Who is the Jewish chess legend tapped for Hungary’s presidency?

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced Sunday that he will nominate Judit Polgár, widely regarded as the greatest female chess player in history, to serve as Hungary’s next president.

Polgár shattered barriers by becoming the only woman ever to break into the world’s top 10 rankings and the first to surpass the elite 2700 rating mark. A five-time Chess Olympiad champion, she famously defeated world champion Garry Kasparov in 2002 and remained the world’s top-ranked female player for 26 consecutive years.

Born to a Jewish family deeply affected by the Holocaust, Polgár has maintained close ties to Israel through her family.Her nomination comes amid the biggest political shake-up in Hungary in more than a decade, as Prime Minister Péter Magyar dismantles institutions built during Viktor Orbán’s long rule after sweeping him from power in April. With a commanding parliamentary majority, Magyar is rapidly reshaping the country’s leadership, and Polgár is poised to become the face of Hungary’s new era.