GM Judit Polgar, the greatest woman chess player in history, was invited to be Hungary’s next president, a largely ceremonial position with a maximum term of five years. On Sunday, Hungary’s new Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on social media that he would meet with her on Monday and would “consider it a tremendous honor if she accepts the invitation.”
In a Facebook post, Polgar wrote she was grateful for the opportunity, but declined. “I do not feel enough strength within me to take on the historic responsibility of uniting a divided nation, ​so I am unable to accept the request.”
I do not feel enough strength within me to take on the historic responsibility of uniting a divided nation, ​so I am unable to accept the request.
—Judit Polgar
Magyar’s decision came after several months of calling on the previous president, Tamas Sulyok, to step down. Sulyok served since 2024 for longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who lost the national election in May. Magyar’s Tisza party, which holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, voted for a constitutional amendment to end Sulyok’s term. A day after Sulyok signed off on the amendment, Magyar announced Polgar as his pick for president.
A hazánknak egységre, békére és olyan elnökre van szüksége, akire minden magyar büszke lehet. A köztársasági elnökség nem egy foglalkozás, nem egy munkahely, hanem a legmagasabb szolgálat. Az elnök feladata: szolgálni és képviselni. Minden magyart.
A magyar közélet elismert…— Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) July 19, 2026
Explaining his choice on social media, Magyar wrote, “Our country needs unity, peace, and a president in whom every Hungarian can take pride.” Listing her accomplishments and accolades, he added that “Judit Polgar’s name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades.”
Polgar is, without any debate, considered to be the strongest woman chess player in history. In 1991, at the age of 15, she broke GM Bobby Fischer’s record of being the youngest grandmaster in history. She is the only woman to have crossed the 2700-rating threshold (achieving the unofficial distinction of “super-grandmaster”) and peaked at number eight in the world. Polgar has beaten a slew of world champions including GMs Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen.
In February 2026, Netflix released a documentary about Polgar’s rise in the chess world, Queen of Chess.Â