Turkish Super League starts with class act

Photos from the official site

The world has certainly been abuzz with worries around the globe, from the forthcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, to terrorist attacks, and Turkey itself found itself in an attempted military coup that failed this very month. In spite of this, the Turkish Super Chess League, sponsored by Is Bank, is being held, and more than ever is providing a welcome relief from the harder realities outside the halls of its venue.

The opening move with no shortage of helping hands

The hall worthy of a palace is covered with red carpets, tall ceilings, and archways

Outside there is another equaly spacious area punctuated with tables where coffee and snacks can be found

Fourteen teams are brought together with seven boards including elite players, juniors, and female players, representing their respective sponsors in a bid for the title of best team. The fields are as eclectic as can be, and have provided fun chess for all fans.

Shakriyar Mamedyarov is the top seed, fresh from a fantastic victory at the Gashimov Memorial held
earlier this year. Will he continue his winning form?

Baylav - Mchedlishvili

Black has a huge position and it is now time to capitalize. Black to play and win.

Vassily Ivanchuk is another star who brightens the event's hall. He is playing for Hatay, the leaders after
six rounds, but the great Ukrainian player has suffered a setback with two losses. Will he bounce back?

Karaoglan - Efe

A classic theme well worth remembering. White to play and win.

Solak - Albay

It doesn't get any more explosive than this. White to play and win.

Baadur Jobava, legendary for his creative play, suffered an unfortunate setack in round six. It was a
day for a double round, with five and six, and the Georgian player chose to take a nap before his second
game of the day. Unfortunately he failed to wake in time and lost his game by default.

This big encounter saw local hero Can Emre hold Ivanchuk to a draw
but the Hatay team had more than one weapon and took the match

Duman - Eminov

Nothing quite like a nice vacation. White to play and win.

Among the star female players is Anna Ushenina, reigning European Champion

The organizers have also been providing extensive live video coverage with hours of commentary, interviews and more. This can all be found at the official site or their YouTube channel.

Above is a sample of the video commentary from round six

Solutions to quizzes

Select games from the list below the board

Standings after six rounds

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.