On the first playing day of the 2010 Cez Chess Trophy, Judit Polgar took a clear lead in her rapid match with David Navara. After a draw in the first game she won both the second and third game. The match takes place in Prague and consists of eight games.

This year the Cez Chess Trophy, the traditional rapid match in Prague, is played between the world's most famous and best female chess player Judit Polgar and Czech Republic's number one David Navara. The match takes place April 22-24 and consists of eight games (25 minutes for a game with an increment of 10 seconds per move). Venue is the Michna Palace, one of the largest palaces in Prague. It was built in early Baroque as an ostentatious residence of Pavel Michna of Vacinov between the 16th and 17th century.

Michna Palace, Prague

All games can be followed live online on the Prague Chess Society website. If you happen to be around, it's good to know that GM Lubomir Kavalek is commentating the games for the audience at Michna Palace.

Polgar arrived in Prague on Wednesday together with her husband Gusztáv Font for the match and a simul against 25 players. Despite the complications caused by the volcanic ash, which for instance forced the match commentator Lubomir Kavalek to complete the last bit of his journey from Washington to Prague by train, the plane with Judit Polgar took off from Budapest and safely landed in Prague.

On Sunday 25 April at BW Kampa Hotel, Judit Polgar is going to play a simul against 25 competitors including well-known business personalities and politicians. GMs Lubomir Kavalek and Vlastimil Hort open each day of the event with a lecture on chess topics (on specifics of women chess, on the difference between male and female style of the game, and on the first world's woman grandmaster, Vera Menchik).

The full tournament's programm is listed here.

Game viewer

Game viewer by ChessTempo

First the people involved went to a chess sets exhibition - here we see arbiter Pavel Vortuba, GM Vlastimil Hort and Judit Polgar's husband Gusztáv Font...

...and here GM Lubomir Kavalek, who made it in time

Does Judit Polgar have the same hobby as John Nunn these days?

The drawing of lots during the opening dinner...

...where Polgar picked the black pieces for game 1

'Na zdraví!', say two Czech GMs to each other

Kavalek chatting with Bessel Kok, who's probably happy not to be involved in chess politics anymore

Organizer Pavel Matocha and Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer...

...who made the first move of the match: Navara's 1.e4

But not after an introductory lecture by Vlastimil Hort

Commentary during the games by Lubomir Kavalek

Photos © Prague Chess Society, more here

Links

• Official website
• Games in PGN via TWIC