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The Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee remains one of the most prestigious tournaments in professional chess.
This year, its youngest participant has become one of its leading contenders.
Fourteen year old Turkish grandmaster Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus defeated Czech grandmaster Thai Dai Van Nguyen in round nine. He played with the white pieces and controlled the game.
The win followed his earlier victory against world number five Arjun Erigaisi in round seven.
After nine rounds, Erdogmus holds 5.5 points out of 9. He sits in joint second place, only half a point behind leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov on 6.0 points. His record includes three wins, five draws and one loss.
The result lifted his live Elo rating to around 2688. He now stands 12 points away from the 2700 Super Grandmaster level.
Four rounds remain in the tournament.
Erdogmus plays India’s Gukesh D today on January 28. One source states he will have the white pieces. January 29 is a general rest day with no games scheduled.
He faces Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri on January 30. The remaining two rounds feature elite opponents including German and Slovenian grandmasters, according to tournament reports.
Minor differences appear in published schedules, but both sources confirm Erdogmus faces top level competition through the final day on February 1.
He enters the closing stage of the event within direct reach of the tournament lead.
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