Hungarian PM to Ask Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgar to Serve as President

BUDAPEST - Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Sunday that he would ask Judit Polgar, widely regarded as the greatest female chess player of all time, to take up the largely ceremonial role of Hungary's next president.

Magyar said in a social media post that Polgar, 49, could represent the nation's unity, and that on Monday he would meet the chess grandmaster and ask her whether she would accept the nomination. "I will meet her tomorrow, and will ask whether she is ready to serve our country in a new role until the new constitution is passed," he wrote.

A Constitutional Overhaul

The move came a day after President Tamas Sulyok signed a constitutional amendment, passed by Magyar's ruling Tisza party, that ends his term as head of state. The legislation was part of Magyar's broader drive to dismantle former Prime Minister Viktor Orban's bastions of power, an effort for which Magyar says he received a strong mandate from voters after ousting the right-wing leader in an April election landslide.

Parliament, where Magyar's party holds a two-thirds majority that allows it to change any law, will elect the new president, who is expected to remain in office until a planned new constitution is adopted. Magyar framed the presidency as "not a profession or a job, but the highest form of public service," describing Polgar as a figure who has built her reputation through achievement rather than political connections, and someone "whom every Hungarian can be proud of."

Who Is Judit Polgar?

Born in Budapest in 1976, Judit Polgar is a Hungarian chess grandmaster and the most successful female player in the history of the game. She led the women's world rankings continuously for 26 years, while also breaking into the top ten of the overall world rankings, a feat unmatched by any other woman. She remains the only woman to have crossed the 2700-rating threshold that many consider the mark of a "Super Grandmaster."

A five-time Chess Olympiad champion and international grandmaster, Polgar rose to prominence alongside her two sisters, Zsuzsa (Susan) and Zsofia (Sofia), who, together with Ildiko Madl, won the 1988 Chess Olympiad for Hungary's women's team, ending years of Soviet dominance. Throughout her career, Polgar chose to compete against men in a male-dominated sport, becoming one of the top players in the world. She is also a recipient of the Order of Saint Stephen, Hungary's highest state honour.

Polgar's life story reached a wider audience earlier this year through the documentary "Queen of Chess," released on Netflix in February 2026. A few weeks before the nomination, she was also elected a member of Christ's College at the University of Cambridge.

A Unifying National Figure

Magyar cast Polgar as a potential unifying figure at a moment of significant political transition in Hungary. "Judit Polgar's name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades," he said, adding that the country "needs unity, peace and a president whom every Hungarian can be proud of." As of the announcement, Polgar had not publicly responded, and did not immediately reply to requests for comment. If she accepts and is elected by parliament, she would become one of the most internationally recognised figures ever to hold the Hungarian presidency.