Necva Tastan Sevinc
20 July 2026•Update: 20 July 2026
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar backed renowned chess grandmaster Judit Polgar as a candidate for president, saying Sunday that he would meet her Monday to discuss the position.
Magyar announced his support after prominent figures from Hungary’s scientific, cultural and sporting communities sent a letter to Parliament Speaker Agnes Forsthoffer proposing Polgar for the presidency.
“Our country needs unity, peace and a president of whom every Hungarian can be proud,” Magyar wrote on US social media company X.
Magyar said he would ask Polgar whether she was prepared to “serve the country in a new role” until the adoption of Hungary’s new constitution.
He described Polgar as a figure whose achievements have earned respect at home and internationally, saying her recognition resulted from her talent, hard work, resilience and integrity rather than political affiliations.
Polgar, widely regarded as the strongest female chess player in history, led the women’s world rankings uninterruptedly for 26 years and also entered the top 10 of the overall global rankings.
She is an international grandmaster and a five-time Chess Olympiad champion. Polgar has also received the Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, the country’s highest state honor, and was recently elected a fellow of Christ’s College at the University of Cambridge.
The process of selecting a new president follows a constitutional amendment ending President Tamas Sulyok’s term before its scheduled conclusion.
