Marc Barceló, 9 years old, is the second youngest to achieve the FIDE Candidate Master title

"It's like a video game that develops the brain", says under-9 world champion Marc Barceló

13 of april of 2026 at 14:50h
Marc Barceló, 9 years old, is the second youngest to achieve the FIDE Candidate Master title
Marc Barceló, 9 years old, is the second youngest to achieve the FIDE Candidate Master title

Marc Barceló, a chess player from Tarragona born in 2016, has been proclaimed under 9 world champion in the blitz modality after a tournament held in Turkey. With only 9 years and 2 months, the player from Club Escacs Tarragona has also achieved another milestone by becoming the second youngest chess player to obtain the title of Candidate Master from the International Chess Federation.

A track record that continues growing

The young man from Tarragona already has a distinguished career in youth categories. He reaches this new international success after having been world runner-up in rapid chess, Spanish under-10 champion and three times Catalonia champion. He also achieved 15th place in an under-10 European Championship, a result that reinforces his progression in the continental circuit.

His athletic evolution is based on a constant routine. Barceló trains two hours a day and combines in-person sessions with online work, a sustained preparation that has allowed him to compete at the highest level despite his young age.

From Club Escacs Tarragona to the international circuit

The player is part of Club Escacs Tarragona, from where he has been building an increasingly solid trajectory in national and international championships. His recent world title in blitz confirms the moment he is going through and places him among the great promises of grassroots chess.

"It's like a video game that develops the brain and is a lot of fun" , Marc Barceló, chess player

The next big event for the chess player will be the U10 Rapid and Blitz World Championship which will be held in Serbia. There he will once again compete with some of the best talents in his category, with the aim of expanding a record that continues to grow.

"In the future I would like to become grandmaster" , Marc Barceló, chess player

The world championship achieved in Turkey and access to the title of Candidate Master consolidate Marc Barceló as one of the names to follow in Tarragona's grassroots sports and in Catalan chess.

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