15-year-old Turkish chess player becomes 'Grandmaster'

A 15-year-old Turkish chess player has earned the title of grandmaster with his success at the Prague Chess Festival, becoming the youngest player in Türkiye to achieve this title.

Ediz Gürel, who is among the world's top 20 players under the age of 20 in the FIDE Live ELO points ranking, ranks second in the world among players under the age of 16 with 2,571 Live ELO points.

Gürel, who was very successful in the Challengers category at the Prague Chess Festival, will play for the championship on March 8, against Ukrainian grandmaster Anton Korobov with an ELO rating of 2,666.

Turkish Chess Federation President Gülkız Tulay congratulated Gürel on his success and said that they are proud of the young chess player's successful performance and that he continues on his way with incredible discipline and hard work.

"He is Türkiye's first chess player to become a grandmaster at the age of 15. I sincerely congratulate our athlete and his family who are with him every moment. The world will continue to watch him. The success of our young stars is inspiring," she said.

Stating that since 2012, the number of Turkish players who have become Grandmasters has increased, Tulay announced that there will be new names to earn this title.

"We may soon have players like Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş, the youngest international master in the world, as well as Işık Can and Alparslan Işık, who already hold this title. The performances of young Turkish chess players are appreciated around the world. I congratulate them all wholeheartedly. Türkiye continues its successful path in chess," Tulay concluded.