A Hungarian chess champion has been asked to step up and become the president of the country by the Prime Minister.
Judit Polgár is widely considered the best women's chess player of all time. She broke into the FIDE top 100 players list at just 12 years old, and at the age of 15, she became the youngest player to achieve grandmaster status at the time.
She went on to win multiple titles in the 1990s and early 2000s, and defeat eleven reigning or former world champions throughout her career, before retiring in 2014. Now, Polgár has been asked to swap the chessboard for the most important job in Hungary.
Hungary Prime Minister wants Judit Polgár to take over as president
On July 19, shortly after Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok signed a new constitutional amendment that ends his term, Prime Minister Peter Magyar revealed that he wants Polgár to take his place.
"Our country needs unity, peace, and a president every Hungarian can be proud of," he said in a Facebook post. "The office of President of the Republic is not a profession or a job, but the highest form of service. The president’s duty is to serve and represent. Every Hungarian."
"Judit Polgár, who was nominated today for President of the Republic by respected figures in Hungarian public life, is such a person. That is why I will meet with her tomorrow and ask whether she is prepared to serve our country in a new role until the adoption of the new Constitution."
He went on to list a number of the iconic player's achievements, including becoming a five-time Chess Olympiad champion, before adding that it would be an "honor" if she accepted the call.
"Judit Polgár’s career has always been defined by achievement. The recognition she has earned is due not to political affiliations or connections, but to her exceptional talent, diligence, extraordinary 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 honor if she accepted the nomination."
Polgár is yet to officially respond to the proposal, but the selection has the backing of a number of high-profile figures within Hungary.
In more bizarre chess news, grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura spent an hour figuring out one move before losing, while actor Keanu Reeves spent five years helping a teenage girl make a movie on the sport.44:Tfd2, <p
