If Unchecked, She Hopes to Be Queen of Chess World

--Judit Polgar has been making some dramatic moves in the world of chess. At the end of this month, the 12-year-old Hungarian girl will become the youngest player ever to gain the title of “international master,” which Bobby Fischer of the United States and Gary Kasparov of the Soviet Union did not achieve until they were 14. In August, Judit became the world champion in the under-12 division after refusing to compete in a separate competition for girls. Romanian organizers presented her with a trophy for the “world under-12 boys’ championship.” Men and women play for separate world titles in chess and have segregated ranking lists. Judit, who practices “five or six hours a day,” says she expects to be in the top 100 players in the world when the new rankings are announced Jan. 1.

--The divorce of Greek Premier Andreas Papandreou’s girlfriend and her architect husband will “become final within one week--when the papers are processed,” according to a court official in Athens. Dimitra Liani, 34, married Alex Kapopoulos, 48, in a civil ceremony in 1982. The couple have no children. Papandreou, 69, said before undergoing open-heart surgery in London in September that he intends to divorce his American wife. Liani was in London with the premier during his hospital stay and has made appearances with him since they returned to Greece last weekend. Papandreou married Margaret Chant, now 66, in a civil ceremony in 1951. They have four grown children.

--The Franco-Soviet space mission Aragatz, scheduled for liftoff after Nov. 26, will have a definite French flavor. French astronaut Jean-Loup Chretien said he and his Soviet crew mates will choose from a menu of 23 items created by two French chefs and 11 French food distributors. The French National Center for Space Studies said it took an entire year to choose finalists from a total of 46 products proposed by about 15 distributors. The menu also required the approval of a French army research team and Soviet space authorities. Dishes such as beef Burgundy, fondue of beef with tomatoes and pickles and sauteed veal Marengo will be specially prepared for consumption aboard the Soviet spacecraft.