PROGRAMME 2026

JUDIT POLGAR GLOBAL CHESS FESTIVAL PROGRAMMES
Saturday, September 26
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
10:00–17:30

Here, everything is real: the chessboards, the chess pieces, the people, the paintings around us, the programmes – even the vision!

We live in a time when the boundaries between what is real and what is fake are becoming increasingly blurred. But we have an ally, a powerful tool that can help us navigate this jungle: critical thinking – and chess teaches us that, too. We’ll show you how.

ALL-DAY PROGRAMMES

THE MASTER RELAY SIMUL
LIVE CHESS PAINTING
JUPO WORLD APP
LOGIC ADVENTURES
JUDIT POLGAR SHOP
CHALLENGE THE MASTER!
MAKE YOUR MOVE!
CHESS PALACE ADVENTURE TRAIL

TIMED PROGRAMMES

10:00–14:00 TRUTH AMONG THE BALLS
10:30–12:40 CHESS PALACE AND AI IN EDUCATION
10:30–13:00 CHESS CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT
10:30–14:00 GENERATION CLASH CHESS TOURNAMENT
10:30–16:00 THE CHATURANGA MISSION
10:45–12:45 PLAYFUL THINKING
11:00–15:00 ROBOT PROGRAMMING WITH MORGAN STANLEY
11:00–15:00 AI MASTER CHALLENGE
10:30–11:30 WHERE CAN YOU MOVE?
11:40–12:15 THE 65TH SQUARE
12:20–13:20 MEET & GREET WITH THE POLGAR SISTERS
13:00–14:50 CHESS, AI & PARENTING – FOR PARENTS
13:00–16:30 ONCE UPON A CHESSBOARD
13:30–16:30 COMMUNITY CHESS SIMUL WITH JUDIT
13:30–17:00 RUBIKCHESS TOURNAMENT 2026
14:00–17:00 TEST YOUR CHESS!
15:15–16:45 QUEEN OF CHESS – FILM SCREENING

MORGAN STANLEY STAGE

10:20–10:30 STORY, PLAY, THINK
In the magical world of Chess Palace, children don’t just listen to the story – they help shape it through play, movement and thinking.

10:30–10:45 CHESS ON THE BOARD OF IMAGINATION
Can you play chess without seeing the board? Judit Polgar and her opponent play blindfolded, keeping track of every piece and every move in her mind. But what do they “see” while playing? And what is our mind capable of when, instead of relying on our eyes, we turn to imagination, memory and thought?

10:50–11:05 RUBIKCHESS: LOGIC IN MOTION
A live stage demonstration featuring the winners of the first RubikChess Tournament in 2025, with commentary by Judit Polgar.

11:10–11:25 THINK MOVES AHEAD
Chess, magic and surprise on one stage! In a special joint performance by Benedict and Judit Polgar, put your powers of observation to the test: are you really seeing what is actually happening?

15:00–15:25 REALITY CHECK QUIZ
Don’t believe your eyes! Put your logic and observation skills to the test in an interactive quiz full of surprises.

16:45–17:05 MEET THE QUEEN OF CHESS
A conversation with Judit Polgar, the subject of the Queen of Chess documentary, following the film screening.

17:05–17:15 FESTIVAL CLOSING
Colorblind – performed live by Juga, a Chilean singer-songwriter, invites us to look beyond colours and differences – because what we see at first glance is not always what truly matters.

The programme is subject to change.

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