The trajectory of Marc Barceló, born in Tarragona in 2016, is astonishing. He started playing chess at six years old to combat boredom during a summer, and in just three years, he has achieved a meteoric rise that places him among the world's youth elite. His father, Javier, was the one who taught him the initial concepts of the game.

This initial pastime has transformed into a demanding discipline. Marc trains daily for about two hours, combining in-person and online classes. His achievements include, in addition to the U9 blitz world title, a world runner-up title in rapid chess, the Spanish U10 championship, three Catalonia championships, and a notable fifteenth place in a European U10 tournament.

At just 9 years and 2 months old, Marc has made history by becoming the second youngest player to obtain the title of Candidate Master, the fourth most important distinction awarded by the International Chess Federation. His playing style is offensive, with a preference for tactics, combinations, and attacking play, drawing inspiration from figures like American Bobby Fischer, whose games he studies carefully. Currently, he is part of the Club Escacs Tarragona.

Chess has redefined Marc's family life, with constant travel to participate in tournaments across various parts of Spain and countries like Turkey and Montenegro. His next engagement will be in Serbia, where he will compete in the U10 World Championship for rapid and blitz chess. Despite school absences, he maintains good grades in subjects like Mathematics, History, and languages, also demonstrating talent in activities such as solving the Rubik's Cube and puzzles.