70 medals in 7 years

Emre Kırılmaz (19), who started his career in chess at the age of 12 with the guidance of his mother, proved his talent in a short time and earned a position on the national team. Kırılmaz has already won 70 medals and Turkey's first place in his career. Studying at Department of English Translation and Interpretation, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), Kırılmaz said, “As a child, I used to spend my free time with the computer or playing football on the street. My mother wanted me to focus on chess to use my time more efficiently and beneficially. I never thought that one day I would become so attached to chess. Glad I started; my life has changed.”

Emre Kırılmaz, a freshman at IUE Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of English Translation and Interpretation, started playing chess in Denizli. Kırılmaz, who spent his time outside of school playing chess by enrolling in a club with his friend, attracted the attention of his trainers with his talent. Making a difference with his style of play, self-confidence, and unique moves, Kırılmaz quickly climbed the ladder of success in chess. Having collected medals in many tournaments across the country, Kırılmaz ranked first in Turkey in the 17-year-old general category in 2019 and the second in Turkey in the 18-year-old general category last year. Representing our country in the under-20 category at the European Championship held this year, IUE student Kırılmaz ranked 8^th in Europe against strong rivals.

MY MOTHER STARTED WORKING IN THE CLUB

Kırılmaz, who successfully continues his education at Izmir University of Economics, stated that chess contributed a lot to him. Kırılmaz said, “I loved chess since childhood. However, I would see it as a game. I didn't expect to be so hooked on chess. My mother had a great influence on me getting started with chess. Good thing I listened to her and signed up for the club. Chess became a big part of our lives so much that my mother, Melek Kırılmaz, who was a housewife, started to work at the club. Chess teaches discipline, concentration, struggle, good use of time and never giving up. All these paved the way for my academic success.”

YOU HAVE TO BE BRAVE

Kırılmaz continued as follows: “Logic and planning are important in chess, but you also need to be a little brave. Before matches, I usually work on my opponents. I focus on figuring out their playstyle by seeing how they make moves. I surprise them by making unexpected moves during the match. And that takes courage. I try to keep myself ready by constantly playing matches on the online platform. I can say that I regularly practice chess. I've won about 70 medals so far. In addition to my degrees in Turkey, I think that 8^th place in Europe is a good position. My goal is to improve myself further.”   

I WAS INTERESTE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Stating that he was interested in foreign languages ​​and that he was educated in the department he liked, Kırılmaz said, “A foreign language is a tool to learn more. Many people around me would say that I am very prone to foreign languages ​​and that I need to improve myself in this area. It is more enjoyable and easier to study in a program you want. I will continue my journey by combining foreign language and chess. Currently, I have not set a clear career goal for myself. I want to do so in the coming period, it's still early.”