The Istanbul Go Tournament this year was full of excitement, with the return of Özgür Değirmenci to competition and the participation of many strong players.
Last year’s champion, Ulaş Ören (5 Dan), faced a tough challenge against former champion Özgür Değirmenci (5 Dan). Although he lost the match, he won four out of his five games overall and, thanks to SOSOS tiebreak, secured first place for the fourth year in a row.
Making his return this year, Özgür Değirmenci (5 Dan) added great excitement to the tournament and showed with his performance that he is still among the top contenders. While Hüsrev Aksüt (5 Dan) also had 4 victories he placed third due to a misfortunate early loss, Jesse Savo (5 Dan) came fourth, and Altan Kuntay (4 Dan) took fifth place with three wins each.
Final Standings
- 🏆 Ulaş Ören
- 🥈 Özgür Değirmenci
- 🥉 Hüsrev Aksüt
- 🥉Jesse Savo
- 🥉Altan Kuntay
The youngest player to win all five games Çınar Öztürk (25 Kyu) 🎖, won all five of his games was awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize.
With four victories each, Ege Ertok (18 Kyu) 🏅, Deniz Savaş (25 Kyu) 🏅, and Muhammed Can Yıldız (20 Kyu)🏅 received the Young Star Prize.
Another player who won all five of his games, Ali Fırat Bulca (15 Kyu), together with Özge Mutlu (10 Kyu), Arda Serdar Pektezol (4 Kyu), Erdem Oymak (12 Kyu), and Andrei Luca Heemeryck (2 Kyu), who each scored four victories, were also recognized and selected prizes from the awards table.
In total, 93 players took part in the tournament: 88 from 8 different cities across Turkey, and international guests from Romania, France, and Finland.
Members and players who visited without competing also contributed with their presence and conversations, enriching the social atmosphere.
We warmly thank everyone who showed interest, participated, or supported the event — especially our sponsors, who made this tournament possible.
Further details can be found on the 24th International Istanbul Go Tournament page.