A Seed Planted Long Ago…

When I was six, I learned chess from my grandfather — a physics teacher with an old wooden chess set and a pedagogic approach. The exciting movement of the pieces, the clash of tactics, the analysis and search for a better move. These weren’t just games. They were lessons: logic, patience, respect.

Years later, I stood as Turkey’s National Chess Champion. I also held my own in simultaneous matches with legends like Kasparov and Karpov. I walked MIT’s corridors as a student, not just because of grades, but because of grit built at the board. Later, I have become a well-known chess coach and a project coordinator for scholastic chess. I’ve spoken on TEDxBoston about my experience as a chess-in-education advocate and how chess bridges cultures, inspires AI, and redefines the backbone of STEAM education.

Now, I bring all that into one powerful experience: a bootcamp at the MIT campus for middle and high school students who want to channel their interest in board games into a career in artificial intelligence. They want to grow into the thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators of tomorrow. To stay ahead in an employment world changed by AI, we believe it is very important for them to know the history of AI and how chess acted as the testbed for artificial intelligence in the last century.

Where Parents & Students Feel the Frustration

– You’ve tried regular after-school clubs. They fill time, but not curiosity and skills toward a high-earning career.

- You tried chess as a competitive sport, but as your child gets older, you don't know how to channel that interest into an academic or employment skill.

– Math seems like numbers, not discovery. STEM feels forced, not alive. Its connection to art and history is missing.

– Coding feels intimidating if they’ve never tried it. AI feels futuristic — but vague.

– You worry: Will they have something meaningful to show for it that matters to college admissions?
- How can you give your child an edge in an academic and professional world deeply impacted by AI ? Especially when the early career hiring is at the lowest in history.

Here’s My Promise to You & Your Child

Enroll in this bootcamp, and your child will:

✔ Understand and learn the earliest puzzles of chess and how various AI algorithms were used to solve these.

✔ Sharpen their intellectual curiosity — cultivate focus, strategic thinking, logical reasoning, patience

✔ Experience math through chess — where puzzles, games, and logic turn into fun learning, not rote memorization

✔ Build coding & AI projects — beginner-friendly, hands-on, real-world applications so kids don’t just use AI, they understand how to build with it

✔ Learn the historical progression of AI algorithms and their importance and their impact on the progress of AI

✔ Walk through MIT on a private, exclusive tour — see where ambition lives and get inspired by the campus atmosphere

✔ Create a project portfolio that stands out on high school resumes and applications to top universities

🏆 Proof is in the Path: Tamer Karatekin’s Track Record

✔ Chess Champion: National Champion of Turkey; drew games with Kasparov & Karpov.

✔ MIT Alumnus: First-board player of MIT’s chess team; accepted to both MIT & Harvard.

✔ Global Innovator: TEDx Speaker, Mass Cultural Council and EU-funded AI educator, NIW awarded AI educator, and founder of Shatranj.AI.
✔ World-Class Coach: FIDE Master, FIDE Trainer, and mentor to medalists in global youth championships.

🏆 Below I'll Share Success Stories from Some of My Students