At just 14 years old, Turkish chess prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus has made waves at the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee by defeating top players like Arjun Erigaisi and Jorden van Foreest. Praised as the best 14-year-old ever by Magnus Carlsen and a superstar by Hikaru Nakamura, Erdogmus balances school with his rapid rise in the sport. His performance highlights a new generation of young talents challenging chess elites.
Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, a 14-year-old from Turkey, entered the Tata Steel Chess 2026 masters section as the youngest participant and quickly proved his mettle. In round 7, he defeated 22-year-old Arjun Erigaisi, following a victory over Dutch favorite Jorden van Foreest in the previous round. These wins came during his debut invitation to this elite event in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
Van Foreest reflected on his loss, saying, “The kid is just insanely strong. I don’t know how you can be this good at chess at 14.” He noted Erdogmus's fine play and mentioned prior defeats, including at the European Championships and World Rapid Championship. In eight rounds, Erdogmus has only one loss, to Javokhir Sindarov, and has drawn with strong opponents like Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Aravindh Chithambaram, Hans Niemann, Vincent Keymer, and R Praggnanandhaa.
Erdogmus's ascent is remarkable. Last year at the FIDE Grand Swiss, he beat Aleksandra Goryachkina and Levon Aronian while drawing Gukesh, Keymer, Abdusattorov, and his coach Shakhriyar Mamedyarov. He attends school during the week, dedicating evenings to chess for about four hours after homework, and up to eight hours on weekends. His journey began in kindergarten, leading to grandmaster status six years later.
Records underscore his talent: youngest to reach a 2600 rating, surpassing Judit Polgar's 35-year mark; first into the top 100 at such a young age; and highest-rated 12-year-old ever. Magnus Carlsen, after beating him at the World Rapid Championship, called him “the best 14-year-old that the world has ever seen.” Hikaru Nakamura labeled him “the superstar of superstars,” noting challenges in blitz games. Erdogmus once beat Carlsen in a 41-second blitz. His next challenge is world champion Gukesh.
This blend of youthful confidence and skill, as Erdogmus stated, “I’m not afraid of taking on anyone,” signals a bright future in chess.
