Jewish chess grandmaster nominated for Hungarian Presidency

One of Hungary’s most prominent Jewish citizens may soon become the country’s President, with the nation’s new Prime Minister nominating her to fill the role due to her “exceptional talent…and integrity”.

Judit Polgár, the Hungarian Jewish grandmaster who is widely considered to be the best female chess player ever, has been named by Prime Minister Péter Magyar as his nominee for role of ceremonial Head of State.

In a social media post announcing his decision, Magyar, who successfully ousted longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in April’s general election, wrote that “our country needs unity, peace, and a president in whom every Hungarian can take pride. The presidency is not a profession, not a job, but the highest form of service. The president’s task is to serve and represent every Hungarian.

“Judit Polgár, recommended today for the presidency by respected figures in Hungarian public life, is such a person, which is why tomorrow I will meet with her and ask whether she is willing to serve our country in this new role until the adoption of the new Constitution.”

The previous President, Tamás Sulyok, widely considered to be loyal to Orbán, agreed to step down over the weekend, after the country’s Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favour of his ousting.

Polgár, whose story was chronicled in a Netflix documentary earlier this year: Queen of Chess, was trained, alongside her sisters Susan and Sofia, by her father, who was himself born in 1946 to two Holocaust survivor parents. He told the Jerusalem Post in 2017 that “being a Jew gave me extra motivation to succeed.” The family never hid their Jewishness – Sofia in particular wore a prominent Star of David necklace – and there was a sense that they were treated particularly strictly by the Communist regime because of it.

While all three of the sisters enjoyed significant chess success, Judit became the most prominent, becoming the top rated woman player in the world for more than a quarter of a century until her retirement from competitive chess, and until this day the only woman to be ranged in the world’s top 10 chess players.

In his social media post, Prime Minister Magyar described how “Judit Polgár’s name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades. As the most accomplished female player in chess history, she topped the women’s world rankings uninterrupted for 26 years, while also breaking into the top ten of the absolute world rankings. Five-time chess Olympiad champion, international grandmaster, recipient of the Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen… and just a few weeks ago, she was elected a member of Christ’s College (University of Cambridge).

“Judit Polgár’s career to date has always been about achievement. The recognition surrounding her is not due to political affiliations or connections, but to her exceptional talent, diligence, unparalleled resilience, and integrity. She is a Hungarian whose accomplishments command respect and admiration both at home and around the world. Personally, I would consider it a tremendous honour if she accepts the invitation.”

It is understood that Magyar will meet Polgár this week to discuss the offer. If Polgar accepts, she will become one of a number of Jewish people to have become head of state of a country outside of Israel, including Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine, Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico and Ruth Dreifuss in Switzerland.