Faustino Oro clinches Prodigy U21 title; Jose Martinez, Mai Narva win GCL Contenders crowns

Argentina’s 12-year-old prodigy added another feather to his cap by winning the Prodigy U21 title at the Round held in Mumbai.

Grandmaster Jose Martinez and Woman Grandmaster Mai Narva were crowned the men’s and women’s champions respectively.

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The trio’s victories capped off a competitive two-month-long event that featured over 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 in Mumbai from December 13 to 24, 2025.

Oro, often called the “Messi of Chess,” defeated India’s GM Pranav Anand in a thrilling final to claim the U21 title. His steady rise through the ranks has been remarkable. The young Argentine has already beaten World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in online play and became the youngest 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 after his win, as quoted by PTI.

In the men’s category, Peru’s GM Jose Martinez produced a composed performance to outplay American blitz specialist and streamer IM Andrew Tang in the final.

Estonia’s WGM Mai Narva clinched the women’s title with a decisive win over Ukraine’s WGM Yuliia Osmak.

All matches were played in a rapid format on Chess.com, streamed live on GCL’s YouTube channel with advanced anti-cheating and camera monitoring systems to ensure fair play.

GCL Commissioner Gourav Rakshit lauded the winners, saying, “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.”

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