EDUCATION
4,500 teachers completed the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation’s funded, free teacher training programme
At the end of 2025, the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation successfully concluded its funded, free teacher training programme, which in 2022, 2024, and 2025 provided nationwide professional development opportunities for primary school teachers. During the supported period, nearly 4,500 educators completed one of the three available, 30-hour accredited training courses: Talent Development Chess (for teachers of Grades 1–2), Skills Development Chess (for teachers of Grades 3–4), and the ChessPE movement development programme (for teaching pupils in Grades 1–4). As a result of this initiative, an increasing number of young learners across the country are engaging in experience-based, competence-developing learning environments in which chess serves not only as a game, but also as an effective pedagogical tool.
New ChessPalace publications
The first two booklets of the ChessPalace activity series have been published in Hungarian, accompanied by a large ChessPalace educational poster.
New preschool teacher training with professional support from the Polgár Judit Chess Foundation
From January 2026, the University of Public Service (NKE), with the professional support of the Polgár Judit Chess Foundation, will launch a new 30-hour accredited training programme specifically for preschool teachers. The course is based on Judit Polgár’s ChessPalace book series for children aged 4–8. Through an engaging, practice-oriented curriculum, the programme supports preschool educators in creating playful, motivating learning environments in their daily educational work by building on the pedagogical toolkit of chess.
PLAY. INSPIRATION. EXPERIENCE.
5,000 participants at the 11th Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival
On 30 September, the 11th Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival was held at the Hungarian National Gallery, welcoming more than 5,000 visitors. One of the event’s greatest innovations was the world’s first Rubik’s Chess Tournament, featuring 50 mixed-gender teams. The competition was officially opened by Judit Polgár and Ernő Rubik. The festival’s programme also included chess-playing robots, a Chess Boxing demonstration, and Judit Polgár’s traditional community simultaneous exhibition, which attracted several hundred thousand online viewers.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
The Gambit Project concludes
The 18-month, Erasmus+ funded Gambit Project was successfully completed. Within the framework of the programme, the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation provided professional training for coaches from Hungarian, Spanish, and Greek chess clubs, while the participating club coaches conducted training sessions and other playful activities for children aged 7–12 involved in the project.
Engaging more than 130 children and 20 coaches, the initiative contributed to the methodological renewal and broader accessibility of chess education, with particular emphasis on the inclusion of girls and the support of rural communities.
ChessPalace in the United States
In 2025, in cooperation with the New York–based Tulipán Foundation, the JPCF delivered a 30-hour online training programme for teachers of Hungarian schools in North America. Eleven dedicated educators from the United States and Canada participated in the course. From January 2026, they will introduce the ChessPalace programme in weekend schools serving communities committed to preserving the Hungarian language and culture. Based on the results of the pilot phase, additional Hungarian schools in North America are expected to adopt the programme in the future.
Our partners include:
- Morgan Stanley
- Four Seasons Budapest Hotel
- Gedeon Richter Plc.
- OTP Fáy Foundation
- Chess.com
- Tulipán Foundation
JUDIT POLGÁR
Queen of Chess – a documentary about Judit Polgár at the Sundance Film Festival and soon on Netflix
It is a great honour that Queen of Chess, the documentary portraying the life of Judit Polgár, has been invited to the programme of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. The prestigious festival is one of the world’s most significant independent film events, where works with Hungarian relevance are rarely featured. The film was directed by renowned documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy and traces Judit’s journey from the chessboard of her early years to achieving the international grandmaster title and Olympiad successes, including her legendary battles against world champions such as Garry Kasparov. For the Foundation, it is a particular source of pride that Judit’s story is reaching an international audience in such a worthy form, reinforcing the values of chess and the importance of talent development.
