Chess Grandmaster Judit Polgar rejects nomination as Hungarian president

Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who heads the Hungarian government, had publicly announced Polgar's nomination late on Sunday evening. In a Facebook post, he described her as a non-partisan candidate who convinced above all through diligence, perseverance, and personality.

Magyar emphasized that Polgar's achievements were owed not to political ties or connections, but to her exceptional talent. He described Polgar as an independent and non-partisan figure outside politics and announced that he would officially ask her on Monday to accept the candidacy.

Polgar's chess record

Magyar had apparently not coordinated the nomination with Polgar in advance. His initiative was intended as a break with the era of his predecessor Viktor Orban, the prime minister explained. The right-wing populist Orban had previously led the country for 16 years.

On social networks, Magyar had stated that he wanted to meet with Polgar and ask her to take on the office of head of state. His proposal met with unusually sharp criticism from within his own camp as well as from experts.

The Tisza faction in the Hungarian Parliament declared it would unanimously support Polgar's candidacy. Nonetheless, criticism rained down: numerous supporters and experts complained that there had been no broader public debate about the future personnel makeup of the highest state office.

The selection of Polgar was also criticized because she had never held a political office. Magyar was additionally accused of having hastily named a candidate despite having only shortly before expressed commitments to an open democratic process.

Political criticism of the rapid personnel decision

On his Facebook page, Magyar wrote that Polgar, as a figure outside politics, was a non-partisan candidate. He made the case for her with the words: Unser Land braucht Einheit, Frieden und einen Präsidenten, auf den alle Ungarn stolz sein können.

The position of head of state is currently vacant in Hungary. The office had previously become available through a constitutional amendment that removed the previous officeholder, Tamas Sulyok.

Sulyok had once been appointed by the right-wing populist former head of government Viktor Orban. Following the overwhelming election victory of Magyar's Tisza party in the parliamentary election on April 12, Sulyok was considered untenable by the new government. The constitutional amendment took effect on Monday.

The duties of the head of state were taken over on an interim basis by the former speaker of parliament, Forsthoffer. The Tisza politician is carrying out the functions of head of state on a caretaker basis until parliament elects a new president.

Vacancy in the presidential office

Parliament must now elect a successor to Sulyok within 30 days. This leaves the political leadership in Budapest just under a month to find a candidate who can command a majority in parliament.

Polgar's nomination would have represented an unusual break with Hungary's previous personnel policy. Polgar is considered the greatest female chess player of all time and was the only woman ever to break into the global top-ten rankings.

Trotzdem fühle ich mich nicht stark genug, um diese historische Verantwortung zu übernehmen, Polgar stated. Daher kann ich die Einladung nicht annehmen. She also emphasized that she would do everything in her power to support a new, independent, and respected president of the republic in achieving these goals.

Polgar led the women's world rankings uninterrupted for 26 years. She is a multiple Olympic champion in chess and ended her elite chess career in 2014.

Magyar's reaction to the rejection

As early as July 2005, she had reached eighth place in the overall chess world rankings. During her active career, the Hungarian competed predominantly in men's tournaments and defeated grandmasters such as Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.

Since her retirement from elite chess, Polgar has devoted herself to her foundation, which promotes the development of logical thinking and problem-solving skills in children and young people.

Magyar reacted to the rejection on social networks with the words: I regret her decision but I respect it. He said he would respect the decision, but at the same time signaled his willingness to talk about a successor arrangement.

The search for a new candidacy for the Hungarian presidency is now likely to gain political significance. Observers also see Polgar's public rejection as a signal to Magyar not to continue the personnel reset he has begun without broader parliamentary and societal consultation.

The news of Polgar's decision was broadcast on 20.07.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program. It made waves internationally, as one of the world's most prominent female chess players had been considered for a top political office for the first time.