WELCOME

THE WORLD'S MOST INSPIRING FESTIVAL AWAITS YOU!
September 17, Tuesday
Hungarian National Gallery

Join us at the 10th Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival in Budapest, at the Hungarian National Gallery, among the masterpieces of the greatest Hungarian painters!
A magical chess universe awaits you in 2400 square meters! Patron of the 10th Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival: Ernő Rubik.

We’re taking motivation to the top: this year’s festival theme is INSPIRATION! Let's talk about it, experience it, inspire each other, and explore new pathways and connections between chess, science, art, education, and sports together!

Chess tournaments
Meet the outstanding figures and influencers of the sport
Book signing with the Polgar sisters
Judit Polgar Method: lectures and practical demonstrations
Chess Art Gallery
Children's Kingdom: craft workshops
Chess Palace adventure trails

Judit's thoughts on inspiration:

"True inspiration is not just a fleeting spark."

This year marks the 10th anniversary of one of the most inspiring events in the chess world—the Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival.

Judit Polgár is one of the most inspiring figures of all time, serving as a role model for millions, not just within the chess world. It’s no coincidence that the 10th Global Chess Festival, taking place on September 17-18, is centered around the theme of inspiration. But what inspires the greatest female chess player of all time?

As a young girl, she was already challenging grandmasters with her determined strategies, breaking records as the only woman in the male-dominated chess world, defeating the world champion Garry Kasparov at the age of 24, and for the past 10 years, organizing the Global Chess Festival, which spans across nations and captivates the imagination of chess grandmasters, educators, children, their parents, and outstanding scientific thinkers alike.

As a child, I was inspired by my parents, my sisters, and various situations. One example is when I was 12 years old, and Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest chess players of all time, watched my game. That alone was a huge source of inspiration. However, experiences like these are truly nourishing when they last. What truly inspires first lifts you up, then energizes you and stirs a desire to act. True inspiration is not just a fleeting spark.

A conversation, an occasion, a lecture, a sentence, encouragement, or a good book - anything can be inspiring, and it’s even better when these moments repeat. I draw a lot from TED Talks, for example, but I also find Mihály Csíkszentmihályi's flow theory, the iconic dance scene from Scent of a Woman (the 1992 American film based on Giovanni Arpino's novel), and Dalí's art very inspiring.

In September, the eyes of the chess world will turn to Budapest, as this year’s 10th Judit Polgár Global Chess Festival and the Chess Olympiad will be hosted by the Hungarian capital. How do you think an event can inspire people?

It’s an exciting discovery and also inspiring for me to see how completely different things can connect through chess. This is why we’re organizing the 10th Global Chess Festival around the theme of inspiration (September 17-18). This theme is the guiding thread for all of the festival’s programs, including our educational conference on the second day, where we’ll present the world’s most innovative, chess-based educational programs. Based on the feedback, these sometimes ordinary, other times hidden or less obvious connections, which fascinate me, also captivate the imagination of hundreds of thousands of people both on- and offline. According to visitors and speakers, this festival is the most inspiring event of the year, which is why they return year after year. The same commitment characterizes the relationship with the event’s main sponsor, Morgan Stanley. Chess brings people together during the festival’s two days, and we show that chess is present everywhere: in our everyday lives, in science, and in the arts.
As for the Chess Olympiad, competitors and chess enthusiasts from nearly 200 countries will gather for two weeks. During the competition days, nearly 2,000 players will be playing chess simultaneously, and you’ll get to see the best of them - chess as a cultural bridge. This fact, the spectacle, and the accompanying thought are very inspiring and motivating.

The new six-volume Chess Palace series has been published. How can this series, along with the unique skills development program it’s based on, serve as inspiration for children and their parents?

In this overstimulated world, it’s challenging for parents to focus on spending quality time with their children. My newly published Chess Palace book series for children focuses on developing various skills. Parents can draw inspiration from the books for playing together, and they provide a toolkit that can be applied in parenting. Through the fairy-tale world of Chess Palace, different generations can connect with each other. On September 17, during the first day of the Global Chess Festival at the Hungarian National Gallery, parents and children can discover and try out the creative adventure trails of Chess Palace. Our goal is to inspire hundreds of thousands of people both on- and offline this year as well.

We look forward to seeing you at the Hungarian National Gallery or join us online for the celebration of chess!

We reserve the right to make changes to the programmes.