ChessKid YSCC Winner Yagiz Erdogmus Becomes World's Youngest Grandmaster!

Does the name Yagiz Erdogmus sound familiar to you?

You might remember him from his amazing performance in the 2022 ChessKid Youth Speed Chess Championship, where he was an unstoppable force!

If you played against him back then (or know someone who did), just know that real-life grandmasters, FIDE masters, and international masters also found him to be a tough challenge!

A blast from the past: Then-FM Yagiz Erdogmus playing CM Ilan Schnaider in the 2022 ChessKid YSCC Final.

Yagiz recently played at the GRENKE Chess Open in Germany, and earned his third and final grandmaster norm. What does that mean? Well, quite a lot! It means that Yagiz has become the youngest current grandmaster in the world at only 12 years, 9 months, and 29 days old.

Playing against tough adult opposition, the young Turkish prodigy scored 7 out of 9 points, winning six games, drawing twice, and losing only once: to Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi, the world number-nine.

In fact, Yagiz actually came close to drawing Erigaisi in a close and competitive game, showing just how advanced the young superstar's skills are when facing one of the very best players in the world.

Yagiz also scored a draw against GM Hans Niemann, who went on to win the event!

What do his parents have to say? Yagiz's dad is keeping things relaxed, and making sure that chess remains a fun activity and not a pressure-filled situation:

Yagiz has a hobby that he really likes. He is just enjoying it and is not focusing on the rest that much.

Our very own FunMasterMike agrees:

Yagiz was the most dominant player in the history of the event when he won in 2022. Even Magnus Carlsen never went through the SCC with so few losses. I also found him and his family to be quite humble. I really liked that they didn't feel the need to chase the all-time record and just let Yagiz earn it in his own time.

A big congratulations to Yagiz from the team here at ChessKid! Becoming a grandmaster at this age is a huge achievement, and we're looking forward to seeing his chess journey continue over the coming years.