Büşra Öztürk (17) has got the second place in the Turkish Chess Championship for the Blind and Visually Impaired in 2019. She has been the winner of many local events in her hometown.

Handenur Şahin is one of the young stars of Turkish chess. She has not only won many medals in the national youth championships -including 1st prize in the u-18 category in 2015-­ but has also got the third place in Turkish Women’s Chess Championship in 2018. Handenur is now a successful student of political science at a respectable university thus a great role model for others who wish to combine academic success with a chess career.

The 31 years old Polish player has won the 7^th ICCD Open Individual Chess Tournament with perfect score earlier this year and will look forward to continuing his winning ways in Ankara.

Dragan Moldovanovic (48) is an ICCD (International Chess Committee of the Deaf) Board Member and works actively to promote chess for deaf people. However he also finds time to play at both ICCD events and also at Serbian tournaments and leagues.

Gavril Draghici Flutur (49) has been one of the best blind players in Spain for many years and this year he has got the first place at the national championship, for the second time overall. He is experienced, formidable and will prove to be one of the key players for Team Europe.

Victor Abiad Parra (25) has been an active player ever since he has started playing at FIDE rated events in 2012. He has represented Venezuela in 15^th IBCA Chess Olympiad in 2017 and scored 6 points out of 9.

FM Stanislav Babarykin from Russia is the highest rated player of the event and arguably the most on-form player overall. The 25 years old FIDE Master is 2018 IBSA World Chess Champion and he had many notable performances both at team events and open tournaments in Russia.

The 18 years old player from Zambia will play her first FIDE rated event in Ankara and it will surely be a wonderful experience for her to be able to compete against good players while representing her country and continent.

The 25 years old player from Tunisia is quite new to competitive chess but he has been an active player this year and is coming to Ankara battle hardened.

Jamal Messala from Morocco has participated twice in FIDE World Chess Championship for Disabled, first in 2013 and then in 2015, and has achieved 3,5/7 and 4/7 scores at those strong events.

WIM Natasha Morales Santos is a one of the most succesful chess players from Puerto Rico and being only 21 years old she has already represented her country twice in the Chess Olympiads.

WIM Jennitha Anto from India has been six-times IPCA Women’s World Champion, a fantastic achievement which could only be equalled by IM Obodchuk in the open section. She has also won four medals -including a gold- in 2018 Asian Para Games.

WFM Svetlana Gerasimova is the acting president of IPCA but it doesn’t mean that she has given up on competitive chess. The ex IPCA Women’s World Champion still continues to play at many events including Olympiads, FIDE Championships for Disabled and of course IPCA Championships with success.

IM Andrei Obodchuk is the six-times IPCA World Champion and thus he holds the record in this category. However chess enthusiasts might know him for another excellent achievement of his, a great opening book he authored on the Spanish Four Knights called “The Four Knights Game”.

IM Igor Yarmonov (52) is the current IPCA (International Physically Disabled Chess Association) World Champion, his fifth title overall. He is also the second highest rated player of the event and thus a strong addition to Team Europe.

Tatyana Lukina is an experienced player who has achieved many successful results at important championships for deaf players including 2^nd place in 2012 World Senior Chess Championship and 7^th place in 2018 Russian Chess Championship.

Having been twice the champion of his country (1994,1999) as well as winning the African Junior Chess Championship for two years in a row (1994,1995) IM Eugenio Campos is one of the established names of the African chess. He represented Angola multiple times in Olympiads and also attended the Karpov Chess School in Sweden.

A 19 years old player from Nordhorn/Germany, Scheffner has got the 5th place in FIDE World Junior Chess Championship for the  Disabled, played in the USA earlier this year. The young German talent was also member of the Team Niedersachsen which took the third place in 2018 World Team Chess Championship for Disabled.