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Online Matches and Speed Drills
Since the quarantine era, rapid changes have begun in top chess, both geographically and generationally. As soon as the 'social distancing' barriers were lowered, the juniors from India and Uzbekistan burst onto the scene, sharing one gold Olympic medal each in 2022 and 2024. For a longer time, the hopes of Iran, Kazakhstan, and a somewhat faltering Azerbaijan have been hot on their heels, but in the shadow of the Far East, a Turkish chess miracle has been developing simultaneously.
TL;DR
- Young Indian and Uzbek juniors have emerged as major forces in chess post-quarantine, winning Olympic medals.
- Turkey is experiencing a 'chess miracle' with exceptionally young talents like Yauz Can Erdoğmuş, who achieved a 2700 rating at 14, and Ediz Gurel.
- Grandmaster Dragan Solak, a coach in Turkey, emphasizes the importance of rapid calculation and playing with faster time controls for young players.
- Online, non-rated matches have proven beneficial for training Turkish players against stronger opponents, often involving Serbian players.
- Significant investment in Turkish chess, including a hotel for chess players and numerous tournaments, has accelerated talent development.
- The focus is shifting towards developing young talent through intensive training and exposure to strong competition, with plans to bring Serbian clubs back to the top leagues.