BUDAPEST, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgar on Tuesday unveiled RubikChess, a new game that combines chess with the Rubik's Cube, which will debut at the 11th Judit Polgar Global Chess Festival on September 30 at the Hungarian National Gallery.
Erno Rubik, inventor of the Rubik's Cube, will join Polgar at the one-day festival, which will feature more than 20 events, including children's chess art, chess robots, a smart magic chessboard and online activities.
"There will be numerous programs at the Global Chess Festival centered on three key themes: play, inspire, experience. I believe RubikChess will be one of the day's highlights," Polgar said.
A RubikChess tournament with 50 teams will also be held, with spots filling quickly after the event was announced. In the format, one player competes on the chessboard while the partner solves a Rubik's Cube puzzle, with the solution directly influencing the chess game.
"Play is very important. I started at a very young age, and it has been a significant part of my life," Polgar said. "The festival aims to showcase diverse games and playing concepts. I want to broaden the perspective on how chess can become more engaging and interesting for children and people in general."
Polgar added: "Chess is interesting, entertaining and playful. I am pleased to introduce and develop a new game to attract more people into the world of chess."
The 2024 festival drew more than 6,000 on-site visitors and over 250,000 online participants, setting a record for attendance. ■
