Argentina's Oro, India's Pranesh join GCL Contenders

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Argentina's Faustino Oro, hailed as 'Messi of Chess', and Indian prodigy Pranesh M headline the list of 12 Grandmasters and International Masters who have joined the GCL Contenders 2025 Knockout Challengers Round.

The GCL Contenders 2025 began with over 11,500 players worldwide signing up across three categories - male, female, and U21 (prodigy).

The 11-year-old Oro gained global attention after defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in an online blitz match, later becoming the world's youngest-ever player to cross the 2500 Elo mark in early 2025.

He joins the prodigies section of the Contenders, alongside fellow Indian GM Pranesh M, winner of the Challengers section of the Chennai Grand Masters, Belarusian star Denis Lazavik, and India's GM Pranav Anand - with the quartet drawn alongside qualifiers Rosh Jain, Gopal Krishna M, Rathina Sabapathi A, and Jvan Saurin Patel, respectively.

They will face qualifiers from earlier rounds for three coveted ambassador spots at Global Chess League (GCL) season 3, starting in Mumbai from December 13.

GCL Contenders 2025 will be conducted in collaboration with Chess.com, the league's official platform partner.

"It's exciting to be part of something that connects players from all over the world. I've been following the Global Chess League and can't wait to test myself against strong opponents. I'm looking forward to giving my best in the prodigy section," said Oro.

After intense battles in 18 rapid arenas, the top performers advanced through the GCL Opens and Titled Knockouts to reach the Challengers stage, now joined by the Grandmasters and International Masters.

Over the next phase, the 12 titled players will compete against four online qualifiers across three divisions, with the winners joining the GCL main event as ambassadors.

"GCL Contenders is designed to connect the entire chess ecosystem, from everyday players to professionals, on a single competitive platform. The arrival of Grandmasters and International Masters in this round reflects exactly that spirit," said Gourav Rakshit, Commissioner, Tech Mahindra Global Chess League.

In the men's category, Grandmasters Jose Martinez (Mexico), Benjamin Bok (The Netherlands), Andrew Tang (USA), and Abhimanyu Puranik (India) will enter the draw, each set to face one of four qualifiers who advanced through the global Opens and Titled Knockouts: Diptayan Ghosh, Aradhya Garg, Alok Sinha, and Harshal Patel.

In the women's section, IM Yuliia Osmak (Ukraine), IM Padmini Rout (India), and IM Mai Narva (Estonia) headline a strong field that also includes qualifiers Mitra Hejazipour (Iran), Rucha Pujari (India), Jesse February (South Africa), Oliwia Kiolbasa (Poland) and Angel Ruth (India), blending international experience and emerging regional talent to give this bracket a distinctly global look. PTI AT AH AH