On September 30, 2025, nearly 5,000 visitors attended the 11th Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival at the Hungarian National Gallery, where the celebration of chess featured 30 programs. This year again, the festival’s triple motto – play, inspire, experience – was fully realized, proving once more that the universal language of chess has the power to connect communities, cultures, and generations.
Festival Firsts…
One of this year’s highlights was the world’s first RubikChess tournament, opened by Judit Polgar and Ernő Rubik. Fifty pairs of young players competed, and the event concluded with resounding success. Another historic moment came with the first live human–robot chess game in the festival’s history, where Hungarian talent Gellért Karácsonyi played against the SenseRobot.
The community simultaneous exhibition also drew great attention, followed by hundreds of thousands online worldwide. Judit Polgar faced six teams and defeated them all.
Among the technological innovations, visitors marveled at the world’s first chess robot capable of moving real pieces, as well as the magical smart board, where the pieces move on their own. At the ChessBoxing Challenge, participants solved chess puzzles in a calm state, then performed a few boxing moves before returning to the board – experiencing firsthand how physical exertion influences mental performance.
Special Showcases
On the main stage, sponsored by Morgan Stanley, the Invisible Chess Game captivated the audience, while a joint performance by Judit Polgar and Susan Polgar drew huge success. Spectators actively joined in a match played with giant chess pieces, while Susan Polgar signed copies of her autobiography Queen of Rebels throughout the day.
Fans of competitive chess also found their place: they could test their skills in the Chess Challenge tournament and the Challenge the Master! program, while the Test Your Chess! workshops helped develop strategic thinking.
