BUDAPEST — Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced Sunday that he intends to ask celebrated chess champion Judit Polgar to take on the largely ceremonial role of Hungary’s next head of state.
In a Facebook post, Magyar said the 49-year-old Polgar has the ability to represent national unity, and that he planned to sit down with her Monday to find out whether she would accept the nomination.
The announcement comes just one day after President Tamas Sulyok signed a constitutional amendment — passed by Magyar’s ruling Tisza party — that brings his own term as head of state to an early close.
The move is part of Magyar’s broader effort to dismantle the power structures built by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Magyar says voters gave him a strong mandate to do so after he defeated the right-wing leader in a landslide election victory this past April.
Magyar’s party holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, giving it the power to change any laws. Parliament will choose a new president who will serve until a new constitution is adopted, or for up to five years.
Polgar is a towering figure in the world of chess. She and her two sisters — Zsuzsa (Susan) and Zsofia (Sofia) — along with Ildiko Madl helped Hungary’s women’s team win the 1988 Chess Olympiad, ending years of Soviet dominance in the sport.
Unlike many of her contemporaries, Polgar competed directly against male players and rose to the upper tier of the sport. She remains the only woman ever to surpass the 2700 rating threshold, a benchmark widely recognized as the “Super GM” level of achievement.
A Netflix documentary titled “Queen of Chess,” focusing on Polgar’s life and career, was released in February.
“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,” Magyar wrote in his Facebook post. “Judit Polgar’s name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades.”
Polgar had not responded to a request for comment at the time of this report.
