EDUCATION
In 2024, with the support of a government subsidy, we provided training courses for over 1,500 teachers on the methodologies of Chess Palace and Chess P.E. This initiative significantly expanded our reach in integrating chess into education. In November, we celebrated a significant milestone by conducting our 100th training course.
Significant progress was made in educational resources:
- All six volumes of Judit’s new Chess Palace book series are now published in Hungarian, with translations into other languages underway.
- The Chess Palace Program website was revamped
SPORT
Our mentoring program, launched in 2023 for 30 talented young players, continued to thrive. Participants benefited from invaluable training sessions in 2024 led by Judit Polgár, and other grandmasters: Zoltán Almási, Arthur Kogan and closing this year with superstar Péter Lékó.
CULTURE
This year marked the 10th anniversary of Judit Polgar’s Global Chess Festival. The two-day event, centered around the theme “Inspiration,” featured:
- Patron: Ernő Rubik
- Special Guests: The entire Polgar Family
- Highlights:
- Over 6,000 visitors at the Hungarian National Gallery
- Community Chess Simul with physical and online teams
- Inspiration Chess Tournament
The 4th Educational Chess Summit, organized in collaboration with FIDE and ECU, featuring speakers from 20 countries and 120 attendees
JUDIT POLGAR
- In Cambridge, the RUBIK’S 50th anniversary was celebrated by prominent professors from fields such as mathematics, architecture, games, and education. The event’s highlight was a discussion featuring Ernő Rubik and Judit Polgár, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. https://www.christs.cam.ac.uk/news/celebrating-50-years-rubiks-cube
- Judit received the FIDE 100 Award – Best Female Player
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND PARTNEPSHIP
- Gambit Project: In 2024, the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation received an Erasmus+ grant to motivate and retain children aged 7-12 in chess clubs, with a particular focus on girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Foundation provides training methodologies to chess coaches for grassroots clubs in Hungary, Spain, and Greece, emphasizing value, motivation, and soft-skill development through chess education.
- In collaboration with the Pravaha Foundation, we hosted an intensive 14-day master course at the Judit Polgar Education Center for seven of India’s most promising young female chess players. Notable participants included Tania Sachdev and Vantika Agrawal, who later won gold medals at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
Ongoing Partnerships:
- Morgan Stanley
- Four Seasons Budapest Hotel
- Gedeon Richter Plc.
- OTP Fáy András Foundation
PLANS FOR 2025
- 11th Global Chess Festival
- Introduce new training programs based on the Chess Palace book series for kindergarten teachers and parents.
- Launch new black-and-white publications as supplements to the Chess Palace book series.
- Establish a partnership with Ernő Rubik to promote mind games
- Update the websites for Judit Polgar and Chess P.E.
- Continue the Erasmus+ project to further support grassroots chess education.
