Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has announced his intention to nominate chess icon Judit Polgar as the country’s next president, describing her as a figure capable of representing national unity.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Magyar said he would meet the 49-year-old former world-renowned chess player on Monday to personally ask whether she would accept the nomination. The presidency is largely a ceremonial role, but the appointment comes at a significant moment as Hungary undergoes major political reforms.
The announcement follows the signing of a constitutional amendment by outgoing President Tamas Sulyok, officially ending his term in office. The amendment was passed by Magyar’s ruling Tisza Party as part of a wider effort to reshape the country’s political system after its landslide election victory over former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in April.
With a two-thirds majority in Parliament, the Tisza Party has the power to amend laws and elect a new president, who will remain in office until a planned new constitution takes effect or for a maximum term of five years.
Magyar said Polgar’s achievements and reputation make her an ideal candidate to serve the nation during this transitional period.
“Judit Polgar’s name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades,” he wrote.
Widely regarded as the greatest female chess player in history, Polgar broke barriers by competing successfully against the world’s top male players in a sport traditionally dominated by men.
She remains the only woman to have surpassed the prestigious 2,700 Elo rating, a benchmark commonly associated with elite “Super Grandmasters”.
Polgar also helped Hungary end the Soviet Union’s dominance in women’s chess when she, alongside her sisters Zsuzsa (Susan) and Zsófia (Sofia) Polgár, as well as Ildikó Mádl, won the Women’s Chess Olympiad in 1988.
Earlier this year, her remarkable career was highlighted in the Netflix documentary Queen of Chess, introducing her story to a new generation of audiences.
Polgar has yet to publicly respond to the nomination, and Reuters reported that she did not immediately comment when contacted.
