The Chess Vault

  Location : The Chess Vault Institute, Mersin, Turkey Format : Knockout – 3 Rounds Participants : 30 elite players (18 male, 12 female) A Tournament Unlike Any Other For years, chess in Mersin has quietly grown — not in flashy tournaments or oversized venues, but in deep-rooted tradition, carefully crafted minds, and a tightly-knit community that values depth over drama. And this year, The Chess Vault finally opened its doors to the world in the most ambitious way possible: The Grand Vault Invitational 2024. The format was bold. No draws, no lifelines, no second chances. Just three brutal rounds of knockout chess where every move had a consequence. Hosted at the newly unveiled Chess Vault Institute in the Mersin countryside — a massive academic and sporting campus built exclusively for chess — the tournament brought in 30 of the finest minds, each with a story and a reason to win. And if you weren’t there to witness it? Here’s everything you missed. Round 1:  The op...

  Our players are elite for a reason—and that reason is here. These five retired titans of the chess world gave up the spotlight to build something greater. Every Vault champion you've seen? These are the people who shaped them. 🔹 GM Viktor Ivanković (Croatia) Peak Vault Rating: 2782 Retired: 2018 Specialty: Deep calculation & opening prep What he does: Leads our “Deep Strategy” weekend intensives Backstory: Viktor was a coach for Olympiad teams and trained over 20 grandmasters during his prime. He’s famous for his strict approach to deep thinking. No shortcuts. No guesswork. Vault Impact: His sessions are brutal, but players leave with x-ray vision on the board. 🔹 WGM Leyla Demir (Turkey) Peak Vault Rating: 2651 Retired: 2020 Specialty: Positional understanding & player development What she does: Runs the women’s mentorship program and trains junior girls (ages 10–18) Backstory: A national champion from Istanbul, Leyla t...