Hungary: Magyar plans to nominate former chess prodigy for president

Péter Magyar, a prominent figure in Hungarian politics, announced on Facebook that he intends to nominate Judit Polgár, the world's former top female chess player, as a candidate for Hungary's presidency. Magyar stated he plans to meet with the 49-year-old chess grandmaster on Monday, expressing hope that she will accept his proposal to run for the presidential post.

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For decades, the name Judit Polgár has been synonymous with talent and perseverance.

The presidency became vacant after the parliament removed T. Sulyok, a political associate of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, from the position in April. Orbán himself had lost his post earlier that month. The election of the Hungarian president is conducted by the parliament, where Magyar's party, Tisza, commands a two-thirds majority, suggesting a strong likelihood of his nominee's success.

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She held the first place in the women's world rankings for 26 consecutive years and was also among the top ten players in the world.

Magyar lauded Polgár, describing her name as synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades. He highlighted her remarkable career, noting she held the top spot in women's world rankings for 26 consecutive years and was among the top ten players globally. Polgár is also a multiple gold medalist at the Chess Olympiad. Although she retired from competitive chess over a decade ago, she remains an active promoter of the game and supports education and equal opportunities through her foundation. Notably, she has no prior political experience.

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She has never held any political office to date.