In September 2024 the eyes of the chess world turned to Budapest for the 45th Chess Olympiad. The team competition ran from 11–22 September, framed by opening and closing events on 10 and 23 September — and Consulchess was there too.
This was an extraordinary meeting place: FIDE reported players from a record 194 countries at the opening ceremony. The BOK Sports and Conference Centre served not only as the playing venue, but also as the accreditation centre, Expo and fan zone. That made the Expo a natural place for visitors to encounter chess beyond the familiar 8×8 board. Read the official Olympiad invitation.
Consulchess had its own presentation stand in the hall. Curious players could see the wider 10×8 board, meet the extra Consul pieces and try the variant directly instead of learning it from a diagram. For many international guests, it was a first encounter with both the short-ranging queen-like piece and free castling.
The showcase became competitive on 16 September with the official Expo Consul Chess tournament in BOK Hall “C.” Entry was free and the event used a seven-round Swiss system with a brisk 10 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. Trophies, medals and cash prizes awaited the top three. Those details are preserved in the official side-event notice.
That rapid format put the character of Consulchess on immediate display. Players had to judge unfamiliar jumping lines, the Consul’s three-square range and far more flexible castling choices under clock pressure. Familiar chess instincts still mattered, but the new geometry rewarded fresh calculation from the very first game.
The setting was especially fitting. Consulchess has a strong following in Hungary, and grandmasters József Horváth, Csaba Horváth, Zoltán Medvegy and Lajos Seres have all played the variant. Presenting it during the Olympiad connected that Hungarian community with players arriving from almost every corner of the chess world.
New to the variant after seeing it in Budapest? Start with the Rules & FAQ, or read how Consulchess came to be. Then take the Consul onto the board yourself.
One souvenir came home from Budapest with a story of its own: a board signed by players at the Olympiad.