NEW YORK (VINnews) — Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Sunday that he has nominated renowned Jewish-Hungarian chess grandmaster Judit Polgar to serve as Hungary’s interim president following the resignation of President Tamas Sulyok.

Sulyok’s term ended after he signed a constitutional amendment on Saturday, a move tied to Magyar’s broader effort to dismantle the political framework established by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban after Magyar’s sweeping election victory in April.

Hungary’s parliament, where Magyar’s party holds a two-thirds majority, is expected to elect an interim head of state who will serve either until a new constitution is adopted or for a maximum term of five years.

In a Facebook post announcing his choice, Magyar praised Polgar as an ideal candidate for the largely ceremonial role, describing her as someone whose “name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades.”

“Our country needs unity, peace, and a president every Hungarian can take pride in,” Magyar wrote. “The presidency is not simply a position or a job, it is the highest form of public service. The president’s responsibility is to serve and represent every Hungarian citizen.”

He emphasized that Polgar’s international reputation was earned through her remarkable achievements, dedication, integrity, and hard work, not through political affiliations or personal connections.

Magyar said he planned to meet with Polgar to formally ask whether she would accept the appointment, adding that it would be “a great honor” if she agreed to lead the country until the adoption of Hungary’s new constitution.

Widely regarded as the strongest female chess player in history, Polgar rose to global prominence after helping Hungary’s women’s team capture the 1988 Chess Olympiad title, ending the Soviet Union’s long-standing dominance of the competition. She later broke barriers by competing regularly in elite open tournaments against male grandmasters and became the only woman ever to surpass the prestigious 2700 Elo rating, a benchmark reserved for the world’s elite “Super Grandmasters.” Earlier this year, Polgar’s remarkable career was spotlighted in the Netflix documentary Queen of Chess.

As of Sunday, Polgar had not publicly responded to Magyar’s nomination.