Mehmet Erdogmus defeated Veselin Topalov 5-1 in their six-game match in Istanbul, handing the former world champion one of the most lopsided defeats of his long career. The 14-year-old Turkish GM won five games straight after an opening draw.
Erdogmus's play was not a lucky run. He outprepared Topalov in three of the five wins, arriving at positions where Topalov's normal continuations failed. The Bulgarian tried Sicilian positions, Catalan structures, and even an unusual King's Indian Attack, but Erdogmus had an answer every time.
The decisive moment of the match was game two, a Sicilian where Erdogmus uncorked a piece sacrifice on move 16 that Topalov had clearly not anticipated. Topalov accepted, tried to repel the attack, and resigned on move 31. After that game, the match felt like a formality.
Topalov was gracious in defeat. "I have met a very strong player," he said. "The future of chess is in good hands." Erdogmus said almost nothing at the post-match press conference, but his smile was wide. His rating gained roughly 30 points over the six games. The chess world is now asking one question: how good is this kid?