MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – To patients and co-workers at Franciscan Health Michigan City, Tansel Turgut, MD, is a cardiologist.
But in chess circles around the globe, Dr. Turgut is well known as an international chess player, having won multiple championships in a variety of types of chess worldwide. He is also an International Chess Federation (FIDE) Master. In 2023, he became the state chess champion of Indiana, following state championship wins in Louisiana in 1997 and Michigan in 1998.
He can even play chess blindfolded, using only his mind to envision the board and his next move. Dr. Turgut said he believes there is a correlation between his shared love for medicine and chess, which his wife explained best.
“She said surgeons are engineers with empathy,” he said.
Turgut, a native of Turkey, taught himself how to play chess as a preteen after seeing it in the newspaper. After high school, he became a chess champion in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, and in 2000, played on the Turkish Olympic chess team.
He played one game of chess with his wife when they were dating. It was a draw.
“I knew better than to beat her if we were going to keep dating,” Dr. Turgut said.
He took a few years off from chess when his children were young, then taught his oldest son, Aydin, to play chess when he was just three years old.
“My son is better than me,” Dr. Turgut said.
At age 7, his son was the U.S. chess champion for all age groups. At age 14, he won the Indiana state championship, becoming the youngest ever to do so.
Dr. Turgut said he and his son were going to play one another for the title of Indiana state champion, until he heard from his wife.
“My wife called and said I could not win that game, so I came in second,” Dr. Turgut said with a laugh.
In 2007, Dr. Turgut earned the title of International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster, becoming the only person with that title to hail from Turkey at the time. He often plays correspondence chess online with players from around the world.
“It can take two to three years for a game,” he said. “I’m playing right now.”
He said online games against computers are frustrating because the technology has become so advanced it’s nearly impossible to win. Still, Dr. Turgut said he finds chess relaxing.
“It’s like a meditation,” he said. “It gets you away, out of your head, like listening to music.”
Franciscan Physician Network Interventional Cardiologist Dr. William Espar also plays chess and arranged for 50 people to come to a local coffee shop in Michigan City in January to play against Dr. Turgut, who walked from board to board to play 10 at a time, with players swapping in when someone lost.
“It’s fun for every age and there are sets for people at every level,” Dr. Turgut said. “It’s better to play with people at your level. As you get better, play at a higher level. If you have a 10-minute break, play one game a day. The younger you can start, the better.”
He believes chess is a healthy, positive hobby for all ages.
“Life is not always smooth and it teaches coping skills for kids, much better than video games,” Dr. Turgut said. “For older adults, there is no dementia in chess players and many live into their hundreds.” #wims #franciscanhealth