5 Things To Look For At Judit Polgar's Global Chess Festival

GM Judit Polgar's Global Chess Festival, now in its ninth edition since starting in 2007, is one of the true highlights of the chess calendar. Held in Budapest, Hungary, and also online, it attracts thousands of chess fans from around the world for two days of celebrating the cerebral game.

It is fun, with a particular emphasis on fostering a love of the game among children, but also informative, with plenty of discussions and talks about the world of chess. As always, this year's schedule is jam-packed full of interesting events, but to help you zoom in on the highlights, we’ve picked out five things of note to look out for—enjoy!

1. The Chess Triathlon—A New Esport In The Making?

One of the most innovative and eagerly awaited events at this year’s Global Chess Festival will be the Chess Triathlon.

Are you imagining people in swimsuits playing chess before setting off for a long run? It’s not quite as physical as that, and it’s unlikely to ever make the Olympics, but it does look like a lot of fun—although, with a lineup of super-strong players and a $10,000 prize, it’s likely to be highly competitive too.

The Chess Triathlon will be an online event featuring three disciplines: 1+1 bullet chess, a puzzle battle, and tandem chess. IM Tania Sachdev and Polgar will be commentating as four pairs of players compete for the prize in the Budapest studio.

They are:

• Team Crazylandia: WFM Alessia Santeramo and GM David Howell
• Team Mighty Fox: WIM Zsóka Gaál and GM Ferenc Berkes
• Team DragonChess: IM Olga Alexandrova and GM Miguel Illescas
• The last team will soon be announced

The event will be broadcast from 1 p.m. ET / 19:00 CEST to 4.30 p.m. ET / 22.30 CEST on Sunday. We think the Chess Triathlon could take off as a discipline—so do watch it!

2. A Lot Of Love For GM Judit Polgar—Everywhere!

She is front and center of the festival—and rightly so! Polgar, the greatest female player of all time, is everywhere at the Global Chess Festival, and the whole event is almost as much of a celebration of her and her achievements as it is about the game (although, we're probably not meant to say that!).

If you want to speak to Polgar in person, she will be signing 200 copies of her new book, the first of a six-volume series, on Saturday from 11:30 to 12:00 CEST in the Hungarian National Gallery. There will also be a Judit Polgar Shop present at the festival where you can stock up on chess items and find her Judit Polgar Method educational books and tools. In the afternoon, the festival's founder will also be hosting a simul, also in the Hungarian National Gallery.

If you want to find out how Polgar became the youngest grandmaster in history (at the time) and went on to become one of the top players in the world, watch IM Danny Rensch's interview with her here.

3. Robots!

The festival is being sponsored by Morgan Stanley and one of the initiatives the financial services company is particularly involved in is teaching the basics of programming to children. On the Saturday of the festival, volunteers from Morgan Stanley’s Budapest office will be on hand to guide youngsters through the foundations of Scratch programming with the help of Lego robots. Robotics is considered a core STEM subject and anything involving Lego, chess, and robots is sure to excite any child over the age of eight.

For the younger children, look out for the Chess Palace—a room at the festival hosting a skill-building adventure platform connected to the Judit Polgar Method that introduces the basics of chess through play. Parents can also get involved.

4. The Big Online Event For Everyone Who Can't Get To Budapest

For everyone who can't be in Budapest, there's the #ChessConnectsUs Championship, a huge 3+2 online blitz tournament that gives chess clubs and organizations from around the globe the chance to participate in an international tournament against others, all in the spirit of one of the most diverse and exciting community chess events in the world.

More details of the event can be found here, but the Qualification Stage has already taken place which means it's too late to enter. However, the Finals stage, modeled on Chess.com's Titled Tuesday tournaments, will kick off on October 14 and you can find out what happens on Chess.com or watch via the Global Chess Festival's YouTube channel.

5. The Spirit Of #ChessConnectsUs

Every year it is the same—the festival ends with a great feeling of togetherness in the chess community. Whether you've taken part at the venue, or online, Judit Polgar's Global Chess Festival reminds us how wonderful the game we play is and how working together the chess community can break down barriers and make it better. This is the message of Judit Polgar's Global Chess Festival.