This Saturday, October 11, the Canebière was transformed into a huge open-air chessboard for the 5ᵉ edition of Chess en Fête. It was in this unique setting that dozens of enthusiasts – young, old and curious – brought out their black and white pieces for a unique and convivial moment. One youngster in particular caught the eye: Luca Protopopescu, just 9 years old and already considered one of the greatest hopes of French chess.
Twelve simultaneous games… at just 9 years of age!
Among the participants, 9-year-old Luca Protopopescu impressed the audience by playing twelve opponents simultaneously. Calm, concentrated and incredibly at ease, he played one shot after another with bluffing maturity.
His performance was no fluke: at just 9 years and 5 days old, he became the youngest player in history to surpass 2,200 Elo points, beating the previous world record held by England’s Ethan Pang.
A passion born during confinement
It all started with the family, during confinement. It was then that Luca discovered chess, even though he was only 4 years old. He soon joined the Marseille-Échecs club, where his talent exploded. Laurie Delorme, the club’s president, remembers their first game: “I felt the same sensation as when I played against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave at the age of 6“, in an interview with La Provence.
A prodigious and promising career
Between 2023, he became world champion, then European vice-champion and won the French championship in the under-8 category. Two years later, he achieved the feat of beating his former coach, international master Guillaume Philippe, at the Hyères tournament in February 2025.
His exceptional and inspiring career proves once again that Marseille is no stranger to master strokes!