Highest Chess Rating, Women
- Who
- Judit Polgar
- What
- 2,735 total number
- Where
- Not Applicable
- When
- July 2005
In July 2005, Grandmaster Judit Polgar achieved a peak Elo rating of 2,735. This was both her own career peak, and the highest rating achieved by a female chess player.
Polgar thereby broke her own record, a 1996 rating of 2,675.
Chess players are ranked according to the points they receive per the Elo rating system. FIDE, the World Chess Federation, uses this system to award players points (or remove points) depending on their performance in matches and tournaments. Certain principles apply, such as beating a strong player brings more points, and the rankings fluctuate. Elo ratings are now published monthly.