Gülkız Tulay, President of the Turkish Chess Federation: “Investments in the development of chess are the most important investments in the future of the country”
Denis Sezemin, Director for Construction and Production Organization of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC: “The Rosatom Regional Chess Tournament is a clear indication of the positive changes in the province that are taking place with the participation of Akkuyu NPP Project”
December 16, 2023, Mersin, Türkiye. – On December 16, the final of the 2nd Rosatom Regional Chess Tournament, organized by the Turkish Chess Federation jointly with the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, took place at the Chess Center of the Chess Federation of the Republic of Türkiye in Mersin.
The final was held with the participation of President of the Turkish Chess Federation Denis Sezemin Gülkız Tulay and Director for Construction and Production Organization of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC Denis Sezemin.
36 players reached the finals following the qualifying competitions, which took place from December 2 to 10 in Mersin, as well as the regions of Tarsus, Silifke, Bozyazı, Erdemli and Aydıncık. A total of 832 players took part in the Tournament. The Rosatom Tournament is one of the largest chess competitions in Mersin Province.
In the category under 8 years old, the winner was İyitcan Arı, Damir Aggün took second place, and Yağiz Mete Dağlı took third place. In the category under 12 years old, Fatih Çelik became the winner, Kerem Umut Turak took second place, and Altay Erdem Gök took third place.
This year the Tournament was expanded with a new, open category, in which Grandmaster Vugar Rasulov took first place, Devran Dağhan took second place, and Mustafa Alpago Gülsoy took third place. In each category, players were selected as winners of a special prize from AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC.
Gülkız Tulay, President of the Turkish Chess Federation: “We will continue to work hard together for the benefit of Turkish chess sport”
Gülkiz Tulay, President of the Turkish Chess Federation, congratulated the winners of the 2nd Rosatom Regional Chess Tournament in Mersin Province. She noted that the Federation is pleased with the interest that the Tournament, organized by the Turkish Chess Federation with the support of Rosatom, received in Mersin this and last year. “Türkiye has become one of the most successful countries in Europe in the sport of chess. This year, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic, our young chess players have made us all proud with their tremendous successes. The whole world is talking about our stars. The Chess Federation in Türkiye is the largest, uniting more than 1 million 200 thousand players. Türkiye has become an exemplary country in terms of the development of chess, setting an example for other countries to follow. We will continue to work together for the development of this sport in our country. Events such as this Tournament, which we hold jointly with the Russian State Corporation Rosatom, help increase interest in this sport. We want this important Tournament to become traditional for the region,” she emphasized. Tulay also expressed confidence that cooperation with Rosatom will lead to the implementation of new projects: “We are glad that the Tournament, which we are organizing in Mersin for the second time, has aroused increased interest this year and that children from different regions are participating in it. With the help of such projects, we strive to introduce children and youth to chess and open up new horizons for them. We view investment in the sport of chess as a very important investment in the future of the country”.
Director for Construction and Production Organization of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC Denis Sezemin: “The Rosatom Regional Chess Tournament is a clear indication of the positive changes in the province that are taking place with the participation of Akkuyu NPP Project”
Denis Sezemin, Director for Construction and Production Organization of AKKUYU NUCLEAR JSC, noted the importance that Rosatom attaches to the development of the regions where it operates, including the province of Mersin: “Rosatom State Corporation traditionally pays priority attention to the development of regions and cities of its presence: this concerns the economy, social infrastructure, and education. As a person who lives in the region where the Akkuyu NPP is being built and who is building the first nuclear power plant in Türkiye, I see how the region is changing for the better with my own eyes: jobs are created, new infrastructure facilities appear. The region is becoming a talent attraction center. And today’s tournament is another confirmation of this. Development of human potential is an important mission of Rosatom as a knowledge corporation”. He noted that cooperation with the Chess Federation is receiving support among the country's public. “We are glad that thanks to our cooperation with the Chess Federation, such an interesting tournament has emerged, which contributes to the development of the intellectual potential of the residents of the province and changes the life of the region for the better”.
Ediz Gürel, International Grandmaster, added excitement to the Tournament
The special guest of the 2nd Rosatom Regional Chess Tournament in Mersin was Ediz Gürel, champion of the 100th Anniversary Cup of the Republic of Türkiye, held in Ankara on November 22–27, International Chess Grandmaster (IM). Following the event, he shared his impressions: “I would like to thank the Turkish Chess Federation and Rosatom for a wonderful tournament. It was clear from the atmosphere that this was a very good tournament. They say that all you need to succeed is dreams, but don't believe it. The thing is what you can sacrifice for your dreams. To achieve success, you need to work hard. In this sport there are victories and defeats. In any situation, life teaches us a lot”. IM Ediz Gürel took part in a master class with Gülkiz Tulay, the President of the Turkish Chess Federation, during which he spoke about his experience and shared how he prepares for tournaments. IM Ediz Gürel, a symbol of the rise of Turkish chess in recent years, also played exhibition games with the players participating in the Tournament.
Comments from the players participating in the Tournament, their parents and judges:
Devran Dağhan, second place in the open category: “Tournaments taking place over the course of one day are not tiring, but rather enjoyable. We came with friends, played together, had a good time, it was great. Such tournaments need to be held in the future. They are useful for players to stay in shape. As a coach, I think playing with kids is a lot of fun. I hope there will be more such tournaments. Rosatom organized a wonderful tournament. I hope they will organize a larger international tournament and it will be even better. It would be a good event for us and for the children”.
Çınar Ciddi, 10 years: “Chess is a good sport. It was a great tournament, but last year I played better. It will be great if the tournament is organized next year. I want the best players to come, I want to play with strong ones. Tournaments like this help me to develop.”
Özlem Çolak, parent of one of the players: “We started participating in tournaments this year. My son is now 7 years old, he started playing chess at the age of 6. The 2nd Rosatom Regional Chess Tournament in Mersin Province is our fifth tournament. We consider it very useful to hold such tournaments in our region. At such events, children not only communicate, but also improve their playing skills. It was a very pleasant event for us, thanks to the organizers”.
Harun Küçükkılınç, judge: “All participants were very pleased. It was an exciting tournament. Some players are participating for the second time. The players are looking forward to the tournament next year. We would like to thank everyone who worked to organize this event. The Tournament made a great contribution to the development of sports and players in Mersin”.
