CCL is proud to celebrate another outstanding international achievement by Mehmet Yilanli at the 2026 FIDE World Cadet Cup!

Competing in the Under-10 Open section, Mehmet finished with an impressive 8 points out of 11 rounds, missing the opportunity to compete for a medal by just half a point. Since he is a full year younger than most of the players in his age group, this remarkable result highlights both his exceptional talent and tremendous potential. He will return to the same section next year with even greater experience and confidence.

Entering the tournament with a modest 1772 FIDE rating, Mehmet was seeded only 52nd despite already being a two-time U.S. National Champion. He dramatically outperformed his seed, finishing 8th place on tiebreaks, achieving an outstanding 2115 performance rating and gaining 182 FIDE rating points.

Congratulations to Mehmet on representing CCL Chess School and the United States with distinction on the world stage! We are incredibly proud of his performance and look forward to watching him continue his remarkable journey.

Read More: Before departing for the 2026 FIDE World Cadet Cup, Mehmet was featured in an interview on Good Day Columbus, where he shared his excitement and goals for the tournament. Watch the interview by clicking this link

(Picture Credits: Event Official Website, US Chess Website)