Who is Judit Polgar? Chess legend tipped to become Hungary’s next president

Judit Polgár has spent her career shattering barriers on the chessboard. Now, the woman widely regarded as the greatest female chess player in history could be preparing for an entirely different role — serving as Hungary’s next President.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Sunday that he intends to nominate the 49-year-old chess icon for the country’s largely ceremonial presidency, calling her someone capable of representing “the nation’s unity.”

Parliament, rather than the electorate, elects Hungary’s president, and Polgár has yet to confirm whether she will accept the nomination.

Backing Divya Deshmukh And India’s Chess Revolution

The announcement comes just days after Polgár applauded Indian teenager Divya Deshmukh for winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup.

After Divya defeated compatriot Koneru Humpy in a dramatic tie-break in Batumi, Georgia, Polgár took to social media to celebrate both the champion and India’s remarkable rise in world chess.

“Congrats to @DivyaDeshmukh05, who has clinched the 2025 Women’s Chess World Cup title, defeating her compatriot Koneru Humpy in a tense tiebreak. Indian chess is just unbelievable! But do not forget: it has reasons.”

Her praise reflected the admiration many in the chess world have for India’s flourishing production line of elite grandmasters and young stars.

The Greatest Woman To Ever Play Chess

Born in Budapest in 1976, Polgár rewrote chess history by refusing to limit herself to women’s competitions.

Instead, she regularly competed against — and defeated — the world’s strongest male players, earning victories over legends such as Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen while defeating 11 men’s world champions during her career.

She became the youngest grandmaster in history at the time in 1991, aged just 15, before climbing to a career-high Elo rating of 2735 and world No. 8.

To this day, she remains the only woman ever to cross the coveted 2700 Elo barrier, widely regarded as the benchmark for “super grandmaster” status.

Polgár also dominated women’s chess for 26 consecutive years as the world’s top-ranked female player before retiring in 2014.

More Than Just A Champion

Away from elite competition, Polgár has become one of the game’s biggest ambassadors.

Through the Judit Polgár Chess Foundation, she has championed chess education while encouraging more young girls to take up the sport.

One of her best-known philosophies captures her lifelong belief in chess as a meritocracy.

“The board doesn’t care about your age, your wealth, or your gender. Success requires foresight far beyond your next move. It is a universal language, a game that connects us all through the sheer power of the human mind.”

Earlier this year, her remarkable journey was also chronicled in Netflix’s documentary Queen of Chess, introducing a new generation to the woman who changed the game forever.

A New Challenge Awaits

If Polgár accepts the nomination and secures parliamentary approval, she will once again make history — this time not with a chess piece in hand, but as Hungary’s President.