English subtitles: the video is in Turkish. Turn on subtitles (CC) in the player, then choose Settings → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate → English.
Two of the strongest minds of the Turkic world came together in a pleasant setting. On one side is Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who reached a rating of 2826 Elo and rose to world No. 2, and who at 40 is still one of the world’s 10 best super grandmasters; on the other is Evren Ucok, one of the most successful names in European business.
Yağız’s Coach and Yağız’s Supporter
As you know, Shakhriyar is Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş’s coach. Evren Ucok is the sponsor and mentor of Yağız and eight other super talents.
The First Face-to-Face Meeting
Shakhriyar and Evren Ucok had spoken many times by phone, but they met face to face for the first time on 10 May 2025. So what happened during this visit?
Thinking Coffee, Giving 8 Tubes of Blood
Shakhriyar, who had thought they would have a coffee and chat when he arrived, suddenly found himself giving 7-8 tubes of blood. Because Evren Ucok cares greatly about Shakhriyar’s health.
A Health Programme for the 2026 World Championship
Why? Evren Ucok believes Shakhriyar has a serious chance in his 2026 world championship challenge, especially if attention is paid to things like nutrition, sport and fitness.
Evren Ucok is very knowledgeable about sport and nutrition and shared this with Shakhriyar in detail. Health topics were discussed for almost 5–6 hours. On top of that, he gave Shakhriyar homework by sharing many videos and articles.
To the Board After Dinner
After dinner, Evren Ucok invited Shakhriyar to the board, saying, “Let’s play a little chess.” The narrator also witnessed this contest.
Follow the Game Step by Step: Ucok – Mamedyarov
Now let’s take a look at one of that evening’s games with Shakhriyar’s own analysis. Evren Ucok plays White, Shakhriyar plays Black. In memory of this meeting, Shakhriyar recorded all the games played that day, the ones he remembered and the ones he saw, with analysis. In the game viewer below you can follow Shakhriyar’s notes, the spoken comments from the video and the alternative variations move by move.
