Lilla Virág Király earned the opportunity to travel to China at one of the chess tournaments held during a previous Judit Polgar Global Chess Festival. At the invitation of the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation’s Chinese partner, she took part in a special chess event in Liaocheng from 20 to 22 July.
The organisers offered the opportunity for another young Hungarian player to join the event, so Lilla travelled together with Lili Tóth and her coach Grandmaster Zoltán Almási.
The programme, organised around International Chess Day, began with an unusual 32-player blitz tournament held in a 140-metre-high Ferris wheel. Lili Tóth made it through to the final eight.
The following day, the girls competed in a 91-player rapid tournament, facing mainly young Chinese players. Lili finished 11th overall and second among the girls, while Lilla took third place in the girls’ category.
According to Zoltán Almási, the Chinese organisers welcomed the Hungarian team with exceptional warmth and hospitality, while the tournaments themselves were run with impressive precision.
Congratulations to Lilla and Lili on their excellent results, and our sincere thanks to our Chinese partner for the invitation and wonderful hospitality!
