How did a 13-year-old could beat Magnus Carlsen in 41.2 seconds? Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus has made an impressive mark on the chess world, though, according to his parents, his achievements are more about hard work than natural talent.
A Star is Born
Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus was just 5 years old when he first learned about chess in his kindergarten class. Excited, he came home and asked, ‘Daddy, Mommy, do we have a chess set?’ His parents looked at each other and admitted, ‘No, we don’t.’
Without delay, they bought a chess set. Yagiz played his first game against his father, and it ended in a draw. Recognizing his son’s potential, Selahattin Erdogmuş nurtured Yagiz’s passion, enrolling him in chess courses that quickly became the foundation of his success.
By age eight, Yagiz had already conquered both the Turkish and European chess championships, claiming the title of European Champion in the under-8 category in Bratislava, Slovakia. His rapid success was a testament to his dedication and support from his family, who proudly set aside cabinets to showcase his growing collection of trophies. “My goal is to wave our star and crescent flag”, Yagiz said when he was 8.
“The fact that your child is the one who wave our flag makes you unable to hold back your tears. He is not gifted or intelligent, but he puts in a lot of effort. He reads books about chess. We watch the games of the great masters. We spend a lot of time with him on chess. His sister and mother are very supportive. As a family, we give Yagiz the necessary support and we will continue to do so. We had set aside a cabinet for Yagiz for his trophies. We could not find a place to put the trophy he won in Mersin. If our son’s success continues like this, new cabinets await Yagiz.”
Yagiz Kaan’s father said when he became the U8 champion of Europe in 2019.
Breaking Records and Barriers
He became a Candidate Master (CM) in 2021 and earned the FIDE Master (FM) title in 2022. Later that year, he made headlines as Turkey’s youngest International Master (IM) at just 11.
In 2024, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus reached a pinnacle of achievement, completing his final GM norm at the Grenke Open Chess Tournament on April 1. At 12 years, 9 months, and 29 days, he became the youngest GM among active players and the fourth youngest in chess history. It was exactly his dream a few years before that, becoming a GM at the age of 12.
A Challenger for the Ages
Erdogmus’s achievements extend beyond titles. His performance at the Sharjah Masters 2024 saw him reach a live Elo rating of 2569, breaking Judit Polgar’s long standing record of 2555 Elo points at age 13. This feat positioned him as the youngest player in history to surpass the 2600 Elo threshold, cementing his place among elite players like Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin, and Wesley So.
Perhaps his most eye-catching moment came on July 8, 2024, when he defeated Magnus Carlsen, a five-time world chess champion, in a blistering 41.2 seconds during a bullet game on Chess.com. And guess what, it’s a checkmate against the arguably greatest chess player ever. Check out that game below:
More Than Just a Prodigy
Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus is not merely a chess player; he is a symbol of perseverance, dedication, and Turkish pride. After the 2024 chess olympiad, where Yagiz got 8 points out of 11 games at board 3, he passed the 2600 threshold. After coming school from Budapest, he was treated as a hero by his schoolmates. The Turkish Chess Federation (TSF) President, Gulkız Tulay, captured the nation’s sentiment, stating, “This pride belongs to all of us.”
By introducing chess to children as young as 4 or 5, TSF has created an infrastructure that supports young talent through widespread accessibility, even in rural areas. This early exposure, coupled with structured training programs, laid the foundation for Yagiz’s development.
“With the projects we carry out, we try to introduce our children to chess at the age of 4-5. Our chess classes, our chess infrastructure that extends to every district and even village of Turkey, and our families’ interest in chess ensure that our children are successful at a young age. Yagiz Kaan also became the European champion at the age of 8 and also the world leader in his age group. I congratulate our athlete, his family and everyone who contributed to this success, who made all of Turkey proud. This pride belongs to all of us.”
President of the Turkish Chess Federation, Gülkız Tulay said.
Infographic of Erdogmus’s notable achievements
The Future Awaits
As Yagiz sets his sights on the world chess championship, one thing is clear: the chessboard is his domain, and he is here to reign. Whether defeating legends or breaking records, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus is rewriting the history of chess, one brilliant move at a time.
I’m Xuan Binh, the founder of Attacking Chess, and the Deputy Head of Communications at the Vietnam Chess Federation (VCF). My chess.com and lichess rating is above 2300, in both blitz and bullet.