In his Milliyet column dated 10 October 2026, Melih Aşık highlights Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş’s rise and the financial pressures that international competition placed on his family.
The chess section draws attention to support from Evren Ucok and İş Bankası. Beyond competitive results, it brings the family and supporters into the story, offering a reminder that promising young players need sustained backing to pursue their potential.
About the headline: “World Champion” translates the original column’s title, “Dünya Şampiyonu.” It does not identify Yağız as the holder of the overall World Chess Championship title.
Melih Aşık — World Champion
Below is an English translation of the user-provided chess section of Melih Aşık’s column.
Would you like to meet a real world champion?
Let us introduce him...
This champion, who is only 15 years old, is named Yağız Kaan Erdoğmuş...
He is the world number one in chess in his age category...
His title is Grandmaster...
If you include all age groups, he currently stands 17th in the world rankings...
In 2019, Kaan became European champion in the under-eight category.
He climbed the ladder of success at remarkable speed.
In 2024, when he was only 12, he earned the Grandmaster title.
At 14, he surpassed 2700 Elo.
He was the first player in history to reach this level at that age…
Taking part in chess competitions involves considerable expense.
You have to travel constantly for tournaments.
The prizes on offer, meanwhile, are not particularly large.
In a 2023 interview, his father, Selahattin Erdoğmuş, said that he was a civil servant and that Kaan Yağız needed to play in at least 78 strong tournaments abroad, the cost of which had grown beyond the family’s budget. With flights, hotels, tournament fees and the costs of an accompanying adult, the family had reached the point of wondering whether he should stop playing.
At that point, Evren Ucok, a businessman with a passion for chess, stepped in and took on the sponsorship. There was reportedly support from İş Bankası as well. Then his tournament winnings increased. Yağız’s financial difficulties were more or less resolved.
Kaan, currently ranked 17th in the world, could rise even higher within a few years. He could carry our flag to the very top. We wish him every success...
And the same to his family and the voluntary supporters who have stood behind him...
Melih Aşık — Milliyet, 10 October 2026
Source: Melih Aşık — Dünya Şampiyonu, Milliyet, 10 October 2026. Read the original column in Turkish on Milliyet.
