Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, TDBB Executive Board Member, and Turkish Chess Federation organized the second “International Mersin Open Chess Tournament” in 22-28 October 2017 in Mersin. 167 sportsmen from 12 different countries were attended to the tournament.

Chess players participated not only from Turkey but also from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Georgia, Moldova and Syria to the tournament. Moreover, twenty professional chess players also attended to the tournament, including 6 Grandmasters (GM), 6 International Masters, 6 FIDE Master (FM) and 2 Candidate Master (CM). The tournament has been taken in two categories, A and B, and 47.100 TL was awarded to the winner chess players. The amount of the winning prize was 7.000 TL in category A and 2.000 TL in category B.

The tournament is performed within the ceremonies of 29 October Republic Day celebration and held in Servet Tazegül Sports Hall. Nijat Abasov won the 1st prize who participated to the tournament in category A from Azerbaijan and Vugar Rasulov won the second prize and Konstantin Tarlev, Ukrainian chess player, won the third prize. Winner chess players received their awards from Vice President Hikmet Koç.

Abdullah Özbilici won the first prize, Erdinç Çelik won the second and Sefa Var won the third prize in category B of the tournament. Furthermore, Ekin Barış Özenir and Nazmi Can Doğan have been awarded to the title of ‘IM’ (International Master) as a result of their successful performances.

Turkish chess players, Ekin Barış Özenir, Nazmi Can Doğan and Babageldi Anneberdiyev who were nominated to the prizes within the tournament in category A received their awards from Hasan Gökbel, the Deputy Secretary General of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality.

29.10.2017