Turkish Storm in Antalya: Erdoğmuş and Gürel Claim Blitz Gold

The 2025 FIDE World Youth Rapid and Blitz Championships in Antalya have served as a triumphant homecoming for Turkey’s golden generation. Local heroes Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş and Ediz Gürel dominated the blitz sections, capturing the U15 and U17 World Blitz titles, respectively, and solidifying their status as the most clinical young speed-chess specialists on the planet.

Both players entered the tournament as overwhelming favorites, backed by historic classical achievements. Erdoğmuş recently made global headlines by defeating former World Blitz Champion Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 3.5–2.5 in a six-game classical match. This victory propelled the 14-year-old to a live rating of 2669, making him the youngest player in history to enter the world’s top 50—smashing Magnus Carlsen’s long-standing record. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Gürel continues his steady ascent, boasting a classical rating of 2645 and a bronze medal from the 2024 Chess Olympiad.

While the blitz event was a Turkish clean sweep, the rapid section provided a major upset. Erdoğmuş, the clear top seed, missed out on the U15 Rapid gold, which was claimed by the brilliant Uzbek IM Khumoyun Begmuratov.

These performances serve as a final warning shot to the chess elite. Both prodigies have already qualified for the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha later this month. As they prepare to face the likes of Carlsen and Alireza, fans are no longer asking if they can compete, but rather how many giants will fall at their hands.