Judit Polgar has been actively promoting the integration of chess into education for more than 10 years. What she has achieved throughout these years is truly exceptional. Her Chess Palace program is taught in more than 750 schools by more than 3000 teachers across Hungary. And why her program is so successful? She surely knows how to plan many steps ahead. 🙂 She keeps close attention to every little detail and knows exactly the steps she has to take to create high-quality educational materials. The best women chess player of all time is applying the skills she used over the chessboard in creating the winning approach for Chess in Education. The work she does is enormous, not just because of its scale, but because of the thought, precision and passion, she pours into every detail. It offers a valuable lesson for anyone in education: dedication to quality, attention to detail and a clear vision can drive meaningful change.
I remember when she started her program in Hungary. In 2015 I joined one of her first teacher training courses in Budapest. One thing that stood out about Judit’s work already is her deep understanding of what teachers need to succeed in using chess for educational purposes. Her teacher’s guides are an absolute goldmine, filled with detailed lesson plans, creative activities and step-by-step instructions that make it easy to use chess as an educational tool in the classroom. Every page reflects Judit’s thoughtful approach, offering teachers everything they need to make chess accessible and engaging for students of all ages.
I was the only one (with my competitive chess player past) among the others who knew how to play chess but it didn’t really matter. The training course provided not just the materials but also the confidence and understanding for teachers on how to integrate chess into their broader educational goals.
I’m lucky enough to be Hungarian and be able to read and use her educational materials. (Only available in Hungarian at the moment but I believe translations are on the way.)
But Judit didn’t stop there. Her efforts extended to major initiatives like the Global Chess Festival and the Educational Chess Summit, which provide forums for educators and chess enthusiasts to come together. The theme of the Festival this year “Inspiration” is not just a powerful force but has the potential to bring together communities. Educators from around the world came together to share their work, ideas and experiences to inspire and be inspired by each other around Chess in Education. Great initiatives and thoughts were shared by the speakers (see below) and live-streamed you can watch back here.
Whether Judit is writing children’s books, creating educational materials or organizing events, she ensures that everything meets the highest standards. Her relentless drive for quality, attention to detail and commitment to excellence is something that all educators can learn from. If we want to create meaningful, lasting change, we need to put care and effort into every aspect of our work.