Meet Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, the 15-year-old Turkish chess prodigy who became the youngest player ever to break the 2,700 rating barrier and climbed into the world's top 30

Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus chess grandmaster: At 15, Turkish grandmaster Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş has already set a series of remarkable records in chess. In April 2026, when he was 14, Erdoğmuş became the youngest player ever to cross a live rating of 2,700. He broke the previous record held by Chinese grandmaster Wei Yi. His rise has continued since then. The September 2026 rating data lists Erdoğmuş at 2716 in classical chess, while current player rankings place him at No. 26 in the world. He is also the highest-rated junior.

Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş crossed 2,700 at 14

The 2,700 rating mark is a major milestone in elite chess, and Erdoğmuş reached it before turning 15.

He crossed the mark during his six-game classical match against former world champion Veselin Topalov in Monte Carlo in April 2026. Erdoğmuş finished the match with five points to Topalov's one, winning four games and drawing two.


The result pushed his live rating beyond 2,700 and made him the youngest player ever to reach the mark. The previous record belonged to Wei Yi.

A rapid rise through the ratings

The 2,700 milestone was another step in a rise that had already produced several age records. FIDE's database lists Erdoğmuş as a Grandmaster, with the GM title awarded in 2024. His International Master title was awarded in 2022.

Before reaching 2,700, Erdoğmuş had also become the youngest player to reach a rating of 2,600. Chess.com reported that he achieved the milestone at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, when he was 13. When he crossed 2,700, The Guardian described him as the youngest player ever to reach that rating and noted the series of age-related records he had already established.

By September 2026, his rating had risen to 2716 and he had moved into the world's top 30. Current player data places him at No. 26 in the world.

The Topalov match that made history

The match against Topalov became the defining moment of Erdoğmuş's breakthrough. Topalov, a former world champion and former world No. 1, faced the teenager in a six-game classical match in Monte Carlo. Erdoğmuş finished with five points to Topalov's one, winning four games and drawing the other two.

The Topalov victory was also part of a run that had already seen Erdoğmuş defeat established grandmasters. The Guardian reported that he had previously recorded match victories against Peter Svidler and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Magnus Carlsen has praised the young Turkish star

Erdoğmuş's progress has attracted attention from Magnus Carlsen. The Guardian reported that Carlsen described the Turkish teenager as “the best 14-year-old the world has ever seen.” Chess.com also reported Carlsen's assessment of Erdoğmuş as the strongest 14-year-old in chess history.

Carlsen also praised Erdoğmuş's play after his memorable performance at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand.

The “Turkish Immortal” game

One of Erdoğmuş's most memorable games came at the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand. In the fourth round, he defeated India's Mittal Aditya in a game The Guardian described as the “Turkish Immortal.” The game featured two white queens on the board before Erdoğmuş sacrificed his black queen for a pawn. It eventually ended with checkmate from a black pawn that had previously remained unmoved.

From a young chess player to a grandmaster

Erdoğmuş was born on June 3, 2011, in Bursa, Türkiye. Chess.com lists Bursa as his birthplace and confirms his Turkish federation. He encountered chess at a young age. In an interview reported by The Guardian, Erdoğmuş said he first came across the game during a kindergarten lesson. He liked the pieces and later began attending a chess course.

Erdoğmuş's next target is 2,800

Crossing 2,700 was not the end of Erdoğmuş's ambitions. After reaching the milestone, he told The Guardian that his next goal was a rating of 2,800, while acknowledging that reaching it would take time and hard work.

His coach, Azerbaijani grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, has set an even bigger target. The Guardian reported that Mamedyarov wants Erdoğmuş to become the first player to reach a rating of 2,900.