Spanish grandmaster Jaime Santos claimed the 2026 Leon Masters after defeating defending champion Liem Le in the final. The 30-year-old local hero beat 12-year-old Faustino Oro in the semifinals before overcoming Le 3.5-0.5.
The four-player knockout took place in Leon, Spain, from July 3 to 5. Santos defeated Argentinian GM-elect Faustino Oro 3-1 in the semifinals. He then beat Vietnamese GM Liem Le in the final to secure his second title at the event.
Le had advanced by defeating Kirill Alekseenko in a semifinal match that went to armageddon. Santos, whose peak rating is 2680, joined an elite group of multiple winners that includes Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik, Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand.
After the victory Santos said he was very happy and had played quite well in general. Le noted that a missed opportunity in the first game of the final proved decisive.
