Dutch GM Anish Giri commented on his game against 14-year-old Turkish GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus at Tata Steel Chess 2026 in an interview for Lichess.org. Giri expressed surprise at Erdogmus becoming an Elite player at 14 years old and noted that his main difficulty is adult opponents perceiving him as an equal.

Anish Giri

Anish Giri

Dutch GM

“I’m very happy to win this game of course. Erdogmus is making waves nowadays, he’s so strong. I think one thing that is against him — is that his rating is already so high, that people perceive him as an equal. I don’t feel that worried playing someone that high rated because for me it’s already like a game with a colleague of mine.

But, of course, it’s crazy that he’s 14. He’s a top player at 14, that’s absolutely insane!”

Turkish GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (2658) earned the Grandmaster title at the age of 12. Erdogmus is participating in Tata Steel Masters 2026, alongside the World’s elite players. Magnus Carlsen named Erdogmus the best player in his age group during the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2025.

Credit: Lennart Ootes/Tata Steel Chess