Turan looks to inspire future generation of female players

It is such rarity for the Midlands to boast a woman in their top team that there is extra interest in Lichfield newcomer Turan Asgarova, who has started brilliantly by winning her first two games, the second being against the board one of the Birmingham League’s champion team. She has now continued her excellent form, unbdeaten after seven games, four of them won

Turan has won both her matches to far and has already improved her 2070 rating, the second win of which came at the expense of Birmingham Central’s 2000 plus board one.

Web site editor David Short, who has been a club official for almost all the 21st century, said that there had been very few female members and none who in his recollection had ever played in a league team. “However, amongst our newcomers this season we do have a very promising 14 years old ,Emilie Nastase, who is very likely to make her league debut before long” he said.

That will please Turan who says that promoting chess for girls was something very close to her heart.She has a degree in sports coaching and coached chess for youngters in her native Azerbaijan “I will be delighted if news of my success at Lichfield inspires more local females” she said.

Turan learned chess from her father at five and like Nigel Short played in her first inernational tournament at 10. She stopped playing chess seriously at 16, returning to the sport a few years later. She met her husband Chris Benson in Shanghai and they became engaged in 2022. Shortly afterwards Chris set off on an epic journey by cycle from Shanghai to Britain.

They met up again in England and after a brief stay in the Nottingham area they became house hunters in Lichfield. “I loved Beacon Park and the city centre” she said. Both Turan and Chris have been to the Guildhall and the Kings Head and they have found the club very welcoming.

Chris also has an enthralling back story which we hope to include on the website next month.

Turan with grandmaster Nigel Short at a Shanghai Tournament