Argentinian chess prodigy Faustino Oro won the Prodigy U21 title at the GCL Contenders Knockout Challengers Round held in Mumbai (Image via X/@FedericoMarin) Argentina’s 12-year-old chess prodigy Faustino Oro added another feather to his cap by winning the Prodigy U21 title in the GCL Contenders Knockout Challengers Round held in Mumbai. Grandmaster Jose Martinez and female Grandmaster Mai Narva were crowned male and female champions. The trio’s victory capped off a competitive two-month event that saw more than 11,500 participants across the Male, Female and Prodigy (U21) divisions. They will now serve as official ambassadors for the third season of the Global Chess League (GCL) scheduled to be held in Mumbai from December 13 to 24, 2025. Oro, often called the “Messi of Chess”, beat Indian GM Pranav Anand in a thrilling final to win the U21 title. His steady rise up the rankings has been remarkable. The young Argentine has already beaten world number one Magnus Carlsen in an online game to become the youngest ever to break 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 after his victory, as quoted by PTI. In the men’s category, Peruvian GM Jose Martinez produced a composed performance to outlast American blitz specialist and IM streamer Andrew Tang in the final. Estonia’s WGM Mai Narva clinched the women’s title with a decisive victory over Ukraine’s WGM Yuliia Osmak. All matches were played in a fast-paced format on Chess.com, streamed live on GCL’s YouTube channel with advanced anti-cheating systems and a camera monitoring system to ensure fair play.
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GCL Commissioner Gourav Rakshit praised the winners saying, “We are thrilled that Faustino, Jose and Mai are emerging as 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 countries on one platform.”
