The January 2026 Fide junior rankings tell a remarkable story: at the top sits Gukesh Dommaraju from India, who in 2024 became the youngest world champion in history. Still just 19 years old, he will defend the title later this year. The real shock is that the second-place spot now belongs to a 14-year-old: Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus from Turkey, recently described by Magnus Carlsen himself as the best 14-year-old the world has ever seen. Having been coached by the Azeri grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, who peaked at world no. 2, Erdogmus is already adept at fighting against world-class opposition. When he faced the elite veteran Peter Svidler in a ‘Clash of Generations’ match held in Marseille in July 2025, Erdogmus was a clear underdog on paper. Nevertheless, he won the classical (slow) match 4-2, though it must be said that Svidler took revenge by winning the blitz match which followed by 10-2. The brisk demolition shown below, from the classical match, is astonishing given Svidler’s renown as an expert in the Grünfeld defence (defined by the move 3…d5).
An even fiercer challenge awaited Erdogmus in December, when he faced France’s top player Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in Monte Carlo. Again the teenager rose to the occasion, winning 3.5-2.5. As I write, both Gukesh and Erdogmus are competing at the traditional Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands, the first elite classical event of the year.
Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus–Peter Svidler
Clash of Generations, Marseilles, July 2025
1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 Nc3 d5 4 Bg5 Ne4 5 cxd5 A rare but intriguing idea. 5 Bh4 is more common. Nxg5 6 h4 Ne4 7 Nxe4 Qxd5 8 Nc3 Qd8 9 h5 Bg7 10 Nf3 c5 11 d5 e6 12 Qa4+ Bd7 13 Qf4 O-O 14 O-O-O An excellent decision. Allowing the Bg7 to bear down on White’s king is worrisome, but Erdogmus correctly judges that his rapid mobilisation more than compensates. exd5 15 Nxd5 Nc6 16 e3 h6 17 hxg6 fxg6 18 Qg3 Bf5 18…Be8 was more stubborn, to meet 19 Bc4 with Bf7. 19 Bc4 Kh8 20 Ng5! Qe8
21 Rxh6+!! Bxh6 22 Rh1 Black resigns, since 22…Kg7 23 Rxh6 is devastating, e.g. 23…Kxh6 24 Qh4+ Kg7 25 Qh7 mate, or 23…Rh8 24 Rxh8 Qxh8 25 Qc7+ Kh6 26 Nf7+ wins.
No less impressive is his play under pressure. In the position below, Vachier-Lagrave has dangerous threats, and 15…Ne5 loses to 16 Qh5+. Erdogmus calmly defused the situation.
Vachier-Lagrave–Erdogmus
Clash of Generations 2, Monaco, Dec 2025
15…Nxc3 16 bxc3 Bf6! 17 dxc6 Qxd1 18 Rxd1 Bxc3 19 cxb7 Rb8 20 Be3 Bxa1 21 Rxa1 Draw agreed
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