The International Youth Chess Challenge was organized by the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation for the first time in Budapest supported by the European Chess Union as a pre-event of the 5th Global Chess Festival.

This chess tournament aimed at bringing kids together from different nations. The spirit of Chess Connects Us, which is developed by Judit Polgar gave two days of experience at the headquarters of Hungarian Chess Federation for the kids, their parents and coaches to get to know each other on and off the chessboard. The JPCF believes that for the children’s development it is essential to get to know different cultures and chess can provide great opportunities to accomplish this aim for kids.

The International Youth Chess Challenge event was developed for girls and boys playing in the same field. We, the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation pay special attention to give equal opportunities regardless of gender. The top finishers were three girls and the playoff was won by Lucia Kapicakova (Slovakia). See all the results here. The prizes included 3 trophies and 6 medals, and the winner received a special invitation to China to take part in a youth competition.