One of the biggest novelties of the 11th Judit Polgar Global Chess Festival was the world’s first RubikChess tournament, officially opened by Judit Polgar and Ernő Rubik, the inventor of the Rubik’s Cube. Interest in the event was enormous: registrations for the fifty mixed pairs of young participants filled up at record speed.
Before the tournament, the new format was introduced with a festive showcase on the Morgan Stanley stage: Judit Polgar and Péter Lizák played on the chessboard, while Kolos Kántor and Krisztián Fazakas solved Rubik’s Cubes, demonstrating the unique fusion of chess and the cube.
How does RubikChess work?
The essence of the game is that during a 10-minute chess match, play is interrupted at unexpected moments: then, the partner responsible for the Rubik’s Cube must solve it. Until the cube is completed, the chess clock continues to tick, and the player at the board cannot move. Thus, chess skills, logical thinking, and quick problem-solving all come into play simultaneously.
This special format combines logic and creativity, and judging by the enthusiasm of the audience, RubikChess is expected to become a permanent feature of the festival in the future.
Results
- Luca Miklós – Jan Marco Albers (Egyházaskozár-Bikali Primary School) – 4.5/5 points
- Hanna Miklós – Ádám Dunai (Egyházaskozár-Bikali Primary School) – 4.5/5 points
- Tábita Dan – Bálint Mázsár (Egyházaskozár-Bikali Primary School) – 4/5 points
The special prize for the best girl was presented by Anastasia Sorokina, Chairperson of FIDE’s Commission for Women’s Chess, as a supporter of the program.
