12-year-old Faustino Oro, Jose Martinez, Mai Narva crowned GCL Contenders Champions

Mumbai, Oct 16 (PTI) Argentina's 12-year-old sensation Faustino Oro won the Prodigy U21 category while GM Jose Martinez and WGM Mai Narva were crowned the men's and women's champions respectively at the GCL Contenders Knockout Challengers Round here.

The trio will now serve as official ambassadors during third season of the Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between Tech Mahindra and FIDE, scheduled to be held in Mumbai from December 13 to 24, 2025.

Oro, fondly known as the "Messi of Chess," defeated Indian GM Pranav Anand in a thrilling finale, while GM Jose Martinez outplayed American streamer and blitz specialist IM Andrew Tang. Estonia's Narva clinched the women's crown with a win over Ukraine's WGM Yuliia Osmak.

The trio's triumph marks the culmination of an intense, two-month-long journey that saw more than 11,500 players compete across three divisions: Male, Female, and Prodigy (U21).

Oro's meteoric rise has made headlines across the chess world: from defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in an online blitz game to becoming the youngest player ever to cross the 2500 Elo mark earlier this year.

"Playing in the Global Chess League Contenders was a challenging and unique experience, every match pushed me to think faster and adapt better," Oro said.

All matches were played in rapid format on Chess.com and streamed live on GCL’s official YouTube channel, ensuring transparency through advanced fair-play protocols, including camera monitoring and anti-cheating measures.

GCL continues to enhance the fan experience with real-time insights and smarter broadcast integration.

"We’re thrilled to see Faustino, Jose, and Mai emerge as the winners of the GCL Contenders 2025. Their performances capture the global and inclusive essence of what the Global Chess League stands for, uniting players across generations and geographies on one platform," said Gourav Rakshit, GCL Commissioner. PTI APA BS BS