
Turkish Chess Championships 2012
By WGM Anastasiya Karlovich
The Turkish Chess Championship for men was staged from January 29 to February
5 in Kemer, Antalya. A total of 309 participants (52 more than in the previous
year) took part in the event, including 19 title players together with four
GMs, six IMs, six FM and three CMs. The Turkish Chess Federation and general
sponsor Is Bank provided a prize fund of 12,500 Euros.

The winner: Dragan Solak, who beat Turkish youngster Ege Koksal in the final
round
It was the first Turkish Championship for Dragan, who recently completed his
transfer from the Serbian Chess Federation to the Turkish Chess Federation and
is going to represent the Turkish national team at the next Olympiad.

IM Mert Erdogdu made a draw against Ogulcan Kanmazalp and finished in second
place.

18-year-old IM Firat Burak (right) took the bronze medal behind Mert and
Dragan
Top final standings (7.0 and higher after ten rounds)
Rnk |
Sd |
Ti. |
Player |
Rtng |
Pts |
BH. |
BH. |
SB |
1 |
1 |
GM |
Solak Dragan |
2613 |
8½ |
62 |
57½ |
54.75 |
2 |
5 |
IM |
Erdoğdu Mert |
2424 |
8 |
63½ |
58½ |
53.75 |
3 |
7 |
IM |
Firat Burak |
2396 |
8 |
62 |
57 |
50.00 |
4 |
2 |
GM |
Esen Bariş |
2534 |
8 |
62 |
56 |
50.75 |
5 |
11 |
FM |
Yilmazyerli Mert |
2314 |
8 |
59 |
53½ |
49.25 |
6 |
6 |
IM |
Kanmazalp Oğulcan |
2397 |
8 |
58½ |
53 |
51.75 |
7 |
24 |
CM |
Daştan Muhammed |
2211 |
8 |
57½ |
52½ |
47.25 |
8 |
45 |
|
Arat Ufuk Sezen |
2047 |
8 |
57 |
52 |
48.75 |
9 |
27 |
|
Şengül Cengiz |
2168 |
8 |
56½ |
51 |
48.25 |
10 |
21 |
|
Eminov Orkhan |
2216 |
8 |
54½ |
49½ |
45.25 |
11 |
12 |
FM |
Ali Marandi Cemil Can |
2292 |
7½ |
63½ |
58 |
48.75 |
12 |
13 |
CM |
Şanal Vahap |
2278 |
7½ |
61 |
56 |
46.50 |
13 |
16 |
FM |
Erdoğan Hakan |
2257 |
7½ |
60 |
54½ |
46.50 |
14 |
28 |
|
Erşahin Bülent |
2167 |
7½ |
58½ |
53 |
44.50 |
15 |
35 |
|
Köksal Ege |
2121 |
7½ |
58 |
53½ |
43.00 |
16 |
39 |
|
Büker Muhittin |
2080 |
7½ |
56½ |
52½ |
41.75 |
17 |
91 |
|
Gündoğan Cem |
1915 |
7½ |
52½ |
49 |
37.25 |
18 |
17 |
IM |
Yilmaz Turhan |
2254 |
7½ |
51 |
47 |
40.00 |
19 |
10 |
IM |
Atakişi Umut |
2345 |
7 |
66 |
60 |
45.25 |
20 |
4 |
GM |
Haznedaroğlu Kivanç |
2455 |
7 |
62 |
56 |
45.75 |
21 |
3 |
GM |
Can Emre |
2462 |
7 |
61½ |
56½ |
42.75 |
22 |
14 |
|
Selbes Tarik |
2264 |
7 |
61 |
55 |
42.00 |
23 |
9 |
IM |
Erturan Yakup |
2372 |
7 |
60½ |
55½ |
43.25 |
24 |
48 |
|
Ercan Mehmet Fahri |
2022 |
7 |
58½ |
53 |
38.00 |
25 |
36 |
|
Asilkefeli Metin |
2108 |
7 |
57 |
52½ |
38.50 |
26 |
25 |
|
Metin Mehmet |
2187 |
7 |
57 |
52 |
39.25 |
27 |
22 |
|
Apaydin Fethi |
2213 |
7 |
56½ |
52 |
38.00 |
28 |
19 |
|
Duman Aydin |
2220 |
7 |
55 |
50½ |
39.50 |
29 |
71 |
|
Özalp Burak |
1957 |
7 |
55 |
50 |
39.00 |
30 |
29 |
|
Korkmaz Necmettin |
2164 |
7 |
54½ |
50 |
37.50 |
31 |
34 |
|
Doğan Nazmi Can |
2124 |
7 |
53½ |
48½ |
39.00 |
32 |
56 |
|
Ünver Cumali |
1998 |
7 |
51 |
46½ |
36.25 |
33 |
132 |
|
Bacak Mumammed Kaan |
1828 |
7 |
50½ |
46½ |
34.25 |
34 |
113 |
|
Bağci Hikmet |
1859 |
7 |
45½ |
42 |
34.75 |
35 |
110 |
|
Küçükdöğerli Murat Can |
1873 |
7 |
44½ |
40½ |
34.00 |

GM Baris Esen made a draw against Dragan Solak in the ninth round

14-year-old Turkish talant Dastan Batuhan with the best performance among youngsters

GMs: Previous Turkish Champion Emre Can with Kivanç Haznedaroğlu

Champions: Dragan Solak chats with the 2012 Women's Champion Kübra
Öztürk

Good move: Dragan switched from the Serbian Chess Federation to the TCF

Always in a good mood: IM Mert Erdogdu

18-year-old talent IM Firat Burak winning bronze

A view of the harbour from the Open Air Folklore Museum, which displays
700 years
of the Yörük lifestyle that has become almost extinct today.

For hundreds years women have been making the traditional Gözleme
(Turkish pancakes)...

…as they do in Kemer and all over Turkey to the very day

The Turkish Federation “gang of three”: press-coordinator Fatma
Ozturk, general coordinator
of Turkish Championships Cengiz Ince and the TCF General Secretary Erman Uskudarli

February is a best period for oranges, with lots of orchards close to the
tournament hall

Reporting straight from the orange grove, your correspondent Anastasiya
Karlovich
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