Young Athletes Came Together at Our University for a Chess Tournament

The chess event hosted by our university from February 20–22 brought hundreds of athletes together on campus over three days. Within the scope of the Blitz Chess Tournament and the Marbaş Chess Tournament, competitions were held across various age categories, featuring titled players, including Grandmaster (GM) Ediz Gürel. Approximately 450 athletes and their parents participated in the event.

Our university hosted the chess event at the Vadi Main Campus on February 20, 21, and 22. Last year, a similar event was held on our campus, and this year it attracted even wider participation. The organization was conducted in collaboration with Satranç İstanbul, Satranç 365, Marbaş Menkul Değerler, and the Turkish Chess Federation. Over the three-day event, hundreds of athletes from different age groups competed.

On the first day, February 20, the Blitz Chess Tournament was held in a 3+2 time control, 13-round Swiss system format. Participants included GM Ediz Gürel, International Masters (IM) Alparslan Işık and Melih Yurtseven, and FIDE Masters (FM) Selim Çıtak and Tunahan Makaracı. On February 21 and 22, the Marbaş Chess Tournament for the 7–12 age group with prizes was organized. After the tournament, GM Ediz Gürel played blitz matches with the winners of each category, engaging directly with young athletes.

During the event, approximately 450 athletes and parents, including those on waiting lists, were hosted on campus. Participants also had the opportunity to play simultaneous games with GM Ediz Gürel, GM Vahap Şanal, IM Alparslan Işık, and IM Melih Yurtseven. The event concluded as an important platform for young athletes to engage with chess and contributed to the promotion and popularization of the sport.