring 44cm x 44cm.Presented in our luxury branded packaging, Purling Bold chess makes a stunning statement and ideal gift. Judit Polgar is the strongest female chess player in history and the only woman to have consistently competed on equal terms with the world’s best men. Her journey began at age five, and by 1989, at just twelve years old, she became the No. 1-ranked woman in the world – a position she held for the next 26 years. By fourteen, she had won five gold medals (two team and three individual) at the Women’s Chess Olympiads.
After 1990, she competed exclusively in open events against the world’s top players. In 1991, at 15 years and 4 months, she broke Bobby Fischer’s record to become the youngest international grandmaster at the time. Her peak competitive achievements culminated in 2005, when she competed for the absolute World Championship title and reached a historic world ranking of No. 8. This milestone made her the first and still only woman to surpass a 2700 rating and enter the world’s top 10. Throughout her career, she defeated eleven men’s world champions, including Garry Kasparov, Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Anatoly Karpov, and Boris Spassky.
Since retiring from competitive chess in 2014, she has focused on educational innovation and global advocacy. Through the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation, established in 2012, she created the Judit Polgar Method to help children develop key skills through the game. Today, she serves as a global ambassador for chess in education, a seminar lecturer, a TED speaker, and an expert commentator at major tournaments. She also authors a widely acclaimed three-volume autobiography blending world-class mastery with personal storytelling, and organizes the annual Judit Polgar Global Chess Festival. Her extraordinary life story is featured in the 2026 Netflix documentary ‘Queen of Chess’.

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